From June 1881 the Geldersche Tramweg Company operated a steam tram through the center of Doesburg on the Dieren-Doesburg-Doetinchem route. Both freight and passenger trams were on the route.
The trams went over the old ship bridge and right through the center. On many old photos and postcards the trajectories of the tram line are visible in the pavement. In the center, an employee of the Geldersche Tramweg Maatschappij held a red flag in front of the trams for safety reasons.
That safety sometimes left something to be desired is demonstrated by the fact that regular derailments took place. Around 1920 a locomotive on the Dierense Dijk crashed into a cow and tilted. The cow unfortunately did not survive. A spectacular accident occurred on 9 November 1924, when the tram from Doesburg to Doetinchem derailed on the ship bridge and the locomotive disappeared in the Ijssel River. The driver managed to jump off the locomotive just in time and survived the accident.
After WW2, the tram line was only used for freight transport. In the summers of 1955, 1956 and 1957, a tram traveled between Doesburg and Doetinchem especially for tourists. However, it was the end; the last steam tram drove through Doesburg on 31 August 1957.
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