Nelson Electric Tramway
Encyclopedia
The Nelson Electric Tramway is a heritage railway
in Nelson, British Columbia
, Canada
. It uses two restored vintage streetcar
s which carry tourists along Nelson's waterfront and was the first operating heritage streetcar
line in British Columbia
. The service is seasonal, starting on the Easter weekend and ending on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend each year. It is operated by the non-profit
Nelson Electric Tramway Society (NETS). The line was opened on June 15, 1992, by the city's mayor; a second opening ceremony was held on July 1, 1992.
Nelson's original streetcar system operated from 1899 to 1949. It was run by the privately owned Nelson Electric Tramway Ltd. from 1899 until 1908 and then, following a suspension of service when a fire destroyed a substation, was restored to operation in 1910 by a newly formed Nelson Street Railway Company and, in turn, became municipally owned in 1914. The heritage streetcar
line adopted the name of the town's first streetcar company.
's Forest City Railway (in whose fleet it was No. 3334), the car was purchased in 1923 by the City of Nelson and used as a spare, or back-up tram. In 1930 the car was renumbered from "3" to "23", and it remained in service until the closure of the system, in 1949. In 1951 the car's body was sold and turned into a dog kennel and eventually a chicken coop. NETS purchased car 23 in 1982 and together with the Chamber of Commerce and Selkirk College
restored the car body cosmetically. Later, replica trucks
were fabricated, so that the car could be returned to operating condition.
-type car 400 was originally ordered in 1921 by the British Columbia Electric Railway
(BCER) from the Preston Car Company
. The car was manufactured in Preston, Ontario
, and shipped in parts to the BCER for final assembly at their yards in Vancouver before entering service in Victoria, British Columbia
in March 1922. The car was retired from service in 1948, then sold to the Mayo Lumber Company in Cowichan Lake
to be used as a bunkhouse. Purchased in 1970 by the provincial museum, the car was restored in 1973 for static display. Purchased by the society in 1990, the car was restored to operating condition. As of 1999, this work was nearly completed, and the car was expected to be placed into service in 2000, but various issues subsequently delayed the car's entry into passenger service until 2005 or later. Currently, car 400 is not in regular service, and all scheduled trips use car 23.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It uses two restored vintage streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s which carry tourists along Nelson's waterfront and was the first operating heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
line in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The service is seasonal, starting on the Easter weekend and ending on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend each year. It is operated by the non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Nelson Electric Tramway Society (NETS). The line was opened on June 15, 1992, by the city's mayor; a second opening ceremony was held on July 1, 1992.
Nelson's original streetcar system operated from 1899 to 1949. It was run by the privately owned Nelson Electric Tramway Ltd. from 1899 until 1908 and then, following a suspension of service when a fire destroyed a substation, was restored to operation in 1910 by a newly formed Nelson Street Railway Company and, in turn, became municipally owned in 1914. The heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
line adopted the name of the town's first streetcar company.
Car 23
Car 23 was built in 1906 by the John Stephenson Company (then owned by the J. G. Brill Company). Originally purchased by Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
's Forest City Railway (in whose fleet it was No. 3334), the car was purchased in 1923 by the City of Nelson and used as a spare, or back-up tram. In 1930 the car was renumbered from "3" to "23", and it remained in service until the closure of the system, in 1949. In 1951 the car's body was sold and turned into a dog kennel and eventually a chicken coop. NETS purchased car 23 in 1982 and together with the Chamber of Commerce and Selkirk College
Selkirk College
Selkirk College, founded in 1966, was the first regional community college in British Columbia. The college offers over 60 programs. Selkirk has grown into one of the largest organizations in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions of south eastern British Columbia...
restored the car body cosmetically. Later, replica trucks
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
were fabricated, so that the car could be returned to operating condition.
Car 400
BirneyBirney
A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars...
-type car 400 was originally ordered in 1921 by the British Columbia Electric Railway
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
(BCER) from the Preston Car Company
Preston Car Company
The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario...
. The car was manufactured in Preston, Ontario
Preston, Ontario
Preston is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Prior to its amalgamation with the city of Galt, the town of Hespeler and the village of Blair to form the new city in 1973, it was an independent town. It is located near the confluence of the Grand River and Speed River...
, and shipped in parts to the BCER for final assembly at their yards in Vancouver before entering service in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
in March 1922. The car was retired from service in 1948, then sold to the Mayo Lumber Company in Cowichan Lake
Lake Cowichan, British Columbia
Cowichan Lake is a large freshwater lake located on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along the Cowichan Valley in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, with its eastern shore about west of Duncan, British Columbia. Cowichan Lake is about in length, running...
to be used as a bunkhouse. Purchased in 1970 by the provincial museum, the car was restored in 1973 for static display. Purchased by the society in 1990, the car was restored to operating condition. As of 1999, this work was nearly completed, and the car was expected to be placed into service in 2000, but various issues subsequently delayed the car's entry into passenger service until 2005 or later. Currently, car 400 is not in regular service, and all scheduled trips use car 23.