I was in Argentina about 10 years ago and got a very nice tour of the General Urquiza shops from the manager. That shop area also has the local museum collection of rr equipment on site. There was a butchered PE Hollywood car once used as a line car before most of the overhead came down. An unfamiliar box cab looking thing. Maybe one (or two) steeple cabs looking a lot like PE heritage. Lines of salvage materials like trucks (no motors unless they were inside). Inside the shop was a strange motor vehicle like a school bus body grafted onto a flatcar and with one trolley pole, and I believe a much smaller older looking steeple cab not unlike the Electra.

Did they get any PE PCC's? Does not seem like they would fit the high density commuting of the Genreal Urquiza line, a lot with high level platforms (now).

Bob Kutella

According to Interurbans Specials 28 & 36 All PE 1100 class, 5000 class (PCC's) and Hollywood cars 732-759 were sold to FC General Urquiza in Buenos Aires during the 1950's. The PCC's had been stored in the old Subway Terminal trouble and had deteriorated by the time they were shipped out. They did not work well on the FCGU's track and were scrapped, probably in the 1960's. The 1100's were more successful, but were replaced by retired Key System Bridge units. Most, if not all of the US hand-me-downs were replaced by Japanese-built units in the 70's. Ex-PE 758 survived as the abovementioned line car. Reportedly, some of the 1100's were demotorized and sold to a line in Paraguay, where they ran behind steam locomotives. Within the last year or two, photos of 1100-class car bodies have been circulated at fan meetings, indicating that they still exist in Paraguay or Argentina, but they are rusty hulks--it would probably be easier to have an ironworks build a replica body; appropriate trucks exist, but controls and brake equipment would be a challenge. (the whole idea is probably as likely as a diesel powered GG1, but one can dream)

Since we're talking in fanciful terms - building replica 1100's and whatnot - control equipment might be obtained from the surviving ex-PE steeplecabs owned by Ferroclub in Argentina:

http://www.ferroclub.org.ar/unidades/07_0951.jpg
http://www.ferroclub.org.ar/unidades/07_0952.jpg

According to Joseph Strapac's book on Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotives, these locomotives were outfitted with trucks and controls from retired 1100's, a supposition which is supported by photographic evidence (at least as far as trucks are concerned). Of four ex-PE locomotives owned by Ferroclub (ex-PE nos. 1590-1593), the two pictured above appear to be deaccessed or surplus. The other two, ex-PE nos. 1590 and 1593, are evidently stored indoors.

sloan,

This is a bit far out and third hand but the French are planning to expand Light rail in places like Paris and do not want to put in typical poles with overhead wire.

But it seems there is some kind of underground power supply; something more modern than what was used in New York and Washington.

I hope that there is something possible. Here in San Francisco they have been talking about putting a heritage street car line out to the Prisideo National Park since the 1960s. However there are high value houses facing across the Marina Green who do not want anything to use the tracks that still exist under the grass.

The current plans are to extend the F Line as Far as Fort Mason Center where I work. MUNI just did a seismic study of the tunnel under upper Fort Mason, it only needs $7 million in repairs, which is pocket change for them.

I expect to be long retired before the new line happens; but it sure is a good idea. There was a wine tasting here yesterday and the parking lot was completely full on a week day. That usually only happens here on the weekends.

To complete this circle MUNI just bought back four of the double ended Lake Tahoe PCCs for the future lines.

TM
Ted Miles

A correction on the Muni PCC's recovered from the Lake Tahoe collection: they are all single-enders from the 1016-1040 class. Most of the double-enders (1006-1015) never left Muni. Three are in service on the "F" line, two were apparently scrapped, one is in Australia, and four are scheduled for major overhauls to support anticipated "E" line operations.