News and historical information
on Catalonia tramways,
trolleybuses & buses
 The 1200-class |
© Albert Gonzàlez Masip. Pictures, if not shown otherwise, are from unknown author.
History
When the Spanish Civil War ended, Barcelona got an almost withdrawn tram system. The most modern cars -500-class cars- were from 1926 and most of the fleet was in lack of maintenance, spares or was simply destroyed. The 1940 Agreements between the company and the Council drew one of the most important things to do: build new cars. But II World War added difficulties to the attempts to get parts from abroad and the Spanish political situation after the war run in the same way, so that Tranvías de Barcelona tried to get new trams from the local market, and created a new company, MAQUITRANS, in order to build themselves a batch of 50 new very modern cars inspired in the PCC technics, the dernier cri on tramways, able to carry 100 people. The first informations about the new car are provided by some 1941-42 pictures of underframe trials, with very clear wiews of PCC bogies without track brakes. The order was placed between MAQUITRANS for mechanical and electrical supplies and Carde y Escoriaza for the bodies. The tramways were mounted at the Barcelona MAQUITRANS workshops, former Tranvías de Barcelona workshops at a cost of 400.672 Pta. The 1200-class cars were known as 'PCC style', as they were'nt true PCCs except for some patents.
Prototype trials. Sarrià workshops. 1941-42
Picture: SagarraBuilding the bodies
at Carde y Escoriaza workshops in Zaragoza. 1944?
Cars 1202 and 1201 on show in the Barcelona streets. January 1944.
The first 2 trams were delivered late in 1943 and intended for trials until the official show on 26th January 1944. The first one got the official agreement to carry passengers on 8th March and the second one two months later. Deliveries lasted until 1946. The internal disposition of the first 1200 cars included a rear enclosed platform and roving conductor, with entrance at the middle of the car and exit at the front. In 1946 all that was changed and a passenger flow was implmented from front entrance to exit at the middle, with a seated conductor beside the front door. A very short number of cars were fitted with a central door at the left side, intended for routes with entrance at the left of the car, but they were'nt almost in service and some cars never used it. All that doors were withdrawn and desappeared during major overhauls.
An inside wiew of the first car.
January 1944.Passenger flow trials car. 1946
Car 1248 on route 47, (Rosselló/Padilla). September 1957
After the success of the trials, on 1944 was proposed a new batch of 50 cars, ordered in 1946. Lack of supplies delayed the delivery of the first new car until 1948 and all the batch was in service in 1951, all being built also by MAQUITRANS and Carde y Escoriaza factories. The new cars were higher than the first ones, as fitted with standee windows. In 1950 was proposed to buy 40 more cars of the class, but financial problems delayed and reduced the order until March1954 when, finally, an order was placed for 10 new cars. The first unit was delivered that year and the remaining ones on 1955 at a cost of 863.242 Pta.Carachteristics
Batch Year Builder
Carde y Escoriaza
Carde y EscoriazaFeatures Motors Brakes Wheels Ø Weight Passengers 3 doors
Other projects
Despite the fact that no more 1200-class cars should be built, some attempts were made to order new cars. So, on March 1957, a proposal was made to Carde y Escoriaza to build 40 units. Next year, the Plan General de Transportes de Superfície intended the construction of 164 motors and 120 trailers of the same class, later reduced to 66 and 55 units respectively. On 1959 a pre-order was placed with MMC (former Carde y Escoriaza) for 40 or 50 units of a modernized 1200-class. The TB archives revealed that that year an attempt was made to buy 64 motors and 120 trailers. Late the same year a proposal of new and highly improved 1200-class cars should be built by MACOSA from 1960. The arrival of secondhand Washington PCC ended the attempts to build more 1200-class cars.
Car 1306 in Diagonal/pg. de Gràcia. Early sixties.
18.3.1968.Picture © autorCar 1284 on route 49, at pg de St. Joan. 8.1970. Picture © autor
Changes and improvements
Originaly, the first 1200-class cars were fitted with underfloor resistences but after some problems including some fire, all were placed in the roof and last units were delivered in this way. Except for that changes, few improvements were made to the class. Soon they were fitted with a front pole for manoeuvring and -all being painted in red and cream- from May 1959 some cars were painted in the new livery of two blue shades kown as 'mediterranean green' or in the argot as 'Porcioles blue' from the name of the Mayor that promoted the change. With the new colours some little improvements appeared as new doors, trafficators, rubber front and rear protection, sideboards, new rubber pavement and some minor features. Later, a very big improvement was planned in 1963, with a very new body inspired in the Duwag style of the moment. Car 1290 received this new body and was delivered late in 1964. It got 3 doors and 'new' seats, picked from a withdrawn and never used PCC. Technically got no changes and drivers refused to drive it, despite the fact that it was the Major's favourite tramway. The whole class was intended for refurbishment but no more cars got it. It's interesting to note that the Technical Dept. of Tranvías de Barcelona studied in 1964 to build an articulated car using two1200 cars.
When the decision was took to withdrawn all the traway system, 1200-class and PCC were charged to carry on the process until the end. From 1965 the batch got the first problems of lack of spares and the first ones (11) were withdrawn on 12.1967, followed by 14 (9.68), 2 (10.68), 6 (12.68) and 7 on 2.69. On 1970 most of the class (51) was sent to scrapp followed by 13 at the end of the system. Of the original 110 units, only 6 remained from 1971 and one was destroyed by fire used as a restaurant late in the eighties. The remaining cars had got different luck and while 2 are preserved in private hands in a relatively good condition, 3 are in scrapyard condition in a Museum.
1200-class FLEET
1201-
1234
1300(1)
1299
1301
1299
1301-
1310
04-10
12-42,44,
46-67,
69-81,
83-93,
95-97,99
1301-04,
06-10
10,12-15,
17-18,
20-42,
44,46-53,
57,59,61,
64-66,
70-75,
77-81,
83-97,99
1301-02,
06,08-09
06,08,10,
12-15,
17-18,
20-42,
44,46-53,
57,59,61,
65-66,
70-73,75,
77-81,
83-89,93,
95-97,99,
1301,06,
08-09
10,13-14,
18,29-30,
33-34,36, 40,42,44,
49-50, 52-53,
70-71,
77,83,87-88,
93
1236
1242
1250
1252
1270
Notes
(1) Car 1300 was renumbered 1200.
(2) Trams not send to scrap at the end of the year. Today situation
Picture © author1250 restored in original condition for
the 'Trains & Stations' exhibit. 1981. Picture © author
Basic bibliography:
GIMENEZ ATTENELLE, Manuel: Memorias de un tramviario. Vols 3 i 4. Edició de l'autor. Barcelona, 2002, 2005.
GONZÀLEZ MASIP, Albert: Els tramvies de Barcelona. Vols. 1 i 2. Dalmau. Barcelona, 1997,1998. En català. Resumen en castellano. Abstract in english. ISBN:84-232-0511-8 i 84-232-0524-X
ZURITA, Fèlix: Tramvies de Barcelona. Catàleg de material mòbil. MAF. Barcelona, 1988. En català, en español, in english. ISBN:86758-00-9