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South
American
TROLLEYBUSES OF MONTEVIDEO (URUGUAY)
The
city of Montevideo, capital of the Republic of Uruguay, counted on a vast
system of electrical urban transportation, initiate on two tramway systems
of private property. These nets were thereinafter transferred to
Municipal Transportation Administration (A.M. de T.) public company that
also was operating bus services, though not in monopoly form.
On
March 28, 1951, A.M. de T. inaugurated the first trolleybus line, identified
with the number 62, that had as destination the residential coastal quarter
of Pocitos, and their corresponding beaches. The initial fleet was
composed by eighteen British United Traction new trolleybuses, bought to
England. For the purpose of to widen the system, in 1955 were incorporated
two hundred and fifty FIAT / Alfa-Romeo / C.G.E. trolleybuses of Italian
manufacture, similar into the forty cars that were acquired for the Rosario
city (Argentina) in 1961.
At
the beginning of the decade of 1960s, the montevidean trolleybuses were
crossing their better moment, with two hundred and seventy air line kilometers.
Among 1963 and 1964 were bought fifty single and forty articulated trolleybuses
brand Ansaldo, also of Italian origin; however these units were put
in service recently in 1967, due to the bureaucracy of the Customs.
By
inefficiency of the A.M. de T., many trolleybuses went remaining outside
of service, motivated furthermore by budgetary clippings and parts lack.
It is because of this that were canceled several lines and was had cease
it of management of the public company, being admitted only the continuity
of four lines to be operated by seventy and two Ansaldo units . These
lines were operated by the Trolleybus Cooperative (COOPTROL) created to
such effect, beginning their activities October 1, 1975. Meanwhile,
management of the A.M. de T. ceased in its functions on January 31, 1976,
and with her the five lines that was operating in direct form and the last
FIAT trolleybuses from 1954 that were remaining in operation.
COOPTROL
continued with the operation of its four lines until, January 26, 1992
ceased in their functions on account of obligations, material exceeded
in his useful life and lack of political support of the municipal authorities.
Today
Montevideo it does not has electrical transportation of any class.
In
September 1991, Montevideo trolleybuses yet had an intensive activity,
and they were a shaft rival for automotive transportation. The Independence
Square, with the the equestrian monument and mausoleum of the Illustrious
José Gervasio Artigas, brand the division among the "Old City" (the
historical hull of the city) and the beginning of the avenue 18 de Julio,
main social and commercial artery. The trolleybuses had to the Independence
Square as one of their terminal points; the other was constituting
it the Customs House, to where a given quantity of electrical units was
attending in daytime schedule.
In
the photo are observed a single and three articulated trolleybuses, waiting
its time to begin the respective tours.
Photo:
Carlos A. Fernández.
For
that moment, also were running omnibus dated to the early 1960s, operated
by various Cooperatives of workers that subsist at present. The photo
shows us to a veteran Leyland Royal Tiger with Metropolitan-Camel-Weymann
bodyshell of British industry. In third flat is seen to advance a
Leyland of 1980 with Uruguayan bodyshell. Two trolleybuses of the
line 4, that were traveling the trunk Avenue 18 de Julio until the Road
to Maldonado, are found parked.
Photo:
Carlos A. Fernández.
In
spite of the decadent aspect of most of the units, trolleybuses had a high
index of services fulfillment and hourly, no resulting very frequent to
observe them outside of service. Even though the useful life of the
"Ansaldo" already had been amply fulfilled, these noble machines guaranteed
a moderately efficient service until last moment. The most customary
drawbacks were caused by the falls of the contact line and troubles in
the rectifier substations.
The
articulated cars, as that of the photo, they were assigned to the trunk
line # 4.
Photo:
Carlos A. Fernández.
In
their last months of management, COOPTROL made large efforts by repairing
the greater possible quantity of units. One of them was the coach
# 8, the one which furthermore it was endowed of a new livery, but always
observing the traditional colors of the company. Shall be noted in
the photograph the down height in which is found the air contact line.
A similar trolleybus (coach # 29) was bought in auction by the Argentine
company Expreso Emir S.A. from Córdoba to be donated to the Uruguayan
Association Friends of the Rail (A.U.A.R.) and intended for historical
preservation.
Photo:
Carlos A. Fernández.
VALPARAÍSO (CHILE) TROLLEYBUSES
An
exceptional case of trolleybus survival is that of the city of Valparaíso,
in the Republic of Chile, located to the shores of the Pacific Ocean approximately
120 kilometers to the Northwest of Santiago.
With
a favorable location and by its proximity to the capital, Valparaíso
was converted in the principal maritime port of the country and early terminus
of the railway to the interior -with international connection to Mendoza,
Argentina-. All this contributed to characterize to this progressive
city whose central sector is found profusely endowed of assorted architectural
trend constructions that give to her a distinctive bias recognized at world
level.
