Trolley bus service in Edmonton started on September 24, 1939, operating on route 5 from 101 St/Jasper Ave to 95 St/111 Ave. By the end of October of that year, service had started on another route running to 99 St/Whyte Ave via the Low Level Bridge. In Edmonton, trolley buses were often referred to simply as "trolleys".
The trolley bus system used a mixture of Ohio Brass and K&M Elastic (Swiss) suspension for holding up the overhead wires.
The 49 vehicles remaining in use in 2008 were from an order of 100 manufactured in 1981–82 by Brown Boveri & Company (BBC), using bodies and chassis supplied to BBC by GM.[2] These 100 vehicles for Edmonton were the only trolley buses ever built with the GM "New Look" body, whereas more than 44,000 motor buses were built to that design.[2]
In 2007, a low-floor model of trolley bus was leased from Coast Mountain Bus Company, Vancouver's bus operating company, for a one-year period, for testing of possible benefits of low-floor trolley buses over hybrid diesel buses. During its time in Edmonton the bus was numbered 6000, but its Vancouver number, 2242, was restored when it returned to there.[3]
On June 18, 2008, city council voted 7 to 6 in favour of phasing out the trolley bus system in 2009 and 2010.[2][4] However, city council decided in April 2009 that trolley bus service would be discontinued earlier than originally planned, in order to reduce the city's expected $35 million deficit in 2009.[5] The last day of service was May 2, 2009.[6][7]
FleetEdit
Preserved CCF-Brill T48A trolley bus, September 2008.
all sold to Mexico City'sSTE in 1987; most were refurbished in the 1990s, and although most were retired by 2002,[8] the last active units(s), which were retrofitted with wheelchair lifts in Mexico City, remained in service until November 2019.[9]
109 and 110 sold to Dayton, Ohio, in 1994; 103/05–07/16–18/34/41/42/53/54/69/71/76/87/91/96 scrapped in 2005–07; 111/21/24/28/29/31/33/35/38/40/48/52/55/79/83/93/95/98 refurbished in 2004–07; 40 units leased to Toronto Transit Commission from 1989/90 until July 1993
Cromdale Garage – formerly an Edmonton Radial Railway trolley bus / streetcar barn, then bus facility and historic fleet storage. Has since been demolished, site being repurposed by ETS.
Ferrier Garage – formerly a trolley bus garage; remains in use as a bus facility.
Mitchell Garage – constructed in 1981 and was equipped and opened as a trolley bus garage in 1983; closed in June 2007,[10] then becoming a bus-only facility.
Westwood Garage – formerly a trolley bus garage, opening in 1961[1]: 167 and closed as an active garage when the trolley bus system closed in 2009; remained in use as a bus facility until 2020.[11]
City-owned trolley buses 148 and 113, and motor bus 59, on display at Churchill Square in 2008
At least five of Edmonton's 1982 BBC HR150G trolley buses have been preserved by museums or museum-type groups. Those at museums are No. 125, at the Seashore Trolley Museum (in Kennebunkport, Maine, United States); No. 181, at the Illinois Railway Museum (in Union, Illinois, U.S.); and No. 189, at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft (U.K.).[12] No. 132 has been preserved by the Transit Museum Society in Vancouver.[13] In addition, a BBC is expected to be added to the City of Edmonton's collection of historic vehicles, which already includes three vintage trolley buses:[7] Pullman 113 (ex-116) and CCF-Brills 148 and 202. No. 199 has been preserved by the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. No. 152 was expected to be preserved for the future public transit museum in Sofia, Bulgaria. A group of enthusiasts managed to raise the $10,000 needed for its purchase, but the trolley bus had already been scrapped in early 2018.[14]
^ abcdHatcher, Colin K.; Schwarzkopf, Tom (1983). Edmonton's Electric Transit: The Story of Edmonton's Streetcars and Trolley Buses. Toronto: Railfare Enterprises Ltd. ISBN0-919130-33-X.
^ abcdBramley, Rod (July–August 2009). "Edmonton Council Votes to Close System". Trolleybus Magazine No. 286, pp. 74–82. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.
^. Edmonton Journal. June 19, 2008. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
^Landry, Frank (April 16, 2009). "Mayor targets city honchos". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
^. City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
^ abTrolleybus Magazine No. 286 (July–August 2009), pp. 87 and 89. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
^Trolleybus Magazine No. 258 (November–December 2004), p. 131. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
^Trolleybus Magazine No. 361 (January–February 2022), p. 34. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
^Trolleybus Magazine No. 275 (September–October 2007), p. 109. National Trolleybus Association (UK).
