Nelson Electric Tramway
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The Nelson Electric Tramway is a
Former tramway
1899: Nelson Electric Tramway Co. Ltd. inaugurated service along Front St. on December 21.[2] Opening of the hill section was postponed after Car 2 derailed causing serious injuries.[3]
1900: Hill section opened on April 8.[4]
1905: City contracted to operate the system for four years, because the company had incurred losses every year.[5]
1908: A fire in the substation on April 25 caused extensive damage. A fire in the car barn on April 27 destroyed the building and two streetcars. Service was suspended.[6]
1910: Newly formed Nelson Street Railway Co. reopened the system on November 8.[7]
1914: City purchased the system on February 1, because the company had incurred ongoing losses.[8]
1949: Final run when diesel buses replaced rails on June 20.[9]
Heritage timeline
1980: Private owner wished to dispose of Car 23 and the bridge from the Nasookin. The city considered acquiring the former for restoration as a bus stop shelter.[9]
1982: Chamber of commerce acquired and moved Car 23 to an indoor facility at Selkirk College. The chamber and college obtained a federal grant to begin restoration.[10]
1984: Second federal grant for $26,000 received.[11]
1985: Project shifted from producing a static exhibit to an operational car.[12]
1987: Third federal grant for $104,000 received.[13]
1988: Car 23 moved into a temporary car barn on the southeast corner of Hall and Front streets.[13] The Nelson Electric Tramway Society incorporated. The chamber gave the society title to the facility, and various tramway artifacts.[14]
1989: Provincial grant for $430,000 received.[15] Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) donated rails salvaged from the Rosebery–Nakusp line abandonment.[16]
1990: CP employee volunteers began laying track.[16] Permanent car barn built and Car 23 moved in.[17] Car 400 arrived.[18]
1991: Chamber transferred ownership of Car 23 to the society.[14] Track laying completed.[18]
1992: Overhead wiring and substation completed.[19] On June 15, passenger service began. On July 1, the official opening was held.[1][20]
2011: Annual ridership set a record of over 15,000.[21]
2012: Spring flooding along the lakeshore caused $15,000 in damages to the streetcar tracks and the storage barn, plus about $7,500 in lost revenue because of a two-month shortening of the tourism season.[22]
2015: Car barn museum (Walt Laurie Memorial Museum) opened, displaying artifacts and photos within a dedicated space and also throughout the barn.[23]
Operation
The single-track railway runs along Nelson's waterfront from a loop under the orange bridge (at the northeast end of Rotary Heritage Park) to a loop at Hall St. (adjacent to the northeast perimeter of the airport). The society has two restored vintage streetcars. The service is seasonal, starting on the May long weekend and ending on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.[24]
Fleet
Car 23
Car 23 was built in 1906 by the
Car 400
See also
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Light Rail and Modern Tramway". Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association. October 1992. p. 271.
{{cite magazine}}
: Cite magazine requires|magazine=
(help) - ^ Parker 1992, p. 33.
- ^ Parker 1992, pp. 35–37.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 41.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 54.
- ^ Parker 1992, pp. 58–59.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 75.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 81.
- ^ a b Parker 1992, p. 129.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 134.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 135.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 137.
- ^ a b Parker 1992, p. 141.
- ^ a b Parker 1992, p. 143.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 148.
- ^ a b Parker 1992, p. 156.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 158.
- ^ a b Parker 1992, p. 161.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 162.
- ^ Parker 1992, p. 165.
- ^ "Nelson Star, 17 Oct 2011". www.nelsonstar.com. 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Nelson Star, 13 Feb 2013". www.nelsonstar.com. 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Nelson Star, 28 Jul 2015". www.nelsonstar.com. 28 July 2015.
- ^ "Service". www.nelsonstreetcar.org.
- ^ ISBN 0-9647279-2-7.
- ^ "History of Streetcar No. 23". www.nelsonstreetcar.org.
- ^ "History of Streetcar No. 400". www.nelsonstreetcar.org.
References
- Parker, Douglas V. (1992). Streetcars in the Kootenays: Nelson's Tramways, 1899–1992. Havelock House. ISBN 0-920805-02-7.