| A century ago, America was the world technology leader – in streetcars! U.S. firms such as the J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia exported their products to numerous countries around the globe. Porto bought Brill streetcars in kit form in the early 1900s. When they needed more cars, they chose to simply copy the Philadelphia product. Some of Porto’s old Brills–both tiny single-truck cars and somewhat larger (but still small) double-truckers–got scattered across the globe when the city cut lines inthe 1980s. They were perfect for heritage trolley operations, since they were similar to streetcars that had run in many American cities (though, interestingly enough, never in San Francisco). Memphis, for example, now relies on several ex-Porto cars for its vintage streetcar line. Sources: streetcar.org |