TRANSPORT IN ARGENTINAPART (1) - BUSES IN BUENOS AIRES
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Last updated 12 December 2011
School buses in Buenos Aires are orange and white, and this classic Mercedes Benz LO-1114/48, overtaking us
at speed on our way to the airport, is an example.
These pages review
some of the transport items of interest that caught my eye during a fascinating
trip to Argentina and Peru in February and March of 2011. The various parts of this story are;
1. Argentina;
Buses in Buenos Aires (this page)
4. Peru;
Buses
While sightseeing in Buenos Aires on 28 February
and 1 March 2011, I took a few photos of typical buses that passed by, although I
had very little idea of what I was seeing. I figured that I would work
that out later ! So here are the pictures, and whatever I can
tell you about them - which is not a lot.
So here is a
start. Route 115 runs diagonally across the city centre, from the south
west to the port area at Retiro.
This bus
belongs to Tarsa (Transportes Automotores Riachuelo SA), one of scores of companies that are granted concessions for
the various routes around the city. I've no idea what sort of bus it is.
Route 29 runs roughly
north-south, along the length of Buenos Aires' shoreline with the River Plate,
from Boca to Belgrano, effectively linking the two fiercely rival football teams
in the city. The blue and white livery looks more like Boca Juniors to me. The
bus itself is a Mercedes, and is No.13 (IOS 249) from the fleet of Emp.de TTE.
Mendoza Pedro de Com.e Ind (I think).
Route 39 starts in the
port area of La Boca, and heads north-west into the centre of the city,
where it winds around in a circle, ending at Av.Jorge Newbery, named after the
founder of Argentina's air force. This is No.14 from the fleet of Santa Fe
Transport.
for bus books, models, videos & DVDs.
2. Argentina;
"The search for Di Tella". Classic British saloon cars made under licence in Argentina
3. Argentina;
Air transport
5. Peru;
Train travel in the high Andes
6. Peru;
Air transport
7. Peru;
Assorted transport
CUSA 1550 (IAL 769) is also working Route 106, but this is an Agrale MT15, made in Brazil.
This MOCBA bus, No.30, is on Route 59, which is pretty similar to Route 29 mentioned earlier, apart from a few extra twists and turns. The bus is a Mini Europeo, built in Buenos Aires by Autobus S.A.Carrocerias Ugarte and based on a Mercedes.
Here is a rear view of MOCBA (Micro Omnibus City of Buenos Aires) No.102 taking a short break from working Route 59.
These devices turn up everywhere on commercial vehicles, and I couldn't work out what they might be for. Eventually I was told that they maintain tyre pressures. Clever idea, isn't it?
Route 152 is yet another coastal service from Boca to Olivos, similar to those mentioned above. This is Tandilense (Tandil Sacifiy Co.) No.58, a locally-built Ugarte Europeo.
Here is the back of CUSA No.1543 (IJG 609) on Route 106. The advert in the rear window for a Chinese Horoscope service confirms that this was the year of the rabbit. This bus is another Agrale MT15 from Brazil.
So we return to our original topic, and this confirms once again that school buses are orange and white. The vehicle nearest the camera is an El Detalle OA101. This Argentinean bus manufacturer has recently closed down.
If you can add more details to the pictures on this page, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
Postcript;
Nicholas Pusenjak from Australia sent me the following in December 2011;
"I visited South America with a group of railway enthusiasts in 1975. Most buses in Buenos Aires were Mercedes-Benz, and appeared to be derived from lorry chassis. Tourist coaches and long distance buses were Magirus Deutz or Mercedes with local bodies. I saw a handful of Leylands including a Panther coach. Somewhere out in the sticks at night (hence no photo) I saw an AEC Regal Mark IV badged as an ACLO. The MCW-bodied Leyland Olympic (see below) was down by the docks at Boca - well and truly out of service."
The bus in the foreground is certainly an interesting British relic, possibly painted as a school bus, but long since abandoned. The Olympic was Leyland's first underfloor-engined integral bus, introduced in 1949 and bodied by MCW. It should have appeared in 1948 to coincide with the London Olympic Games (hence the badge), but ran late! A very successful export (it was too much of a fuel-thirsty heavyweight for the home market), it continued in production in various forms into the early 1970s. Argentina and Uruguay both bought large fleets of them.
A close-up of the front shows the inscription "El Omnibus Ingles" (The English Bus), "Leyland - MCW". Many thanks to Nick for the pictures.
For an amazing history of buses in Argentina see the BusARG website by Alejandro Scartaccini.
For the various other parts of this story click the links below;
1. Argentina; Buses in Buenos Aires (this page)
2. Argentina; "The search for Di Tella". Classic British saloon cars made under licence
in Argentina
3. Argentina; Air transport
4. Peru; Buses
5. Peru; Train travel in the high
Andes
6. Peru; Air transport
7. Peru; Assorted transport
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