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{{Infobox restaurant
[[File:Spårakoff.jpg|thumb|Spårakoff, at corner Kaivokatu/Mikonkatu]]
| name = SpåraKoff
[[File:SpårakoffTramPub.JPG|thumb|Spårakoff Tram Pub, waiting at Mikonkatu tram stop in [[Rautatientori]] square.]]
| logo =
'''Spårakoff''' is a [[Karia HM V|HM V]] type [[tram]] converted into a [[bar (establishment)|bar]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]. Known as '''the pub tram''', the bright red vehicle does circular tours of Helsinki picking up passengers for an additional fee during summer months.
| logo_width =
| logo_alt =
| image = SpåraKoff, Rautatientori, 2019 (02).jpg
| image_width =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = SpåraKoff departing from [[Helsinki Railway Square|Railway Square]]
| pushpin_map = Finland Helsinki (mainland)
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| slogan = ''"Kapakkatunnelmaa liikkeellä."''<br/>("Pub atmosphere on the go.")
| established = {{Start date|1995|04|30}}
| closed = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| current-owner = [[Sinebrychoff]], [[HOK-Elanto]], [[Helsinki City Transport|HKL]]
| previous-owner =
| food-type =
| rating =
| street-address =
| city = [[Helsinki]]
| county =
| state =
| postcode = <!-- or | zip = -->
| country = [[Finland]]
| coordinates = {{coord|60.1710187|24.9450463|display=inline,title}} <!-- http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/506726723/history -->
| seating-capacity = 24 seats<br/>6 standing places
| reservations = Available
| locations =
| other-label = <!-- replaces "Other information" label -->
| other-information =
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}
'''SpåraKoff''' is a [[Karia HM V|HM V]] type [[tram]] converted into a mobile [[bar (establishment)|bar]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]. Known as '''the pub tram''', the vehicle does circular tours of downtown Helsinki picking up passengers for a fee during summer months. It is operated jointly by [[Sinebrychoff]], [[HOK-Elanto]] (part of the [[S Group]]), and [[Helsinki City Transport]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/miten+niin+pilkkusuomi+sparakoff+sailyy/a2278604
| title = Miten niin pilkku-Suomi? "SpåraKoff säilyy!"
| trans-title =
| last = Kimmo Lundén
| first =
| date = 2014-11-24
| work =
| publisher = [[Talouselämä]]
| accessdate = 2015-05-10
| language = fi
}}</ref>
 
Claimed to be the only one of its kind in the world, theThe pub tram is immediately distinguishable in the Helsinki traffic by its vivid red colour and(as ''PUB''opposed to the normal colours, [[destination blind|destination boardgreen]]. and Normal[[cream trams(colour)|cream]], operatedused on the [[Helsinki tram]] network byof the [[Helsinki City Transport]]), areand [[green]]by andthe [[creamdestination (colour)blind|creamdestination board]]. that Areads tour ("[[pub crawl]]PUB") takes approximately 40 minutes, travelling around the streets of Helsinki while its passengers enjoy their drinks.
 
It is one of the four HM V trams that remain operational in Helsinki. Two of them are museum trams, and one is used as a non-passenger carrying advertisement tram.<ref>{{cite web
==Operation==
|url = http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/hkl/hkl1-_4/hkl1-_4.htm
The name "Spårakoff" comes from the [[Helsinki slang]] word ''spåra'' [tram]{{ref|1|1}} and the beer brand [[Koff (beer)|''KOFF'']], produced by the [[Sinebrychoff|Sinebrychoff Brewery]]—Finland's largest and most famous beer brewery. Spårakoff was given the number 175 to honour Sinebrychoff’s 175th Anniversary, and began operating as a pub tram on May Day Eve in 1995. Operation of the tram is by the Finnish [[restaurant chain]] [[S-Group]].
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085351/http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/hkl/hkl1-_4/hkl1-_4.htm
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 2008-05-17
|title = HKL: Motor trams 1 – 15 (1959)
|access-date = 2015-05-10
|publisher = Finnish Tramway Society
|language = Finnish, English
}}</ref>
 
[[File:SpårakoffTramPub.JPG|thumb|SpåraKoff Tram Pub, awaiting passengers at the Mikonkatu terminus stop at the [[Helsinki Railway Square]]]]
===Schedule and prices===
Regularly scheduled tours between 19 May–29 August 2009. No tours on Thursday 21 May ([[Ascension Day]]) or Friday 19 June–Monday 22 June ([[Midsummer]] weekend). Departures Tuesday–Saturday from the [[Rautatientori]] square in front of the Fennia building at 14:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00. Spårakoff can also be boarded at [[Linnanmäki]], the [[Finnish National Opera|Opera House]], the [[Vanha ylioppilastalo|Old student House]] and the [[Helsinki Market Square]] tram stops. The tour takes about 40 minutes.<ref name=Sinebrychoff>{{cite web |title=SpåraKOFF begins regularly scheduled traffic in Helsinki |url=http://www.sinebrychoff.fi/news?action=details&id=134 |publisher=Oy Sinebrychoff Ab |date=2009-05-08 |accessdate=2009-06-11}}</ref>
 
