bcntrolei

History: During the fifties, Barcelona made some attempts to purchase new tramways but except for the short batch 1301-1310, that followed the 1200-class in 1955 and so named 'PCC style', no one other car came. So, when at the beginning of the '60 Washington put on sale its PCC cars due to the withdrawal of its tramway system, Barcelona asked for information.

D.C. Transit System Inc. offered a first batch of 22 streetcars rated at 2000 US$ per unit. The two first cars arrived at the Barcelona harbour in september 1961. The overhaul was carried by MACOSA that made some changes, between them the removal of the plough used in that american city. First alocated at the 1500 serie, they were renumbered in the 1600 serie as some trailers were running yet as 1500 class. The first PCC made some trials from august 1962, but the Mayor Porcioles objected to the aesthetics of the car (he said that wheels must be covered and internal lighting seemed as toilets ones) so that some improvements were applied: full skirt, a front trolei for manoeuvring, two front highlights and trafficators as well changing of doors and lighting.

With the agreement of the Mayor, PCC's should be entered in service on 25 December 1962 but the heavy snowfall that happened that night with more than 50cm high prevented the use of the cars and they were launched on 3 January 1963 on route 65 along the Diagonal Ave. There they showed their more interesting features: acceleration, speed, silent and smooth ride.

Despite some bad comments by the press, anchored in the criticism of the tramways, the PCC were welcomed by the population. So that Tranvías de Barcelona bought a new batch of 45 PCC's, all postwar ones and, finally 33 more. Of the 101 PCC purchased, only 99 were in service and 2 for spare.

The new tramcars improved the Barcelona' tramways fleet and permitted the withdrawal of the service and the scrap of 40 and 50 years old tramways. In fact, that tramcars were the only american PCC cars in Spain. The PCC technology created some problems to the Tranvías de Barcelona workshops. Despite their good state, the PCC's passed away as well the remnant network on 18 March 1971. Some PCC were scrapped as early as 1968 and run only 3 years! During its life in Barcelona some received the removal of the wheels skirt ans minor changes following accidents.

Year	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1986
Amount	2	12	26	74	99	99	99	92	69	20	6	5
Cars	1601-1602	1601-1612	1601-21, 24-28	1601-1674	1601-1699	1601-1699	1601-1699	1601-05, 07-08, 11,13-74, 76-94,96-97, 99	1602,04,23, 25-29,31-34,36-74, 76,78-79, 81-85,87-90, 92-94,96-97,99	1625-27, 29,31-32, 34,36-37, 45,50,52-53,56-58, 60, 64-65, 83	1625,27, 31,53, 64,83	1627, 31,53, 64,83

About the splendid 101 PCC's very few stills today. No one is in running order; some has been kept by tramfans and others got bad luck.

**PCC's at 31.12.2004**
1627 1631 1653 1683	Medium state Derelict Medium state Derelict	Private owner At Transport Museum Private owner At Transport Museum	Place: - Place: Castellar de n'Hug Place: Ejea de los Caballeros Place: Castellar de n'Hug


A PCC car at Pg. de St. Joan. 1969. Photo: © author.	A PCC car at Tetuan Sq. 1969. Photo: © author.	PCC 1653 starts its last trip from Drassanes. Barcelona's last tram. 18 March 1971. Photo: © author

Car 1636 -in good condition- hauled to Diputació car barn for scrap. March 1971. Photo: © author.	1200's & PCC's waiting to be sold for scrap. Diputació car barn. March 1971. Photo: © author.	PCC 1683 at the Transport Museum. January 2000. Photo: © author.

About PCC 1601-1699

Purchase year	1961	1963	1964
Cars no. (Washington)	1240-43, 46,47,58w,79,82, 1303,06,09-11,13,15,17,37,40,44 1400-01,	1469w,76w,86w 1501w,03,05,07,11,14,16-17,19-34, 37,39,43-50,52-59,61-62,64,(65-72)w, (74-75)w,77w,81w,86w	1117w,44,78,83-85,87-88,90,92 1220w,55w,72 1374 w
Amount	22	65	14
Cars no. (Barcelona)	1601-1622	1623-87	1688-99

Notes:
w - trams with Westinghouse system, otherwise fitted with General Electric
Trams reserved for spare: 1184, 1220
The numbering Washington/Barcelona will be available soon

Batch 1601-1622 & 1688-1699
Builder: St. Louis Car Co.
Years: 1937-41
Trucks: PCC-Clark
Motors: 4x33kW

Batch 1623-1687
Builder: St. Louis Car Co.
Years: 1945-46
Trucks: PCC-Clark
Motors: 4x33kW

1601 1340	1611 1309	1621 1279	1631 1511	1641 1505	1651 1556	1661 1555	1671 1577	1681 1567	1691 1144
1602 1258	1612 1303	1622 1337	1632 1554	1642 1524	1652 1534	1662 1522	1672 ?	1682 1469	1692 1188
1603 1306	1613 1310	1623 1520	1633 ?	1643 1519	1653 1507	1663 1529	1673 1501	1683 1557	1693 1255
1604 1243	1614 1317	1624 1510	1634 1504	1644 1550	1654 1509	1664 1549	1674 1581	1684 1476	1694 1190
1605 1344	1615 1401	1625 1517	1635 1508	1645 1546	1655 1528	1665 1531	1675 1574	1685 1571	1695 1178
1606 1313	1616 1242	1626 ?	1636 1545	1646 1537	1656 1544	1666 ?	1676 1543	1686 1486	1696 1192
1607 1311	1617 1241	1627 1532	1637 1552	1647 1516	1657 1514	1667 1503	1677 1570	1687 1525	1697 1272
1608 1315	1618 1247	1628 1547	1638 1548	1648 1533	1658 1558	1668 1566	1678 1568	1688 1183	1698 1374
1609 1282	1619 1400	1629 1530	1639 1523	1649 1553	1659 1562	1669 1565	1679 1572	1689 1187	1699 1117
1610 1246	1620 1240	1630 1539	1640 1526	1650 1521	1660 1564	1670 1586	1680 1575	1690 1185

Bibliography:

GONZÀLEZ MASIP, Albert: Els tramvies de Barcelona. (De 1929 ençà). Dalmau. Barcelona, 1998. En català. Resumen en castellano. Abstract in english.
ISBN: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


PCC 1665, at Collblanc termini on route 156 in 1969. Photo: © author.	Car 1623 on route 54 in the loop of Centre Sq. in 1968. Photo: © author.	PCC 1663 on route 54. 1969. Photo: © author.

Car 1686 on route 29 is about to enter in Pg. de St. Joan in 1967. Photo © author	PCC 1683 on the loop of Pça. d'Eivissa on route 49. 1970. Photo © author.	PCC 1656 on route 49, is inbound on Pg. Maragall in 1970. Photo © author.


Washington PCC's 1530 & 1517 loaded for shipping to Barcelona.	Washington 1272 loaded in Barcelona for works. Photo © F. Zurita.	Barcelona PCC 1601on trials with its original features in Barcelona. August 1962


PCC 1607 on route 65. Diagonal Ave. in 1963	Car 1622 on route 45. Termini Bruc-Gran Via on 18.3.1968. Photo: © author.	Passengers boarding PCC 1634 in Tetuan Sq. Circle route 29.