^Antoneshyn, Alex (9 February 2020). "Westwood ETS garage officially closed, Kathleen Andrews facility operational". CTV News. from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
^Isgar, Carl F. (January-February 2010). "Preservation Update". Trolleybus Magazine No. 289, p. 11.
^Trolleybus Magazine No. 294 (Nov.-Dec. 2010), pp. 134–136.
^. trolleybus.bgtransport.org. Archived from the original on 2017-05-13.
External linksEdit
Media related to Trolleybuses in Edmonton at Wikimedia Commons
"Trolleybus city: Edmonton". Trolleymotion.
Edmonton database / photo gallery and Edmonton trolleybus list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.
October 15, 2023
trolley, buses, edmonton, edmonton, trolley, system, formed, part, public, transport, network, edmonton, alberta, canada, between, 1939, 2009, operated, edmonton, transit, system, system, peak, fleet, trolley, buses, total, route, length, edmonton, trolley, sy. The Edmonton trolley bus system formed part of the public transport network in Edmonton Alberta Canada between 1939 and 2009 Operated by Edmonton Transit System ETS the system had at its peak a fleet of 137 1 179 2 trolley buses and a total route length of 127 km 79 mi Edmonton trolley bus systemBBC trolley bus on 97th Street September 2008 OperationLocaleEdmonton Alberta CanadaOpenSeptember 24 1939 1939 09 24 CloseMay 2 2009 2009 05 02 Operator s Edmonton Transit System ETS InfrastructureElectrification600 V DCWebsitehttp www edmonton ca transportation edmonton transit system ets aspx Edmonton Transit System ETS Contents 1 History 2 Fleet 3 Depots 4 Preservation 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory Edit nbsp Leyland trolley bus in front of Eaton s department store ca 1940 Trolley bus service in Edmonton started on September 24 1939 operating on route 5 from 101 St Jasper Ave to 95 St 111 Ave By the end of October of that year service had started on another route running to 99 St Whyte Ave via the Low Level Bridge In Edmonton trolley buses were often referred to simply as trolleys The trolley bus system used a mixture of Ohio Brass and K amp M Elastic Swiss suspension for holding up the overhead wires The 49 vehicles remaining in use in 2008 were from an order of 100 manufactured in 1981 82 by Brown Boveri amp Company BBC using bodies and chassis supplied to BBC by GM 2 These 100 vehicles for Edmonton were the only trolley buses ever built with the GM New Look body whereas more than 44 000 motor buses were built to that design 2 In 2007 a low floor model of trolley bus was leased from Coast Mountain Bus Company Vancouver s bus operating company for a one year period for testing of possible benefits of low floor trolley buses over hybrid diesel buses During its time in Edmonton the bus was numbered 6000 but its Vancouver number 2242 was restored when it returned to there 3 On June 18 2008 city council voted 7 to 6 in favour of phasing out the trolley bus system in 2009 and 2010 2 4 However city council decided in April 2009 that trolley bus service would be discontinued earlier than originally planned in order to reduce the city s expected 35 million deficit in 2009 5 The last day of service was May 2 2009 6 7 Fleet Edit nbsp Preserved CCF Brill T48A trolley bus September 2008 All time list of Edmonton trolley buses Numbers Built Withdrawn Make Model Notes101 103 1939 1951 Associated Equipment Company AEC English Electric 663T104 109 1939 1951 Leyland 663T110 112 1942 1962 Mack Truck Co CR3S113 128 1944 1965 Pullman Standard No 116 has been preserved renumbered 113 1 195 by the City of Edmonton 129 130 1945 1965 American Car amp Foundry Brill TC44131 192 1947 48 1978 Canadian Car amp Foundry CCF Brill T44 purchased secondhand from Regina Transit in 1966 No 148 has been preserved by the City of Edmonton 193 202 1952 54 1978 CCF Brill T48A No 202 built 1954 has been preserved by the City of Edmonton 203 212 1947 1978 CCF Brill T44 purchased secondhand from Vancouver in 1962213 249 1974 76 1987 Flyer Industries E800 all sold to Mexico City s STE in 1987 most were refurbished in the 1990s and although most were retired by 2002 8 the last active units s which were retrofitted with wheelchair lifts in Mexico City remained in service until November 2019 9 100 199 1981 82 2009 Brown Boveri amp Cie BBC HR150G 109 and 110 sold