Dewi's Trains,
Trams & Trolleys

Barcelona 1956: The Tramvia Blau

The Tramvia Blau ran, and runs, to the funicular for Tibidabo, a mountain in the north of Barcelona. It used older, 4-wheeled cars, painted blue of course. Since then, all other trams have been abandoned, the language has changed, and even the street where the tramvia blau starts is no longer called the Avenida de Tibidabo, it is the Avenguda del Tibidabo. But the Blue Tram continues to run! (at the start of 2001, anyway.)

I would like to thank several people for sending me information about many of these pictures. Each person's contribution is flagged with a digit in brackets.

  • Albert González Masip [2]

  • Xavier Roselló [31]

  • Brian Dominic (see below)

    •

    Comments/corrections to: Dewi Williams

    Click on thumbnail for larger picture.
     

    image c0729
    		Blue Tram (tramvia blau) no. 9 near upper terminus of Tibidabo route, near Tibidabo funicular, Barcelona
    Photo c0729 on 1956-08-28
    image c0816
    		Tram no. 7 at lower terminus on Tibidabo route (tramvia blau), Barcelona
    Photo c0816 on 1956-08-28
    image c0815
    		Car no. 6: the Blue Tram (tramvia blau) on Tibidabo route, Barcelona. Fifty years later, the street is no longer Avenida del Tibidabo, but Aveniguda Tibidabo, however this tram route still runs, at one time the only one in Spain. [31] There are now modern tramways in Valencia and Bilbao, a tourist line in La Coruña, and a new one is being built in Barcelona.
    Photo c0815 on 1956-08-28


    By courtesy of Brian Dominic, here are two modern photos of the blue Tram taken in 2005:
    image p1010003
    		Blue Tram car no. 8 approaching the lower terminus.

    Photo by Brian Dominic in 2005

    		  
    image p1010009
    		Blue Tram car no. 8 approaching the upper terminus.

    Photo by Brian Dominic in 2005 

    By courtesy of Josep Mª Mas, here are photos of the Blue Tram/Tranvia Blau car no. 1 (the original car from when the line was opened in 1901) which he has rebuilt and restored.
    image mas_rest01
    		Car no. 1 in its dilapidated state, before Sr. Mas purchased it.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2007

    		  
    image mas_fin1
    		Car No. 1 in a glass shed adjacent to his own house.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2008 
    image mas_fin2
    		Another view of the restored car No. 1. The grandchildren are allowed on board, but they do not play in it.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2008

    		  
    image mas_rest21
    		The restored driving position.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2008 
    image mas_ins1
    		The interior of the restored car.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2008

    		  
    image mas_ins2
    		The maker's plate inside the restored car.

    Photo from Josep Mª Mas, 2008 
     

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    This page last updated on 2011-10-26.