Model A's go to B

[Retrovision]

Here's a few for u guys:


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masstransport2010.fotopic.net/c945241.html

[Neil]

to strong skier, ya, I know there's lots of trolley buses downtown, I was just curious about that new model.
I wonder why there's been so little expansion of the trolley network. In over forty years I'm only aware of two extensions- along Kingsway from the old Joyce Loop to Metrotown, and out to UBC from Alma Loop. Diesel still rules.
Also does anyone know if even one of the old Brill trolleys has been kept operational? I know they did a nice job fixing up a Brill diesel- I was shocked to see it running out here in North Delta not too long ago. Not in service, of course.

[BrianWilliams]

Vancouver's trolley -electric bus- system got its only expansion after nearly 50 years, when trolley service was extended to UBC and Burnaby's Metrotown in the late 1980's.

If we MUST use busses for transit, twin wire trollies are the best. Silent, swift and stinkless!

[Retrovision]

hornbyguy,

TRAMS, the transit historical society that runs the DHR (Downtown Historic Railway), between Science World and Granville Island, has restored a small number of various kinds of busses...

Here's their website:
www.trams.ca/
And here's their restored-busses page:
www.trams.ca/buses.html

Here's their restored Brill-Trolley



my favorite has to be the ' 1937 Hayes "teardrop" '

brianwilliams said:

If we MUST use busses for transit, twin wire trollies are the best. Silent, swift and stinkless!

Yes, we must... Rapid transit is useless without connecting busses.

Unless I'm misreading that comment?


Cheers

[Neil]

Wow, thanks for that website, Tsawwassen, that's great. I'll have to check those out, especially that beautiful BC Electric M852. I remember waiting for a Broadway bus about twenty years ago, and I couldn't believe it when instead of the usual trolley, one of those ancient diesels of that model pulled up- this was probably fifteen or twenty years after the last one was retired. Don't know what the story on that was, but I remember everyone on the bus really checking it out- made me think that perhaps people would really appreciate it if once in a while they get a chance to ride on a vintage bus in regular service.

[BrianWilliams]

PS: For fans of Vancouver transit, there are a few good books.

Best of the bunch is Henry Ewart's "The Story Of The BC Electric Railway" (Whitecap, 1986).

In your library or bookstore.

[BrianWilliams]

"Yes, we must... Rapid transit is useless without connecting busses."

And I agree. My comment "if we MUST use busses..." refers to the 1950's dismantling of our interurbans and streetcars. The brave future of transit was thought to be all road-based busses.

Clattering ol' electric railcars were passé ... the BC Electric interurban thru central Burnaby was paved over for our Hiway 1.

Hmm, but check the BCE schedules in Ewart's book. By 1920, the electric cars ran from downtown Vancouver, thru Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and on to Chilliwack.

You can't beat their running time today in a car.