== Etymology ==
{{As of|2009}}, the price of the tour is €8. With a S-Bonus card: €7, or €4 for children under twelve. Drinks priced separately. Brochures are available from the Spårakoff pub tram and the Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau at Pohjoisesplanadi 19.<ref name=Sinebrychoff />
The name "SpåraKoff" is a combination of ''spåra'' ("tram", in [[Helsinki slang]],<ref>{{cite book
|title=Tsennaaks Stadii, bonjaaks slangii. Stadin slangin suursanakirja
|last=Heikki and Marjatta Paunonen
|first=
|authorlink=
|year=2000
|publisher=[[Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö|WSOY]]
|location=Helsinki
|isbn=951-0-23239-4
|page=1078
|pages=
|accessdate=
|url=
}}</ref> from the [[Swedish language|Swedish]] word ''spårvagn'' "tram"){{efn-lr|Although the letter ''å'' is part of the Finnish alphabet, native [[Finnish language|Finnish]] does not use it, and in commonly used Helsinki slang, the word for "tram" is spelled ''spora''. However, the official spelling of SpåraKoff's name retains the ''å'' from the original [[Swedish language|Swedish]] word ''spårvagn''.}} and the beer brand "[[Koff (beer)|Koff]]", produced by the [[Sinebrychoff|Sinebrychoff Brewery]] — the oldest brewery in [[Scandinavia]] and one of the largest in Finland.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://cms.lindholm-fi.net/pages/teemat/henkiloeitae-paikkoja-ja-tapahtumia/kotimaiset/suomalaisten-suurpanimoiden-historia.php
| title = Suomalaisten suurpanimojen historia
| trans-title = History of the large breweries in Finland
| author = Ari Lindholm
| date = 2007-07-26
| work = lindholm-fi.net
| accessdate = 2015-05-10
| language =fi
}}</ref>
 
===Route=History==
The SpåraKoff was remodelled from an old HM V tram in 1995, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Sinebrychoff. HM V number 15 was selected as the tram to be converted, and it was renumbered no. 175 in honour of the anniversary. The SpåraKoff started its operation on [[Walpurgis night]]'s eve, 1995.
[[Rautatientori]], [[Linnanmäki]], [[Suomen Kansallisooppera|Oopperatalo]], [[Aleksanterinkatu (Helsinki)|Aleksanterinkatu]] and [[Market Square, Helsinki|Kauppatori]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.raitio.org/historia/koff/koff.htm| title=Ravintolaraitiovaunu Spårakoff - HKL 175| author= Tom Heino| work=Suomen Raitiotieseura ry| }}</ref>
 
The SpåraKoff has an area of {{convert|20|m²}}. It has seats for 24 customers, a counter and a [[Toilet (room)|lavatory]]. The lavatory is so small it had to be ordered from a company that builds cabins for cruise ships. The remodelling was done by Helsinki City Transport. Originally the SpåraKoff was only supposed to be in operation for two years, but it turned out to be so popular that it continues its operations today. When it started, it was the only one of its kind in the world.<ref>{{cite news
===Sights===
| title = Spårakoffista tuli heti nähtävyys
The Spårakoff pub tram’s route passes many of Helsinki’s most notable sights: The Central Railway Station, Ateneum Art Museum, Pitkäsilta bridge, Hakaniemi Square and its market hall, the Kallio Library, the Linnanmäki Amusement Park, Töölö Bay, the Olympic Stadium, the Opera House, Finlandia Hall, the National Museum, the Parliament House, the Kiasma Museum of Modern Art, the Mannerheim statue, Old Student House, the Stockmann department store, the Market Square, the Presidential Palace and the Senate Square.<ref name=Sinebrychoff />
| trans-title = Spårakoff became instantly a sight to see
| author = Kaisu Moilanen
| url = http://www.hs.fi/ihmiset/a1430883805981
| newspaper = [[Helsingin Sanomat]]
| publisher = [[Sanoma]]
| location = [[Helsinki]]
| date = 2015-05-07
| accessdate = 2015-05-10
| language = fi
}}</ref>
 
==Operation==
===Private occasions===
In 2015, the SpåraKoff operates from 4 May to 5 September. A tour ("[[pub crawl]]") takes approximately 40 minutes, travelling from the [[Helsinki Railway Square]] to [[Kallio]], [[Töölö]], and the [[Market Square, Helsinki|Market Square]], while its passengers enjoy their drinks. The route has the following stops: [[Helsinki Railway Square|Rautatientori]], [[Linnanmäki]], [[Finnish National Opera|Oopperatalo]], [[Aleksanterinkatu]] and [[Market Square, Helsinki|Kauppatori]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.raitio.org/historia/koff/koff.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518073326/http://www.raitio.org/historia/koff/koff.htm| url-status=dead| archive-date=2008-05-18| title=Ravintolaraitiovaunu Spårakoff - HKL 175| author=Tom Heino| work=Suomen Raitiotieseura ry}}</ref> In addition to running its scheduled public tours, the tram is available to operate charter services.<ref name="tut 2002-09">{{cite web |last1=Rice |first1=Walter |last2=Rauhala |first2=Jorma |title=Helsinki: Expansion is on the horizon |url=https://www.lrta.info/archive/mag/articles/art0209.html |website=Tramways & Urban Transit |access-date=27 March 2022 |date=September 2002}}</ref>
You can book the Spårakoff pub tram for private functions. Chartered trips 19 May – 18 Jun 6. and 31 Jul – 29 Aug from Tuesdays to Saturdays, provided that the trip ends no later than 13:00 or begins after 21:30 on Sundays and Mondays at any time. Route according to your preference. Hourly charge.<ref name=Sinebrychoff />
 
