Yesterday, the 5th June, 2004 was the last day for the trainsets Locomotive+cars to depart from Barreiro in the South border of Tagus River, just in front of Lisbon.
The progress made possible by the introduction of the Alfa Pendular fast services, made that, with the new organization, trains to the South regions of Alentejo and Algarve have now their starting points in Lisbon or Pinhal Novo.
This new service is an improvement for the entire network of Portuguese trains, although it sends Barreiro, after almost 120 years of existance almost into oblivion... Only suburban trains will depart from here, unitl the electrification of this area is complete.
To mark this final step, all trains departing and arriving from Barreiro yesterday made large horn sounds from Barreiro almost to Barreiro-A depot, in an extension of 2 kilometres... The last act was when the 1935 diesel locomotive, bearing the Shields of Barreiro City entered Barreiro Station by 22.40. That was the last locomotive to carry this service, after 100 years of steam and more than 50 years of diesel locomotives....
Now, we'll have to wait for the complete conversion of Barreiro into catenary to see complete trains agains...
This was the first step towards the complete erradication of Main Line Diesel locomotives from Portugal... and surely marks the end of an era....
The progress made possible by the introduction of the Alfa Pendular fast services, made that, with the new organization, trains to the South regions of Alentejo and Algarve have now their starting points in Lisbon or Pinhal Novo.
This new service is an improvement for the entire network of Portuguese trains, although it sends Barreiro, after almost 120 years of existance almost into oblivion... Only suburban trains will depart from here, unitl the electrification of this area is complete.
To mark this final step, all trains departing and arriving from Barreiro yesterday made large horn sounds from Barreiro almost to Barreiro-A depot, in an extension of 2 kilometres... The last act was when the 1935 diesel locomotive, bearing the Shields of Barreiro City entered Barreiro Station by 22.40. That was the last locomotive to carry this service, after 100 years of steam and more than 50 years of diesel locomotives....
Now, we'll have to wait for the complete conversion of Barreiro into catenary to see complete trains agains...
This was the first step towards the complete erradication of Main Line Diesel locomotives from Portugal... and surely marks the end of an era....