The Dalsenget fire was a disaster where the Dalsenget Depot of Trondheim Sporvei burnt down, destroying almost all of the modern tram fleet. 26 trams, 16 trailers and one working tram were destroyed, and three cleaners lost their lives.[1] It was, at the time, the largest fire in Trondheim, Norway, after World War II.
The fire started at 04:15 on 10 October 1956, and quickly the entire depot was ablaze. The fire department was not alerted until 04:23, and little could be done to save the trams or the depot. One tram and trailer survived from within the fire-proof paint shop. Trondheim Sporvei had never discarded its old trams, that were stored at Voldsminde Depot, and eleven old trams were in service within the day. In addition, eight buses were borrowed from Oslo within the week. Damage was at NOK 9 million, of which 8 million was for the rolling stock.
A proposal to replace the tramway with trolleybus was discarded by the city council. The depot was rebuilt, and 28 new Class 7 trams were ordered, in addition to 15 trailers from Strømmens Værksted and Hønefoss Karosserifabrikk, respectively. The bogies and motors were salvaged, and reused on the new trams.
- ^ Aspenberg, 1995: 13