Urban
transportation of Valparaíso had in the streetcars (horse and electrical
powered) the most important stage of growth and consolidation. But
forward the presence of the automotive was made to feel because the continuous
advance of the urbanized zone made necessary the population of geographically
very difficult sectors of acceding (there must be in account that the city
is established among the hills and the sea).
To
facilitate transportation, also was appealed to the "elevators", funiculars
installed in the skirts of the cliffs and that they are a solution that
has scarce preceding in the world, enjoying yet today a great popularity
with
numerous
exemplary in service.
Little
after that in the city of Santiago, Valparaíso in 1953 was endowed
with a trolleybus system that in its maximum extension reached the neighboring
seaside resort city of Viña del Mar. The infrastructure (substations
and contact line) was of North American origin, the same as the fleet constituted
by Pullman-Standard trolleybuses manufactured among 1947-1949. Also
during the 1950s also were acquired French manufactured trolleybuses, that
they were withdrawn from the service some years after.
The
political, economic and social sway impacted in the progressive deterioration
of the systems of Chilean trolleybuses (all they State-owned) disappearing
these from the streets of Viña del Mar during the 1960s, and around
the end of the 1970s touched to him the shift to the early system of Santiago.
Finally, at the beginning of the 1980s the State bade the sale of the Valparaíso
trolleybus company, being acquired in 1982 by a local entrepreneur group
under the denomination of “Empresa de Transportes Colectivos Eléctricos
Limitada” (E.T.C.E.) -Electrical Collective Transportation Company
Limited-.
The
policy of the concurrence of free private entrepreneurs for the development
of the public passengers transportation in all Chile was auguring a gloomy
future for the E.T.C.E.; however, with an austere administration and the
prolix (almost handcraft) maintenance that was given to the facilities
and rolling stock, the development could be assured counting furthermore
on an ingredient of the maximum importance: the affection of the
public user.
Something
worthy of emphasizing is caused that it the tariff of the ticket in trolleybus
is something high to that of the buses; however, many persons opt
for electrical transportation for usage, comfort and ecology reasons.
Other peculiarity of the urban transportation of Valparaíso is the
lack of delimited stops: in any point of the tour that you wish to
approach a vehicle, making the corresponding sign to the driver, this will
be stopped so that could ascend to the same...
In
addition to the veteran Pullman-Standard trolleybuses, at the beginning
of the 1990s was accomplished an acquisition of "second hand" units to
the Swiss cities of Geneva, Saint Gall, Schaffhausen and Zürich.
In total were acquired 27 trolleybuses of articulated or simple types manufactured
among 1957-1975 and equipped with rheostatic or chopper commands.
The Swiss units were incorporated to the E.T.C.E. in their greater part
in full-operation state, being the remainders acquired in order to serve
as source as parts.
The
only one line in service is extended from Argentina Avenue (in surroundings
of Baron Beach and of the new palace of the National Congress) until the
Customs House with a total tour length of 8,4 kilometers. In hourly
peak the complete trip insumes among 40-50 minutes, due to overburdened
traffic in the sector. There are some 20 trolleybuses in simultaneous
service, offering a frequency of 2-2,5 minutes among cars, being intercalated
the veteran Pullman-Standard with more than fifty years of service with
the various Swiss units, that yet preserve their original livery and in
many cases, the clusters of their routes in German or French.
Other
initiative of the E.T.C.E. was at the beginning of the 1990s the attempt
of the trolleybus reintroduction in the city of Santiago de Chile.
For this was installed the corresponding infrastructure and were carried
units from Valparaíso, being performed a batch integrated by rebodied
Pullman-Standard, Swiss vehicles and a Chinese manufactured prototype.
Regrettably,
the trolleybus reintroduction in Santiago did not had the waited success,
mainly due to the fact that the given route did not answer to the previous
expectations in referred what is to quantity of passengers, aggravated
by the ferocious competition of the automotive transportation, what finally
imposed the withdrawal of said services.
The
future of the development of the service in Valparaíso is uncertain.
Though in the technical-operative aspect there are not special relevancy
problems, it is necessary in a nearby term the renovation of the infrastructure,
furthermore that recently (August 2000) has been vacated the ancient shop-depot
additionally located in a zone but removed from the urban center.
Recently it has been studied the possibility of establishing a new service
in Viña del Mar in co-operation with the local railway passenger
service, though it is in discussion the trace of the route among the municipal
authorities and the E.T.C.E. Meanwhile, this small though remarkable
operation continues their operations, maintaining a tradition that already
counts on almost a half century of uninterrumpted services.