According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', the SpåraKoff's seats are not comfortable, but its scheduled route covers most of Helsinki's usual sights, its drinks are reasonably priced, and there is no irritating commentary. Most of the drinks served on board are either beer or [[Lonkero]], a recommended "long drink" made from gin and grapefruit soda; there is also a frequently changing wine list.<ref name="tg 2022-03-24">{{cite news |author1=Guardian readers |title=‘The seats aren’t comfy but you’ve got a beer’: readers’ favourite tram rides |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/mar/24/readers-favourite-tram-rides-europe-america-australia-hong-kong |access-date=27 March 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=24 March 2022}}</ref>
 
== Technical information ==
[[File:Spårakoff interior 1.jpg|thumb|Inside the SpåraKoff pub tram]]
[[File:Spårakoff interior 2.jpg|thumb|Inside the SpåraKoff pub tram]]
The tram has two bogies and was originally constructed in 1959. The conversion for pub use (including the addition of a toilet) was carried out in 1995.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.virginoil.fi/suomeksi/sparakoff/
| title = SpåraKoff
| publisher = Virgin Oil Co.
| accessdate = 2015-05-10
| language =fi
}}</ref>
 
===Technical information===
The tram has two bogies and was originally constructed in 1959. The conversion for pub use (including addition of a toilet) was in 1995.
* Width: {{convert|2.3|m|ftin}}, height: {{convert|3.6|m|ftin}}
* Track [[rail gauge|gauge]]: {{convert|1|m|ft}}
* Total mass: {{convert|20|t|lb}}
* Top speed: {{convert|60|km/h|mph}}
* [[Acceleration]]: 12.6 s (0–50&nbsp;km/h)
* Capacity: 24 seats, 6 standing places, one [[flush toilet]] (WC)
* Beer serving capacity: ca. 500 [[pint]]s per filling
 
The tram is staffed by one driver and one [[bartender]] serving customers.
 
==SpåraKoff in Taiwan==
The tram is staffed by one driver and one [[Waiting staff|waiter/waitress]] serving customers.
A copy of SpåraKoff, converted from an abandoned HKL 23 tram, was shown at the [[Taipei Expo]] exhibition in [[Taiwan]] from November to December 2000 for nine days at the Finnish pavilion. The interior of the tram ran computer simulators showing a view of ''Virtual Finland''. Thus tram visitors could feel like they were on a tram cruise in Helsinki. The interior also included tables, benches and a bar. The tram was converted to this use in [[Taipei]]. After the exhibition the tram remained in Taiwan, making it the only tram in the country,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150518072801/http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/hkl/hkl23/hkl23.htm HKL:n neliakselinen moottorivaunu. tyyppi RM3, numero 23], ''Finnish tram society'' 18 May 2015. Accessed on 17 June 2020.</ref> until a [[light rail]] system was opened in [[Kaohsiung]] in 2016.<ref>[https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2016-07-04/74830 領先全台 高雄輕軌4日正式通車], ''Newtalk''. Accessed on 20 June 2020. (in Chinese)</ref>
 
==See also==
{{portalboxPortal|Drink|Trains|Finland}}
*[[Colonial Tramcar Restaurant]] in Melbourne, Australia.
*[[Trams in Helsinki]]
*[[Trams in Finland]]
 
== Notes ==
{{Notelist-lr}}
{{note|1|1}} Although the letter ''å'' is part of the Finnish alphabet, native [[Finnish language|Finnish]] does not use it, and in commonly used Helsinki slang, the word for "tram" is spelled ''spora''. However, the official spelling of Spårakoff's name retains the ''å'' from the original [[Swedish language|Swedish]] word ''spårvagn''.
 
== References ==
{{reflistReflist}}
 
==External links==
{{Commons category|Spårakoff}}
*[http://www.sinebrychoff.fi/news?action=details&id=134 Sinebrychoff pressrelease]
*[http://www.koff.net/sporakoff]The Official website of the Spårakoff
*[http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/vbz/de/index/freizeit_events/genuss_mit_den_vbz.html Genuss mit den VBZ], restaurant trams in Zurich, Switzerland.
 
{{coord|60.1710187|24.9450463|display=title}} <!-- http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/506726723/history -->
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparakoff}}
[[Category:Culture in Helsinki]]
[[Category:Transport in Helsinki]]
[[Category:Drinking establishments in FinlandEurope]]
[[Category:PassengerFood railand vehiclesdrink companies of Finland]]
[[Category:Tram transport in Finland]]
[[Category:Tram vehicles of Finland]]
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