Trailers

converted mule, steam & electric trams

Like most cities, also in Porto trailers were used behind the electric tramcars. And like in many other cities, the first of these cars were hauled by steamtrams, horses or mules before the electrification.
Some of these trailers did survive into the mid sixties. However their history is complex and in many aspects yet unveiled.

In 1904, when the mule traction was terminated, the CCFP still had 64 trailers to be used behind the electric cars as well as the steam locomotives. 

In 1904 the trailers were renumbered into the 100-series. Before 1904 probably they still had the old numbers. In 1905 five trailers went out of service. In 1907 the remaining were renumbered into the series 1-59.

Trailerfleet list of 1909:

• Closed, seating for 20 on 2 benches: 1, 15, 16, 19 & 31

• Closed, seating for 18 on 2 benches: 2-14, 17-18, 20-29

• Closed, seating for 14 on 2 benches: 33, 36 & 37

• Closed, seating for 12 on 2 benches: 32, 34-35, 38, 47 & 48

• Closed, seating for 10 on 2 benches: 39-46, 49 & 50

• Open, seating for 16 on 2 benches: 51-52

• Open, seating for 18 on 2 benches: 53

• Open, seating for 28 on 7 benches: 54

• Open, seating for 24 on 6 benches: 55-57

• Open, seating for 20 on 5 benches: 58-59

In October 1911 the trailers 16, 37 & 49 were withdrawn, in August 1912 followed by no.29. In 1912 two trailers with the numbers 4 & 5 were renumbered into 16 & 27 to free their original numbers for the bogie trailers. These new bogie-trailers series 1-7 and the end of the steamtram in 1914 resulted in retrieving from service of many of the old trailers.

In 1914/5 twenty trailers were sold to the CCF Penafiel á Lixa: 13 a 15 -23 - 26 - 30 - 36 - 39 a 40 - 45 - 50 a 59.

During the years the number of old trailers decreased further. At the end of 1915 there were 23 left, in 1918 22 and in 1925 17.

In the Boavista fire of 1928 four trailers were lost. In 1930 a renumbering was done: all trailers were grouped into the series 1-20. The 1-7 were the bogie trailers, the 8-17 the old mule cars and the 18-20 became the Fumistas of 1934. 

The STCP intended to construct pairs of new single-end motorcars + trailers. However after finishing the first trailer, it was decided to make motorcars only. The bodies of the trailers which were under construction received the electric equipments of old electrified mulecars, while four of the latter became the trailers 21-24.

In 1966 the last trailers went out of service. One old trailer, no.8, is part of the museum collection in Massarelos, another, no.9, went to Crich. These two cars were probaby both constructed by Starbuck and delivered to the Carril Americano in 1872.