Barcelona 2001:  THE FIRST TROLLEYBUS WAS BORN 60 YEARS AGO

 
History:  The first plans to draw a trolleybus network appeared in midd thirties but they were not implemented until the end of the Spanish civil War, in order to solve the lack of buses -destroyed during the war- and fuel shortage due to the World War II.

Ideas were concretised in 1940 when a prototype was built. In fact the project used to recover the d/d bus bodies of the batch 275-310 with a new front cab added  in the former engine place. The new cab was of the same width of the body and it was used for weight trials on a new chassis. But the first prototype abandoned the wide cab and a new strengthened one was implemented in order to save steel and glasses. In september 1940 was ordered an overhead  trial section inside the Lutxana bus depot and, in 15th november, the first car was received by the authorities and press. The trolleybus, with some different features over the rest of the class was fitted with one trolley pole in contact with the tramways overhead and fitted with a little wheel running on one tramway track. Trials were very successful and the whole batch was ordered and built in the workshops company as well as the overhead began to be installed.
 
 

1940. Chassis	1940. Weight trials. Wide cab prototype	15.11.1940. Launching of the first car  nº 501.

 

The first section of overhead was a trial one and would continue the inside depot line until Pere IV st. and permission was agreed by the Council in 27th november 1940. The main project was presented as  "Proyecto de transformación en trolebús de la línea 'C' de autobuses térmicos 'Marqués del Duero a la calle del Palomar'" in 19th december 1940 and was the conversion to trolleybus of the bus route 'C'.   This first project  started from  Paral·lel av., and took over basically the whole route of the withdrawn bus route 'C' except for some short sections. The outwards end would be established in St. Andreu quartier. A branch will permit the connection with the depot.

In february 1941 the overhead were at work in several streets. The city council agreed the permission to build up the whole overhead line and, in some short sections, to add only one wire (negative) nearby the positive tramway one to save copper wire. Some little changes were made and, finnaly, the route finished at Sepúlveda st/Ronda crossing. Works finished at the end of the summer so that in 30th september 1941 the line and trolleybuses were inspected and aproved.
 
 

If wide cab was retained 500-class would be as this one.	1941. Improving old bus bodies.	1941. Showing the trolley poles possibilities.
12.10.1941. Launching of route FC in Ronda de la Universitat	12.10.1941. Launching of route FC in Ronda de la Universitat	12.10.1941. Car 523 in St. Andreu in the opening day.

The official opening took on 12th october 1941, with two ministers, the Council and tramways company managers. The fact was important as it was the first trolleybus main route in Spain, presented as a way to solve the lack of supplies in the autarchic policies of the moment.  Some days later, the service was officialy authorized.

The Barcelona trolleybus network extended to run 130 cars and service to 11 routes. The withdrawal of the electric services in midd sixties lead to the closing of the remaining trolleybus routes in 7th october 1968. Only one car of the 601-627 batch is preserved by now of this once extensive service.
 

Carachteristics of the 501-538 batch

Body:           Double decker
Long:           8.050mm
Width:          2.300mm
High:            4.450mm
Axles:          2
Tyres:         10.00x20
Motors:       1
Power:        80kW
Controller: Foot controlled, 11 contactors at  24V
Gear:           1:10,33
Mass (empty): 6.920kg
Passengers: 59 (only seated)
 

Basic bibliography:

ANDREU, Marc (et al.): La ciutat transportada. TMB. Barcelona, 1997
    In catalan.  Abstracts in english and spanish.
GIMÉNEZ ATTENELLE, Manuel: Memorias de un peatón.  Ed. autor. Barcelona, 1997. In spanish.
    Líneas de tranvías y trolebuses de Barcelona, años 1939 a 1971.  Ed. autor. Barcelona, 1997. En español
GONZÀLEZ MASIP, Albert: Tilling-Stevens in Barcelona. In 'Classic Bus' Nº36 (pp.12-17) C.B.Publishing.
    Edinburgh, august 1998. In english.

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© Albert Gonzàlez Masip