Ian Fuller2006
Soapbox
After World War II, Carris restarted tram building to a new design, created with a view to saving weight. The new cars were much squarer and rather bus-like in appearance.
741 was one of the first batch, which while built to the modern outline did at least use traditional materials. Later ones made much greater use of aluminium and fibreglass and dispensed with internal bulkheads. 506, one of the later ones, is also in the collection.
In true Lisbon fashion, when 741 was withdrawn bits of it were recycled - its postwar truck and electrics were topped off with a reconditioned standard car body and went back into service! However 'soapbox' 741 wasn't quite dead yet - the redundant body was in due course re-trucked and restored for the museum.
Alongside 741 is 802, one of ten rather substantial and elegant bogie cars built in the late-1930s and early-1940s.
Soapbox
After World War II, Carris restarted tram building to a new design, created with a view to saving weight. The new cars were much squarer and rather bus-like in appearance.
741 was one of the first batch, which while built to the modern outline did at least use traditional materials. Later ones made much greater use of aluminium and fibreglass and dispensed with internal bulkheads. 506, one of the later ones, is also in the collection.
In true Lisbon fashion, when 741 was withdrawn bits of it were recycled - its postwar truck and electrics were topped off with a reconditioned standard car body and went back into service! However 'soapbox' 741 wasn't quite dead yet - the redundant body was in due course re-trucked and restored for the museum.
Alongside 741 is 802, one of ten rather substantial and elegant bogie cars built in the late-1930s and early-1940s.