MUSEUM OF THE ATHENS-PIRAEUS ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
FOUNDATION YEAR 1995
OF THE RETIRED WORKERS’ UNION
THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE ATHENS-PIRAEUS ELECTRIC RAILWAYS (SAP-EIS-ISAP)
SINCE 1869
The Museum has been the vision of Manolis Photopoulos -an employee of the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways- since 1990. He began to implement his dream in 1995 at the offices of the Retired Electric Railways Workers’ Union, aiming at bringing to life the outstanding historical background of the “Electric Railways” and the important contribution of the workers and employees of the Company.
He diligently searched in all company locations, from Piraeus to Kifissia and gathered all items he considered important for the future Museum. At the same time he prompted his co-workers -retired or otherwise- to assist in his effort.
Bulky items were moved and stored at the Company’s warehouses until an appropriate exhibition area was found. The present location of the Museum was finally assigned following a period of negotiations.
In the years 2003-2004, the implementation of the architectural design study and the construction works -that transformed the location into an exhibition area- took place with the financial support of the Company.
All collected items were then photographed, recorded and archived. A museological study was conducted along with some construction amendments before the final laying out of the full exhibition.
The Museum’s official opening took place in 2005. The collection consisted of 1,250 items (in the show-room and the storerooms) and several books and archives.
At the same time an extension of the Museum was planned. The Company’s Rail & Construction departments conducted the full study for the Museum extension on the 1st and 2nd floor of the building. The works were finalized by April 2011.
At the same time the formal record of the exhibits was extended to reach more than 6,000 items (exhibits and printed material).
The extension works of the Museum were based on the museological study of the layout of the full exhibition and were funded by the Retired Electric Railways Workers’ Union and finalized at the beginning of 2013.
Instead of a formal inauguration of the Museum’s new extensions, a special memorial plaque was designed and placed by the main entrance, honoring the Fighters and Victims of the Electric Railways workers during the 2nd World War and the National Resistance.
GROUND FLOOR
Most of the exhibits on the ground floor are related to the railway stations. An original wooden carriage is prominently featured among a collection of train signalling instruments, items and instruments from the ticket-counters, passenger benches, clocks, passenger-traffic signs etc.
On the same floor, machinery and tools -used in the construction and maintenance of the rails- are displayed along with a three dimensional model representing the construction of the Monastiraki-Omonoia underground tunnel.
1 Entrance - Museum Shop
2 Tunnel construction model
3 From the stations
4 Wooden carriage
5 From the rails
6 Stairway to the basement: Signalling-Telephone Center
7 Stairway to the mezzanine
BASEMENT
The exhibits in this room are mainly instruments used for the operation, control, signalling and power supply of the trains. There is also a display of telecommunication equipment as well as a small collection of nighttime working lights.
MEZZANINE
On this level, the Athens-Piraeus Railway history is documented in chronological succession showcasing the historical evolution of the Company (1869-2011), complete with explanatory text, photographs and exhibits from the various stages.
A collection of workers’ uniforms and objects from the Company’s central offices are displayed in the central showcases.
An adjoining area hosts a selection of documents of the history of the Railway Workers’ Trade Union Movement.
1 Historical evolution 1835-2011
2 Workers’ uniforms
3 From the offices
4 John Papadimitriou Room.
From the Trade-Union Movement of the Railway Personnel’s Union (S.A.P. and Ε.I.S. 1920-1967)
FIRST FLOOR
The central show-room is dedicated to the Company’s factory.
All the production and maintenance departments are represented
(see museum map) along with a three dimensional model of the machine-works department and the lining of the rails.
There is also a special display of machinery, tools and instruments that have been used during the rail construction works.
In a small show-room there is a photographic exhibition documenting the historical evolution of the railway stations with relative items. In the separate area hosting the Museum’s library, items from the Company’s technical support services and drawing department are exhibited.
1 From the rails: lining, construction works, rails control
2 From the factory: carpenter’s workshop, machine-works, iron-works, foundry, sub-stations, signalling
3 From the stations
4 The stations through time
5 Warehouse - Fire Safety
6 From the drawing studio
SECOND FLOOR
The conference room hosts a photographic exhibition about Omonoia Square and a collection of paintings inspired by the railways.
In the lobby there are two photographic exhibitions, one about the construction of the Omonoia-Victoria tunnel and one about the development of the Faliro area, brought about by the company’s construction works.
1 From the office of Alexandros Vlagalis and the conference room
2 Photographic exhibition: Construction of the Omonoia-Attica tunnel and
snapshots of the era
3 Photographic exhibition : Neo Faliro at its best
4 Photographic exhibition: Omonoia through time
5 Collection and exhibition of paintings, featuring the railway as their main theme
Architectural design - supervision:
Kostas Fines
architect
Andreas Yolassis
architect
Maria Fine
architect
Collection archive compilation:
Maria Mavroeidi
industrial archeologist
Printed matter archive compilation:
Flora Anastasiou
archivist
Museological study - supervision:
Antiopi Pantazi
architect
Leonidas Bachas
designer
From I.S.A.P. SA contributed:
Athanasios Rizos
civil engineer
Eustratios Apostolou
civil engineer
Ioannis Adamou
architect
Anastasios Goudelis
electrical engineer
Konstantinos Berbantiotis
civil engineer
Demetra Kalosaka
civil engineer
Vasiliki Travlou
civil engineer
Demetrios Sofianidis
electrical engineer
Konstantinos Tzamtzis
chief architectural drafter
Konstantinos Kallianiotis
chief architectural drafter
FREE ADMISSION
Monday-Friday: 9:00 -14:00
Tel: 2144 141 552, 210 4129503
Fax: 210 4121687
email: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.
website: www.museum-synt-isap.gr
The Museum is accessible to people with disabilities
The Museum is located inside the piraeus terminal station
WITH THE KIND DONATION OF STASY