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Buenos Aires Retiring Its Century-Old Subway Cars


DJ MC

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The wooden subway cars on the Buenos Aires subway's A-line will soon be replaced by Chinese-made rolling stock, and that has people in the Argentine capital nostalgic.

 

The 90 Belgian cars began rolling in 1913 on Latin America's first subway line. And they are the oldest subway cars still operating in the world, carrying 160,000 passengers on the line daily.

 

The old cars still attract tourists, but they've become increasingly difficult to maintain. Mayor Mauricio Macri says they're unsafe and must be replaced.

 

That saddens Aquilino Gonzalez Podesta, founder of the Friends of the Subway. He agrees the historic cars must go, but wonders why it can't wait until after the line's centennial in 11 months. In his words, "There are some sentimental questions that overrule logic.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/buenos-aires-retiring-century-subway-cars-18117224#.UOUkem_hruc

 

End of another era.

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The oldest train running on Paris metro network is the MP59 6050 (line 11) in service since 1964.

It is likely to run until 2019.

The first MP59 was put in service in 1963.

 

 

And people tell me Paris always have modern trans and not very old ones like the US. Some of the equipment Paris had either tied or out lasted the wooden Q-Types of the Myrtle El. Example of that is Paris Metro's legendary Sprague-Thomson Houston subway cars built in 1908. The cars were fully retired on April 16, 1983.

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End of a story but I don't think that it is a good idea to run a train for a centuries on average passengers traffic.

 

About old subway trains, there are some old Tokyo metro rolling stock from the 1950's in Buenos Aires metro.

http://upload.wikime...enos_Aires1.jpg

Eidan 300/400/500/900 series built in 1954.

 

And people tell me Paris always have modern trans and not very old ones like the US. Some of the equipment Paris had either tied or out lasted the wooden Q-Types of the Myrtle El. Example of that is Paris Metro's legendary Sprague-Thomson Houston subway cars built in 1908. The cars were fully retired on April 16, 1983.

 

Note that the Sprague-Thomson was a big serie of rolling stock built between 1908 and 1938.

So, the last Sprague-Thomson running was built in 1936 (47 years old).

According Wikipedia it may be possible that some Srague had operated for 65 years.

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Wow, this puts our Redbirds and Brightliners to shame. :(

 

 

This puts the MP54s of both the LIRR and PRR to shame along with the Q-Types that were on the Myrtle El.

End of a story but I don't think that it is a good idea to run a train for a centuries on average passengers traffic.

 

About old subway trains, there are some old Tokyo metro rolling stock from the 1950's in Buenos Aires metro.

http://upload.wikime...enos_Aires1.jpg

Eidan 300/400/500/900 series built in 1954.

 

 

Note that the Sprague-Thomson was a big serie of rolling stock built between 1908 and 1938.

So, the last Sprague-Thomson running was built in 1936 (47 years old).

According Wikipedia it may be possible that some Srague had operated for 65 years.

 

 

I am aware of that, but that was me counting the fleet as a whole.

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Looking the Spanish version of the article in Wikipedia, I read that the Eidan 300/400/500/900 series from Tokyo in BA metro were built in 1959 for the oldest.

Buenos Aires metro don't have the oldest trains of this stock (1954).

There are also some other japanese trains from Nagoya metro built between 1960 and 1963.

 

So, no the R32 is not the second nor the third oldest car model still in service.

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The oldest train running on Paris metro network is the MP59 6050 (line 11) in service since 1964.

It is likely to run until 2019.

The first MP59 was put in service in 1963.

 

 

And the R32 was built in 1964 so that makes 'em equal. Also, there is speculation that some R32s may continue to run until the R211s come in 2020 so that would make it even more equal.

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And the R32 was built in 1964 so that makes 'em equal. Also, there is speculation that some R32s may continue to run until the R211s come in 2020 so that would make it even more equal.

 

 

I really hope not. I can't stand people always b*tching about them as if they're some heinous crime against humanity.

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They are only going to run them until 2017, when the R179 order is completed.

 

 

Yes, most ones are retired by then but a few will remain running. At least, that's what I picked up by the R46 retrofit discussion in the SI subforum. Because if they really do sent the R46s to SI then they will have car shortage, even with the R179s rolling in so that means that something else has to run and that'll be the R32 since they are the most reliable. That's how I understood.

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Yes, most ones are retired by then but a few will remain running. At least, that's what I picked up by the R46 retrofit discussion in the SI subforum. Because if they really do sent the R46s to SI then they will have car shortage, even with the R179s rolling in so that means that something else has to run and that'll be the R32 since they are the most reliable. That's how I understood.

 

 

You do make a good point there. I've heard about R32s sticking around until the R211s come in, but right now it is way too early to tell what will happen. If the R46s do go over to SI then it's likely the R32s will be around until the R211s arrive.

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