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History

 Chronology.

02-01-1887

Documents created by Joan Casas and Enric Heriz, giving shape to the San Feliu de Guíxols railway project.

 

Portrait of Joan Casas i Arxer, promoter of the railways. Sant Feliu de Guíxols Municipal Archive
Portrait of Joan Casas i Arxer, promoter of the railways. Sant Feliu de Guíxols Municipal Archive

 

Old postcard of the port of Sant Feliu (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)
Old postcard of the port of Sant Feliu (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)

 

Journey of the first years of the train (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Espuña-Ibañez collection)
Journey of the first years of the train (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Espuña-Ibañez collection)

 

South door of Sant Feliu de Guíxols Station, circa 1910 (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)
South door of Sant Feliu de Guíxols Station, circa 1910 (Arxiu Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)

 

Family photo at Sant Feliu Station (Photo from the Ignasi Griñón collection)
Family photo at Sant Feliu Station (Photo from the Ignasi Griñón collection)

 

Foto del tren y la Carretera de Palamós (Postal pertenciente al fondo del Archivo Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)
Foto del tren y la Carretera de Palamós (Postal pertenciente al fondo del Archivo Municipal de Sant Feliu de Guíxols)

 

Llagostera station during the 1962 snowfall. Photo from the Municipal Archives of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, by J. Vall-llosera.
Llagostera station during the 1962 snowfall. Photo from the Municipal Archives of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, by J. Vall-llosera.

 

Locomotive no. 4, model A6 next to the coal loading bay (in the background the Torre de les Eres). Photo belonging to the Municipal Archives of Sant Feliu de Guíxols,
Locomotive no. 4, model A6 next to the coal loading bay (in the background the Torre de les Eres). Photo belonging to the Municipal Archives of Sant Feliu de Guíxols,

 
 

09-01-1889

The project comes to an end in the hands of Carles Cardenal, MZA's engineer.

15-04-1889

The anonymous Sand Feliu de Guixols company is oficially founded with a total of 1.536.100 pesetas divided in 15361 shares.

1889

The construction of two sections has begun with the Llagostera as a central point.

1890

Mobile materials are ordered.

01-1891

Railroads are being deployed by M. Jean Mettewi, who previously set them up for the Baix Emporda Tranvia 3 years earlier.

02-1891

The first locomotives arrive just before the mobile materials from Germany.

06-08-1891

The first test run is done at 30 km per hour.

01-1892

All of the mobile material is now gathered.

24-06-1892

An authorisation is signed on Madrid which would allow Joan Casas to circulate, and so he set up a special ride that would stop in every single station.

29-06-1892

The church proceeds to give its blessing to the railroad.

30-06-1892

The very first open train begins its run at 5:01AM.

1895

Inauguration of the Olot railway that ran between Amer and Salt. It was thought that they would have a shared station in Gerona.

1898

Cuban War. There is a recession that causes the railway's performance to decline.

1903

Profit and loss equalisation.

1904

Construction of the port os Sant Feliu de Guíxols. A locomotive, 2 boxcars an 15 wagons are ordered. The locomotive depot at Sant Feliu is built.

16-11-1908

30-12-1908

The rains that cause damage to the entire line, especially to bridges due to the flooding of streams and torrents.

5/6-11-1912

Strike of employees in solidarity with the strike in the company M.Z.A.

19-12-1913

The bridge over the Ridaura river, which was affected by the rains of 1908, ins replaced.

1914

Heavy snowfalls caused a decrease in passenger traffic. World War I begins and foreign markets are closed. A siding was built for the flour mill at La Creueta station.

1915

Traffic increases due to transfers between the Port and Gerona M.Z.A. station.

1918

13 new platforms wagons are purchased.

14-08-1918

The branch line from Sant Feliu de Guíxols station to the port is authorised.

1924

The branch line from Sant Feliu de Guíxols station to the port is inaugurated. The linguistic repression is ended by resolution of the Directorate General of Public Works in which it issues a resolution not to change the names of the stations, and that they should not be translated int Spanish untul the names of the towns they serve are changed.

20s

Two large locomotives (11 and 12) and 17 large wagons are received.

1927

Record freight traffic of 52.114 mt.

30s

The decline of the railways began with the worls crisis, which led to a decrease in freight traffic.

18-07-1936

The Spanish Civil War begins, the service is paralysed for a few days.

23-07-1936

Seizure of the railways, under the control of the Regional Railway Committee.

 

During the retreat of the Republicans troops, the bridge over the Verneda River is blown up.

1939

After the war, the line, divided into two sections, resumed service, reduced to one train per side and transfer on foot.

1940

Once the new bridge over de river was completed, passenger and freighttraffic began to increase.

1942

50th anniversary

1943

Payment problems due to financial causes are solved. It is regulated by a Court in La Bisbal.

1944

Saturation point due to a progressive increase in traffic.

1946

The maximum number of passenger carried that year (508.306). An attempt is made to convert the line to metric track and join it with the Olot-Gerona railway. Locomotive no. 20 from the Baix Emporda Tramway is incorporated.

1947

A grant is requested from the State.

21-04-1949

The State enacts a law to support narrow-gauge railways. A modernisation plan is undertaken in which a shared station is stablished with the Olot l Estado promulga una ley de ayuda a los ferrocarriles de vía estrecha. Se acomete un plan de modernización en la que se establece una estación compartida con el Olot-Gerona.

1950

Decline in rail traffic due to the increasing growth of foad traffic. Project to abandon the operation.

1951

New grant covering part of the debts

1953

Locomotives 11 and 12 (the largest) are leased to a factory in Mieres

1956

The Palamós-Girona-Banyoles or Baix Empordà Tramway is closed

1957

The two locomotives leased from the Mieres factory are sold

1959

Unified operation with the Olot-Gerona railway. There are 3 director from each company and one from de State railways.

15-10-63

Operation of all loss-making railways by the State railways (E.F.E. - later F.E.V.E.)

middle of 60s

The State railways brings two locomotives from the Onda-el Grao de Castellón railway (5 and 7) identical to the 1-4 but with Compound system and passenger cars. They were manufactured on the same dates.

1966

Train feasibility study by Sofrerail

10-04-69

Closure of the railway from Sant Feliu de Guíxos to Guíxols a Gerona.

15-07-69

Closure of the railway from Olot to Gerona