The Votorantim electric railway

operated a group of 4-axle motor cars and trailers between 1920 and 1977. The first five vehicles were built by the J. G. Brill Co. in Philadelphia; additional trailers were constructed by the company in Brazil. All Votorantim cars were remodeled extensively during their half century of service. Click on the thumbnails to see enlargements. Click here to return to the Introduction.

	A photograph taken in 1921 at the Brill factory in Philadelphia of car number 1 lettered "S. A. FABRICA VOTORANTIM". Brill order 21138 of 4 June 1920 specified three 13-bench motor cars numbered 1, 3 and 5. [col. Historical Society of Pennsylvania]
	A Brill photo of car number 2 lettered "S. A. FABRICA VOTORANTIM". Order 21139 specified two 13-bench arch-roof trail cars numbered 2 and 4. [col. Historical Society of Pennsylvania]
	A xerox of a photograph showing car 1 with two open trailers at Votorantim station in 1935 [see map]. The second trailer with the arch roof appears to be from Brill order 21139. [col. Adolfo Frioli]
	A timetable from the Guia Levi of April 1937 indicates three separate services on the Votorantim line. Between dawn and midnight there were hourly runs in both directions from Paula Souza to the town of Votorantim [see map]. Seven of these cars continued to Santa Helena and there were four daily trips from Santa Helena to (Nova) Baltar. [col. AM]
	Car 1 at Santa Helena station in 1947 [see map]. The vehicle has been rebuilt closed. The 12 spaces between the 13 benches have been replaced by 12 windows . [col. Charles S. Small]
	Car 3 in 1957 after a second reconstruction. The vehicle is in the same shape as car 1 in the previous photo, but its clerestory has been removed. [William Janssen]
	Car 3 pulling four 12-window trailers in 1957. The origin of these trailers is unknown. The photograph was taken at Santa Helena near the south end of the line [see map]. Track gauge was meter. [William Janssen]
	The same "train" on the line in January 1957. Not a good place for a photograph . . . [William Janssen]
	About 1960 most vehicles were rebuilt a third time with flat ends, larger vestibules and a shorter passenger compartment with only 11 windows. The bow collectors were replaced with strange round wands. Rebuilt car 3, pulling a trailer numbered 17 (!), was photographed in 1963. [Raymond DeGroote]
	This photograph shows rebuilt car 1 in 1963. Compare to earlier views of car 1 above. This was the final form of the Votorantim Brills. [Raymond DeGroote]
	Trail cars 2 and 4 were motorized. This picture of car 2 was taken in 1963. [Raymond DeGroote]
	Newly motorized car 4 was pulling an unidentified trailer in 1963. No picture has been found of motor car 5 from the 1920 order. [Raymond DeGroote]
	Car 2 in this view, taken in 1977, is followed by an unidentified 11-window motor car and a 12-window trailer. [Earl Clark]
	After the closure of the Sorocaba tramway in 1959, the Votorantim railway purchased Sorocaba two-axle car 3, which it converted to a line car, repainted and numbered CS5. Here it is in 1963. [Raymond DeGroote]
	Votorantim line car CS5 – former Sorocaba passenger car 3 – repairing the track in October 1965. [col. AM]
	A new inspection car appeared recently on the line – even though there is not much left to inspect. A sign of things to come? [Rafael Santino]
	EFEV passenger car 3 was preserved and is displayed today near the cement works in Santa Helena. This photograph was taken in March 2005. [Martin Murray]
	An EFEV passenger trailer has been preserved (and somewhat rebuilt) on a ranch near Sorocaba. [Nicholas Burman]

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