Данные 162-летние вагоны производства 1858-го года считаются самыми старыми трамвайными вагонами в мире.

Вагоны использовались на линии интерурбана на конной тяге длиной 42 км. между городом Pabellón к югу от Копьяпо и шахтой Chañarcillo, самой большой шахтой серебра в Чили. Линия была открыта 30.01.1859, и стала второй линией конного трамвая в Чили, после Сантьяго. Линия была переведена на паровую тягу в 1868 г. После закрытия шахты в 1888 г. движение постепенно сокращалось, линия была закрыта в начале 1910-х гг.

Данные вагоны конного трамвая были построены в 1858 г. компанией Eaton, Gilbert & Co. (с 1864 г. Gilbert, Bush & Co., с 1882 г. Gilbert Car Manufacturing Co.) в городе Трой, штат Нью-Йорк, США. Шасси произведены компанией Barnum Richardson Co. в городе Солсбери, Коннектикут, США. На шасси вагонов имеется соотв. метка производителя.

Такие же вагоны данного производителя в 1850-х гг. использовались на линиях конного трамвая в городах Нью-Йорк, Бруклин и Бостон.

Грузовой вагон без номера считается местной сборкой от 1859 г. на основе деталей шасси производства США.

Вагоны помещены на вечную стоянку на территории Universidad de Atacama в городе Капьяпо в составе за паровозом "Copiapó", произведённого компанией Norris в 1850 г. в Филадельфии, США.

Данный паровоз является самым старым сохранившимся паровозом в Латинской Америке. Паровоз работал с 01.01.1852 по 1858 на линии между городами Капьяпо и Калдера. Краткосрочная служба паровоза была обусловлена повышенной солёностью используемой воды, и переводу паровоза по ходу эксплуатации с древесины на уголь. Одновременно краткий срок службы способствовал уникальной сохранности паровоза. По окончанию работы, паровоз, как ни странно, сразу стал музейным, принадлежал национальному музею Чили до 1895 г., затем университету Сантьяго до 1945 г. Временно возвращался в США на выставку в 1901 г. В последний раз был на ходу, обслуживая выставку в Сантьяго в 1929 г. Возвращён в Капьяпо в 1945 г.

На предмет реальной эксплуатации, связи между паровозом и данными вагонами нет - только возраст и уникальная историческая ценность.

An incredible story. Apparently that's where the very first railway museum was founded.
As far as the horse trams are concerned, that seems to me to be a fascinating story as well. Elsewhere they got a second life as a trailer for an electric tram, but here this would not have been the case either. As far as I've been able to find out, the operation stopped in 1901, without an electric tram replacing it. In that case I expect the vehicles to be sold and at best continue to serve as a poultry house (or something similar) to disappear into anonymity many years later. It is therefore not abnormal that one is ever found again and restored.
The story how those 3 vehicles from 1858 have survived since 1901 and have been preserved in an exemplary way: that actually interests me.
To be honest: I had never heard of Copiapo and I certainly wouldn't expect that the oldest trams in the world have been preserved there. A special find!

I am actually surprised myself that these cars do not receive wider coverage, considering their age and an obvious distinction of being the oldest tram cars in the world. The remote location undoubtedly played a role here. The town is located 810 km. north of Santiago via a desert road, and 350 km. away from any sizable airport.

Цитата (focus1965, 26.07.2020):
> As far as I've been able to find out, the operation stopped in 1901

There were actually two separate operations in the area:

According to Allen Morrison, the unquestionable authority on all things Latin American, the urban horse tramway in Copiapó operated from the railroad station to Plaza Prat and beyond by the company Ferrocarril Urbano de Copiapó. There is no known starting date for that operation, but the last record exists from 1904.

Another interurban horse tramway line was located 37 km south of Copiapó and operated between the town of Pabellón and the Chañarcillo silver mine. It was operated by the company Compañía del Ferrocarril de Pabellón a Chañarcillo. The line was 42 km.-long. It was opened 30.01.1859 (the same DAY as the horse tramway opened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! - Coincidence or rivalry?). The line closed in the early 1910s, the last record exists from 1910.

Coaches in the photo operated on the later interurban line since 1859. With the transition to steam in 1868 they were most likely operated behind steam engines. Since the urban system closed before the interurban line, it is doubtful that these cars operated in Copiapó itself.

