400-474 Pequenos fechados – Small closed trams – São Luís

The bodies of these tramcars were ordered from the St Louis Car Company in November 1899, and had full-drop windows. The trucks were ordered in September 1900 from Brill. They arrived in May and June 1901 and entered service the same year. These trams were indicated as “pequenos fechados” (small closed) but also known as São Luís trams because of their origins.

Like all trams that entered service in Lisboa until 1914, these trams had General Electric built motors of the type GE59 with 25 hp each. From 1911 the first fifteen tramcars, 400-414, were fitted with Dick, Kerr DB1 Form K3 controllers and magnetic track brakes, arranged by the EMB Company to Maley’s patent. From 1914 to 1926 these fifteen cars bore the title of the NCAML, the former cable tramway company that was since 1912 a subsidiary company of Carris. These trams were allocated to the electric tramlines that replaced the cable trams.

The 473 & 474 burnt in 1917 but were rebuilt in 1918 to a slightly different pattern and with windscreens.

The other 73 cars got a major overhaul between 1927 and 1931, during which they received windscreens. The drop-down windows were changed to raise-up windows, which gave the cars internally a bit extra width by removing of the window pockets. Seating arrangement was changed from 2+1 to 2+2 raising the seating capacity from 20 to 24.

400-474	original	400-414 since 1911	400-414 after 1927/28 overhaul	415-472 after 1928/31 overhaul
Overall length	8.12 m	8.12 m	8.12 m	8.12 m
Saloon length	5.48 m	5.48 m	5.48 m	5.48 m
Width	2.25 m	2.25 m	2.25 m	2.25 m
Floor height	89 cm	89 cm	89 cm	89 cm
Platform height	74 cm	74 cm	74 cm	74 cm
Weight	9.4 t	9.8 t	10.1 t	9.7 t
Seats	20	20	24	24
Standing	14	14	14	14
Truck	Brill 21E	Brill 21E	Brill 21E	Brill 21E
Wheel base	1.98 m	1.98 m	1.98 m	1.98 m
Wheel ø	85 cm	85 cm	85 cm	85 cm
Motors	2x GE59	2x GE59	2x GE59	2x GE59
Controllers	GE K10D	EE DB1/K3	EE DB1/K3	GE K10D
Wheel brakes	manual	manual	manual	manual
Track brakes	manual	manual, electro magnetic	manual, electro magnetic	manual

473-474	since 1918
Overall length	8.56 m
Floor height	86 cm
Platform height	70 cm
Weight	9825 kg

Four trams, 415, 455, 467 and 468, fell victim to accidents in the 1930’s. Their numbers, trucks and electric equipment were used for new Standard type tramcars. In the 1950’s the same happened with two more cars, but now their numbers etc. were reused for new Caixote trams.

During the years 1955-1957 a total of 31 trams were overhauled again. Of the other trams, 22 were replaced in 1961-1963 by new Caixote trams with the same numbers. The remaining 16 trams not overhauled in the 1950’s were withdrawn in 1963-1964, the trams that were overhauled were withdrawn in 1968-1973.

No.	In service	Overhaul	2nd overhaul	Withdrawn	Number re-used / remark
400	1901	1927		ca.1964
401	1901	1927		ca.1964
402	1901	1927		ca.1964
403	1901	1928		1963	Caixote
404	1901	1927	1956	1971
405	1901	1927	1956	1973	Sold to Detroit
406	1901	1927		ca.1964
407	1901	1928	1955	ca.1968
408	1901	1928		1962	Caixote
409	1901	1928		1961	Caixote
410	1901	1928	1957	ca.1968
411	1901	1928	1957	ca.1968
412	1901	1928	1956	1973	Sold to Detroit
413	1901	1927	1957	ca.1968
414	1901	1928	1957	ca.1968
415	1901	1928		1935	Standard
416	1901	1930	1956	ca.1968
417	1901	1930	1957	1971
418	1901	1930	1957	1973	Sold to the USA
419	1901	1929	1957	ca.1968
420	1901	1930	1957	ca.1968
421	1901	1929	1956	ca.1968
422	1901	1931		1957	Caixote
423	1901	1930		1963
424	1901	1928		ca.1964
425	1901	1931	1957	ca.1968
426	1901	1928		1963
427	1901	1930	1957	1973	Sold to Detroit
428	1901	1930		1961	Caixote
429	1901	1931		1961	Caixote
430	1901	1930		1961	Caixote
431	1901	1930		1963
432	1901	1928		1962	Caixote
433	1901	1929		1961	Caixote
434	1901	1931	1957	ca.1968
435	1901	1928	1956	1965	CarrisTur 2
436	1901	1930	1957	1973	Sold to Portland USA
437	1901	1930	1957	1965	CarrisTur 1
438	1901	1931	1957	ca.1968
439	1901	1930	1957	ca.1968
440	1901	1930	1957	ca.1968
441	1901	1930		1963	Sold to Olhão
442	1901	1930		1961	Caixote
443	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
444	1901	1930	1957	1973	Museu da Carris
445	1901	1930		1961	Caixote
446	1901	1931	1957	1972	Sold to the Algarve
447	1901	1931	1957	ca.1968
448	1901	1929		ca.1964
449	1901	1930		1963	Caixote
450	1901	1929	1957	ca.1968
451	1901	1928		1962	Caixote
452	1901	1929	1957	ca.1968
453	1901	1931		1963	Caixote
454	1901	1931		1963
455	1901	1928		1940	Standard
456	1901	1930		1963
457	1901	1931	1957	1973	Sold to Detroit
458	1901	1930		1963
459	1901	1930	1957	ca.1968
460	1901	1930		1963
461	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
462	1901	1929		1952	Caixote
463	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
464	1901	1930		ca.1964
465	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
466	1901	1928		1962	Caixote
467	1901	1929		1940	Standard
468	1901	1930		1935	Standard
469	1901	1930	1957	1973	Sold to Detroit
470	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
471	1901	1930		1963
472	1901	1930		1962	Caixote
473	1901	1918		1953	Caixote
474	1901	1918		1962	Caixote

Two São Luís trams, nos. 435 and 437, were in 1965 modified for the new introduced tourist tram service. They got a luxury, ancient looking interior, were painted red and got the new numbers 2 and 1 respectively. Apparently all to suggest these were the oldest Lisboa trams, but none was an authentic representation of the São Luís trams as they entered service in 1901.

São Luís tram no.444 was restored for the museum to close to its original condition with open platforms, drop windows and 2+1 seating.