to Dayton Ohio in 1994 103 05 07 16 18 34 41 42 53 54 69 71 76 87 91 96 scrapped in 2005 07 111 21 24 28 29 31 33 35 38 40 48 52 55 79 83 93 95 98 refurbished in 2004 07 40 units leased to Toronto Transit Commission from 1989 90 until July 19936000 2007 2008 New Flyer E40LFR low floor trolley bus leased from Coast Mountain Bus Company Vancouver for one year in 2007 08 for evaluationDepots EditCromdale Garage formerly an Edmonton Radial Railway trolley bus streetcar barn then bus facility and historic fleet storage Has since been demolished site being repurposed by ETS Ferrier Garage formerly a trolley bus garage remains in use as a bus facility Mitchell Garage constructed in 1981 and was equipped and opened as a trolley bus garage in 1983 closed in June 2007 10 then becoming a bus only facility Westwood Garage formerly a trolley bus garage opening in 1961 1 167 and closed as an active garage when the trolley bus system closed in 2009 remained in use as a bus facility until 2020 11 Strathcona Garage opened as a trolley bus garage in 1951 1 165 closed in 1986 now home to Old Strathcona Farmer s Market and Edmonton Radial Railway Society High Level Bridge Streetcar storage Preservation Edit nbsp City owned trolley buses 148 and 113 and motor bus 59 on display at Churchill Square in 2008At least five of Edmonton s 1982 BBC HR150G trolley buses have been preserved by museums or museum type groups Those at museums are No 125 at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport Maine United States No 181 at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois U S and No 189 at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft U K 12 No 132 has been preserved by the Transit Museum Society in Vancouver 13 In addition a BBC is expected to be added to the City of Edmonton s collection of historic vehicles which already includes three vintage trolley buses 7 Pullman 113 ex 116 and CCF Brills 148 and 202 No 199 has been preserved by the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin Alberta No 152 was expected to be preserved for the future public transit museum in Sofia Bulgaria A group of enthusiasts managed to raise the 10 000 needed for its purchase but the trolley bus had already been scrapped in early 2018 14 See also Edit nbsp Buses portalHistory of Edmonton List of trolley bus systems in Canada St Albert Transit Strathcona County TransitReferences Edit a b c d Hatcher Colin K Schwarzkopf Tom 1983 Edmonton s Electric Transit The Story of Edmonton s Streetcars and Trolley Buses Toronto Railfare Enterprises Ltd ISBN 0 919130 33 X a b c d Bramley Rod July August 2009 Edmonton Council Votes to Close System Trolleybus Magazine No 286 pp 74 82 National Trolleybus Association UK ISSN 0266 7452 Edmonton Tests new Low Floor Trolley Bus Trolleys reach end of the line Edmonton Journal June 19 2008 Archived from the original on June 20 2008 Retrieved October 2 2009 Landry Frank April 16 2009 Mayor targets city honchos Edmonton Sun Retrieved February 5 2010 ETS Trolley Buses City of Edmonton Archived from the original on June 16 2011 Retrieved October 3 2011 a b Trolleybus Magazine No 286 July August 2009 pp 87 and 89 National Trolleybus Association UK Trolleybus Magazine No 258 November December 2004 p 131 National Trolleybus Association UK Trolleybus Magazine No 361 January February 2022 p 34 National Trolleybus Association UK Trolleybus Magazine No 275 September October 2007 p 109 National Trolleybus Association UK Antoneshyn Alex 9 February 2020 Westwood ETS garage officially closed Kathleen Andrews facility operational CTV News Archived from the original on 26 July 2020 Retrieved 23 June 2023 Isgar Carl F January February 2010 Preservation Update Trolleybus Magazine No 289 p 11 Trolleybus Magazine No 294 Nov Dec 2010 pp 134 136 GMC BBC HR150G 152 Istoricheskite trolejbusi na Blgariya trolleybus bgtransport org Archived from the original on 2017 05 13 External links Edit nbsp Media related to Trolleybuses in Edmonton at Wikimedia Commons Trolleybus city Edmonton Trolleymotion Edmonton database photo gallery and Edmonton trolleybus list at Urban Electric Transit in various languages including English Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Trolley buses in Edmonton amp oldid 1167352385, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