Glad you liked and enjoyed the subject )

Quote (Yury LRTA, 26.07.2020):
> Another interurban horse tramway line was located 37 km south of Copiapó and operated between the town of Pabellón and the Chañarcillo silver mine. It was operated by the company the Compañía del Ferrocarril de Pabellón a Chañarcillo. The line was 42 km.


One would be interested for less. The oldest preserved steam locomotive, the oldest preserved trams and a horse tram line of 42 km (!). And all this in a town I had never heard of - and probably not just me.
Thank you for sharing such information.

Anytime )

Just in case I decided to translate my first comment into English - to the benefit of non-Russian speaking participants on this site:

* * *

These 162-year-old cars from 1858 are considered the oldest tram cars in the world.

The cars were used on the 42 km-long horse-drawn interurban line between the town of Pabellón south of Copiapó and the Chañarcillo mine, the largest silver mine in Chile. The line was opened on 01.30.1859, and became the second horse tram line in Chile, after Santiago. The line was converted to steam in 1868. After the mine was closed in 1888, traffic gradually decreased, an the line closed in the early 1910s.

The horse tram cars in this photo were built in 1858 by Eaton, Gilbert & Co. (since 1864 Gilbert, Bush & Co., since 1882 Gilbert Car Manufacturing Co.) located in Troy, New York, USA. Chassis were manufactured by Barnum Richardson Co. in Salisbury, Connecticut, USA. The latter manufacturer's labels can still be found on the chassis of the cars.

Similar cars by Eaton, Gilbert & Co. were used on horse tram lines in the cities of New York, Brooklyn and Boston in the 1850s.

The unnumbered freight car is considered a local assembly from 1859 based on parts from chassis made in the USA.

The cars are permanently parked at the Universidad de Atacama in the city of Capiapó and coupled in a trainset behind the "Copiapó" steam locomotive, manufactured in turn by Norris in Philadelphia, USA in 1850.

This steam locomotive is the oldest surviving steam locomotive in Latin America. The locomotive operated from 01.01.1852 to 1858 on the line between the cities of Capiapó and Caldera. The short-term service of the locomotive was due to the increased salinity of the water used, and the transfer from wood to coal during the span of operation. At the same time, the short service life contributed to the unique preservation of the locomotive. At the end of the operating life, this steam locomotive, oddly enough, immediately became a museum piece. It belonged to the National Museum of Chile until 1895, then to the University of Santiago until 1945. The locomotive temporarily returned to the United States for an exhibition in 1901. It was operated for the last time in 1929 during the exhibition in Santiago. The locomotive was returned to Capiapó in 1945.

With regard to real operation, there is no connection between the locomotive and the coaches behind it, besides, perhaps, the age and unique historical value.

Давно хотел узнать какие вагоны самые старые. А случайно не в курсе, какой самый старый, но действующий? Подсознание намекает искать как-то в европе, вероятнее всего в Германии или в моём любимом "Допрви подник главного места Праги" =)

Цитата (одесса, 27.07.2020):
> какой самый старый, но действующий?

По всем признакам должен быть вот этот вагон конки из музея в Сан-Хосе, бывш. Сан-Франциско, произведённый в 1863 г. компанией John Stephenson Co.:
https://transphoto.org/photo/1366729/

А вообще - удивительно, но, судя по всему, данным вопросом в общине трамвайных любителей до сих пор серьёзно никто не задавался.

Спасибо!

Я чуть-чуть уточню (забываю всегда про конку) - вагон электрического трамвая, а не конного. Ну и тогда и просто самый старый живой кузов электрического трамвая наподобие этого.

I think the oldest electric trams still in regular service can be found on the Isle of Man. They were built in 1893/1894.
https://transphoto.org/list.php?did=2561

Then there's Brighton: not only the oldest existing electric tram line in the world (from 1883), but also one of the original trams (although from 1892) still exists and is still in service. However, this is a museum line.
https://transphoto.org/photo/1132596/?vid=470396

The oldest original electric tram car from 1884, which has been preserved, is likely to be found in the museum in Frankfurt am Main.

НЯП, старые вагоны из района Санта Тереза в Рио-де-Жанейро тоже 1890-х годов постройки. Правда современный вид они получили в 50-х и сейчас вроде бы вообще не эксплуатируются.