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High Level Bridge Streetcar / ERRS

Thanks, I'll add it to my list!

That reminds me, I spoke with a member about expanding the High Level Bridge line, and he made some good points about why it probably shouldn't happen. At least not for a while.

First, even if CP were to close down it's Strathcona yard tomorrow, there wouldn't be anywhere good for the streetcar line to go in that area. It's all industrial. Further north, we'd first need to replace the CP bridge across Jasper Ave, which was demolished a while ago. But even if it were rebuilt, there's no room to put tracks there. The land where old CP station sat has long since redeveloped, and it similarily can't go east or west along Jasper.

After hearing his points, I must say that I agree. Let's look at their immediate situation for a second. Their Whyte Ave stop is complete, but very bare. It's just a wooden platform and some signs. There's no seating, spots for shade, or facilities to sell tickets. Yes, we have conductors who sell tickets. But we also have a ticket tent at our Strathcona terminus for the busy days, so that the cars don't run late. I don't know how much detail I can get into, but they have longer term goals for something more permanent there.

How about the other end of the line? Well we do technically go to Jasper Ave, but it doesn't help with our visibility. The stop is actually at a park which is a few seconds walk from Jasper.
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I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. If you're walking, biking, or driving along Jasper, you wouldn't know you were passing by the stop unless you knew we were there, or you noticed the tiny little sign on a streetlight that says "High Level Bridge Streetcar -->"
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Given that the Whyte Ave extension took 10 years, I think they should pause any further expansions for now, and focus on improving what they already have. First, their presence along Jasper needs to be worked on. I know they can't go on and expand the tracks to the edge of the lot, but maybe they can work with the city and/or owner of that lot to improve their signage facing Jasper, and the pedestrian connections to that park.

On the other end of the line, they should chase that goal of turning their Whyte Ave stop into a proper terminus where people can wait in comfort. Given that it's on Whyte Ave of all places, it would be a great location to establish a public-facing presence that can extend beyond their operating days and seasons, so that they can have more of a presence in the public's consciousness beyond the occasional ride people take for the novelty of it.

And on both ends, they should improve accessibility at their termini. Right now, Old Strathcona has the only ramp in the system. I helped a lady and her family board, because she was wheelchair-bound, and it was quite an experience. Don't get me wrong, there's only so much that can be done when we're talking antique streetcars, but I think that improvements can be made. At the very least, there should be one on either end so that people who need the ramps have the option to get off and explore before taking their return trip, just like everyone else.

The ERRS is a volunteer organization. It is funded completely by rider fees, donations, and grants. They only have so much manpower and resources avalible, and cannot focus on multiple areas of improvement at once. Given this, I think that if it is to improve its presence, image, and outreach in Edmonton, there is much more to be gained from improving what they have right now before they consider any further expansions. As it has always done, it shoild continue to persue quality over quantity.
Great post. It would be fantastic if the Whyte Avenue terminal was a showpiece with proper seating, shelter, etc. In speaking with one of the conductors a few weeks ago he did mention something about working with the business association regarding a terminal building at Whyte with car storage and office space. This would be such a huge improvement for that section of Whyte and may even draw some attention away from the public toilets when people enter the City from Gateway Boulevard.

I also agree with your points about visibility and accessibility for the jasper ave stop.
 
Share and Share alike? 'twould be good for both!
That's the lot they were thinking of as well, so I hope they can share if it comes to that. A dispute over the land wouldn't behoove either of them.
 
I was talking with someone 'in the know' today, and so far they aren't gunning for the same spots of land. Apparently, the folks behind the gondola are aiming for a plot of land to the west of the ERRS line, and just north of the public washrooms. I'm guessing this is a reference to the parking lot there (circled in red). It's skinny, but I think it's doable since they'd need to build up anyway. This isn't final, and they've changed their intended location some other times previously. But as it stands, the two organizations seem to be making it work in their long-term plans. Of course, this goes off of the assumption that the gondolas would have enough clearance over the streetcar OCS.
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I drove a streetcar across the High Level Bridge for the first time yesterday :)
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WOOOW, that's so cool!! It must've felt amazing controlling a beautiful old machine at the top of a beautiful old bridge with a breathtaking view 🥰
 
WOOOW, that's so cool!! It must've felt amazing controlling a beautiful old machine at the top of a beautiful old bridge with a breathtaking view 🥰
It felt absolutely unreal! It felt super humbling to join the ranks of ERR/ERRS members who drove on that track, and I'm grateful that I can help keep this history alive :)
 
I've been spending the past few Saturdays belt-sanding the roof of Regina 42. Once I finish, we will spread a tar-like substance on the roof to weather-proof it, stretch canvas over top and staple it in place, and I believe another layer of tar goes on after that. I took some pictures while on the roof. Some of them are a bit blurry, but there wasn't much I could do about that unfortunately; I was just too close to the lights. Hopefully they still show enough details to be of interest!
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This wood was actually installed just 25 years ago; only part of the original roof (out of frame) was in good enough condition to keep.
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The roof of Edmonton 42 (also with the aforementioned canvas and tar layers), and Saskatoon 200 (yet to be painted) in the background.
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Up-close shot of Edmonton 42's pole - note the wheel on the tip. The wheel and the flexible nature of the pole allow the pole to flex and bend with the overhead wire as the streetcar travels. This means that the wire does not to be highly tensioned like the LRT overhead; in-fact, having an overhead that tensioned could cause damage to the trolley's pole.
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The remaining portion of the original roof is under the white tarp; I can't sand it because we think there could be white lead on it.
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Edmonton 42 (left) and Regina 42 (right). See the links I posted above to learn more about each streetcar.
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Foreground: Regina 42 (center), Edmonton 42 (left), Saskatoon 200 (far left).
Background: Edmonton 1 (right), Toronto Suburban 24 (center), Edmonton 80 (left), and Toronto 4612 (far left).
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Yours truly!
 
So i went out on a limb this morning during break and asked a stupid question, and got some surprisingly insightful replies. I asked what dictates the streetcars run on 600V DC, and what would prevent them from running on the 750V DC the Valley Line uses. It ended up being a really interesting discussion about how variable the power supply actually is on these caternary systems, how the grounding/circuit completion works (and is different between ERRS, LRT, and third rail systems) and how systems like the trolleybuses downtown were heavily affected by lack of current during peak hours/high loads.
what I was angling at (but did not get too far into given my lack of further knowledge and experience, and how technical the conversation suddenly got) was whether or not we could get Streetcars on the Valley Line SE if/when Transed blows through the July 29 deadline, given the infrastructure (tracks and stations) are the same. just kind of a "f*** it, y'all were slacking so we brought in old reliable, we will be slow but we will get there goshdarnit" type of solution.
the result of the elliptycal conversation was that the higher voltage would probably cook some important bits. also apparently the trolleybuses used to run on a DC system that changed polarity (i didn't understand this one, not sure if the person telling that story did either. he wasn't an electrician like the other guys)
but anyways. yeah. if anyone else has had that thought. no dice.
 
^^^^ It's the motors that change polarity so that they can rotate in the opposite direction depending on which direction the car wants to go -- forward or backward.
 

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