The Trolleybuses of Santiago: 1947-1978
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Pullman trolleybuses 811 and 801 inaugurate the city's first trolleybus line, between Parque Forestal ("Mapocho") and El Golf, on 31/10/1947. [Photocopy of article "Pioneros trolebuses comenzaron a circular ayer en esta capital" in El Mercurio (Santiago), 1/11/1947] |
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Pullman trolleybus 845 in an unidentified photograph from the period 1947-1953. [col. Manuel Guzmán, courtesy Sebastián López] |
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Trolleybus 884 in another unidentified picture. Route "5 Catedral El Golf " was established in 1949 [see map]. Note "ENT" logo of the Empresa Nacional de Transportes, which ran the trolleybuses until 1953. [col. Manuel Guzmán, courtesy Sebastián López] |
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Vétra photograph of the first of 100 trolleybuses that the French company built for Santiago in 1952. They resembled the vehicles that Pullman built that year for Valparaíso. [col. AM] |
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Another photograph of 901 that shows ETCE president José Menéndez, Vétra president Robert Pinget, the Chilean ambassador and other officials in Paris in 1952. [col. AM, courtesy Joël Darmagnac] |
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An early view of a Vétra trolleybus passing the Museo de Bellas Artes in Parque Forestal [see map]. [col. Raúl Moroni] |
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A Vétra trolleybus on Av. Bernardo O'Higgins ("the Alameda") in the 1950s [see map]. [col. AM] |
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Vétra trolleybus 902 in Parque Forestal in 1965 [see map]. Also see the following photograph. [Roger Knox, col. Raymond DeGroote] |
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Vétra 902 shown in the previous photo, after it had passed. [Roger Knox, col. Raymond DeGroote] |
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Vétra trolleybus 960 in Parque Forestal. [Date and photographer unknown.] |
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An undated photograph of Vétra 962. ["La Vuelta del Trolley" in El Mercurio (Santiago), 6/1991] |
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Vétra 995 encounters a student demonstration on the Alameda about 1970 [see map]. Steeple in the distance belongs to the 17th century Iglesia de San Francisco. [col. Diego and Mario González Vargas] |
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Undated photograph of Pullmans 852 and 822 on Av. Irarrázaval [see map]. [col. Diego & Mario González Vargas] |
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A visitor in December 1974, found only six trolleybuses in operation on a single route, "4 Quinta Normal – Plaza Egaña" [see map]. Here is Pullman 820, built in 1947, and 859, built in 1948. Both still run today in Valparaíso (820 renumbered as 116). [Barry Blumstein] |
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Another view of Pullman 859, at Plaza Egaña, in December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Pullman 824 on Av. Matucana in December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Pullman 854 at Plaza Egaña in December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Pullman trolleybuses 859 and 804 in December 1974. Both these vehicles were later renovated and 859 still operates today in Valparaíso. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Pullman 836 near the entrance to the trolleybus depot on Av. Francisco Bilbao [see photo below and map]. December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Pullman 850 in December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] See model of 850 below. |
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The entrance to ETCE's trolleybus yard and shops on Av. Francisco Bilbao at Calle Latadía. December 1974. [Barry Blumstein] |
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Inauguration in April 1977 of a new trolleybus route between Salvador metro station and Apoquindo [see map]. Rejuvenated trolleybuses such as 836 provided "pre-metro" service along the rail line under construction below Av. Providencia. [col. Raúl Moroni] |
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Another view of the new Salvador-Apoquindo trolleybus route. ["La Vuelta del Trolley" in El Mercurio (Santiago), 6/1991] |
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A model at 1:24 scale, purchased at a hobby shop in Santiago, of Pullman 850 [see above]. The destination sign says "ALAMEDA - B. O'HIGGINS". [col. Pablo Serra] |
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