Data sheet:
- Manufacturer: J.G. Brill, Philadelphia (U.S.A.).
- Measurements:
- Width: 2.00 m
- Height: 3.50 m
- Length: 5.000 m
- Began service: 1888.
- Decommissioned: 1907.
- Year it was restored: 1929 and 1997:
Vehicle history:
The first tram line that began operating in Barcelona in 1872 was animal-powered. At first it ran with double-decker carriages pulled by four horses. Tram N. 2 is part of a new series of trams that the company Barcelone Tramways and C. Limited purchased to extend the service to coincide with the 1888 World Fair. These trams were built on a simple chassis, the Brill, manufactured in the United States, to which the different components such as the wheels, the shock absorbers, the brakes and the framework were added. The result was a single-storey tram, with a front and rear platform, which was much lighter and easier to manoeuvre and could be pulled along by only two animals. In addition and considering passenger comfort, they incorporated a skylight in the ceiling to let in light and for ventilation.
Luxury trams were also manufactured and circulated on lines taking the bourgeoisie to the beaches of Barceloneta or their holiday homes in Gracia, Sarrià or Sant Gervasi. Tram N.2 has interior finishings resembling a living room, with velvet padded seats, glass screen lamps and elaborately decorated handles.
In 1899 the city's tramway lines slowly converted to an electric system and the first carriages with Brill chassis were withdrawn, although some of them were adapted to be used as trailers.
Tram n.2 was restored in 1929 to be exhibited at the International Exhibition in Barcelona. It was then stored in a garage until 1997, when a second restoration was carried out on occasion of the 125th anniversary of Barcelona's trams.
