American railway
Original title: Caminho de Ferro Americano
A horse-drawn tramway ('American railway') once ran in Funchal between the former Praça da Constituição and Pombal, with rails laid from 1896 and removed in 1915. The entry outlines its concessions, its takeover by the Monte Railway company and the 1902 decree on tendering.
There was one running between the former Praça da Constituição (‘Constitution Square’) and Pombal, set up under a licence granted by the Municipal Council to José Ribeiro de Almeida and João Aluísio Virissimo to operate this means of transport in the city. The rails, whose laying had begun in 1896, were torn up in 1915. The cars had stopped running some time before, as a result of the losses suffered by the Monte Railway (Caminho de Ferro do Monte) company, to which the Council had granted a licence to operate the line at its session of 7 April 1902.
The equipment of the original American Railway company was bought at auction by Manuel Betencourt Sardinha on 20 August 1900 and later transferred to the Monte Railway Company, to which the Council granted an annual subsidy of 300:00 réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis), paid until 31 March 1909.
The decree of 2 August 1902 approved the resolution of the Funchal Municipal Council on the conditions of the public tender it intended to open for the concession to build and operate the American railways. Under Article 6 of the terms for the award of the contract that accompany the decree, the successful bidder was free to choose the traction system to be used, and could opt equally for animal traction, electric locomotion or even compressed air.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 05-
Laying of the tramway rails in Funchal began.
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Manuel Bettencourt Sardinha bought the original Funchal tramway company's stock at auction.
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Funchal council licensed the Monte Railway company to operate the tramway line.
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A decree approved Funchal council's tender conditions for tramway concessions, leaving the traction system to the concessionaire and allowing electric traction.
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The council made its last annual subsidy payment to the Monte Railway company.
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The rails of Funchal's horse tramway were removed, services having ceased earlier.
Place
Places mentioned · 03
- Funchal
City served by the tramway, whose council granted the concessions.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Pombal
Funchal. Other terminus of the tramway.
Pombal is a locality in Funchal and the lower terminus of the Monte railway, with the main station and the company's offices. It also marked the end of the railway section supervised by Manuel Alexandre de Sousa and was a terminus of the Caminho de Ferro Americano tramway.
- Praça da Constituição
Funchal. One terminus of the tramway.
The Praça da Constituição was a former square in Funchal, earlier called Passeio Público, named after the liberal constitution proclaimed there on 28 January 1821. It was called Praça Real under D. Miguel, became Praça da República in 1911, and disappeared in 1914 when the Avenida Oeste was built. It adjoined the Municipal Garden and was a terminus of the tramway.
People
People mentioned · 03-
Co-holder of the council licence to run Funchal's tramway.
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One of two men licensed by Funchal council to run the city's tramway.
- Manuel Bettencourt Sardinhab. 1865
Bought the original tramway company's rolling stock at auction in 1900, later passing it to the Monte Railway company.