Vancouver Trolleybus Scenes - 1960s & 70s and 2011
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- Опубліковано 31 бер 2019
- This presentation features trolleybuses operating in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was filmed in the 1960s & 70s and 2011.
NOTE: Correction to the fleet information show in the presentation:
2001-2082 are 1947 Model T44 coaches
2083-2168 are 1948 Model T48 coaches
2201-2288 are 1949 Model T48 coaches
2301-2355 are 1950 Model T48A coaches
2401-2416 are 1954 Model T48A coaches - Авто та транспорт
I was letter carrier with Canada Post and worked all over Vancouver and Burnaby as a relief carrier and I rode these buss's for free...the Post Office paid a bulk fee to Bc Hydro which ran them and we would just walk on with out bag of mail and nod to the driver,and they were always so nice and would give us a smile...I remember the wooden gate at the back door which you had to swing open to get off...before we departed we would always yell a Thank you to the driver ...good day's...probably 1976
Hi Craig X, It does sound like the good old days, and good memories. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Stay well yourself,and Thanks again.
I used to ride those way old school VanCity buses back in the early 70s, I think the cost was .10cents as a kid then kept going up and up. Notice how there weren't hardly any cars or people in this city back in them days?! Brings back the memories. Thank you.
Hi Robert, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Regards, tassiebaz.
I remember as a 16 year old in 67 kid the sound of the trollies, and at night the sparks and elongated stretchiness of buses while stoned on acid....
That was amazing took me back to my childhood, I grew up at 41st and Nanaimo seeing the old 41st bus was pretty cool, that was my gateway to the world
Hi Wayne, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Glad you enjoyed it. Regards, tassiebaz.
I rode the Brills as a kid in 1967 - 1968 the fare was 10 cents (real silver dimes). I remember the fare box where you could see the coins drop out. Paper transfers that the driver would tear off for the expiry time. The wood gate at the back doors. I also remember that big Esso neon sign on the Granville Street bridge.
Hi no comment, Thanks for watching and for sharing your fond memories of the good old days. Stay well and all the best for 2022. Cheers, tassiebaz.
As a car nerd I found myself very much interested in the old cars that weren't so old when these pictures were taken.
Hi Hanover Fist, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Sometimes the backgrounds are as interesting as the main topic. You may like to have a look at my Cuban vintage car video at:
ua-cam.com/video/HZV3xwNBpHg/v-deo.html
It shows some lovely older interesting vehicles. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Thanks for sharing, definitely brings back memories. Enjoyed riding those old trolleys.
Hi kc, It's my please to be able to share this in a way not thought possible when the pictures were taken. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I grew up in Vancouver in the 70s, love trolleybuses, and am absolutely stunned...
Looking at your other videos, it seems that you were just visiting here...
And yet, your photos capture Vancouver street scenes (and trolleybuses!) in that time period so perfectly!
Thank you for uploading these photos...they are unique, and absolutely amazing!
Hi S Ewing, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the presentation and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. You are correct in that I visited Vancouver several times in the late 60s to mid 70s and enjoyed each time. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Having grown up in Vancouver since the 70's, I recognize a lot of buildings in these pictures, half of which are gone now and replaced with high rises everywhere. Also some buses as far back as early 1950's were still in service in the late 1980's, I remember how noisy the electric motor was in some of them.
Hi BSDShoes, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
They had pretty much all the same road and traffic infrastructure as today, (pavement, sidewalks, traffic signals, storm and sanitary drains, water mains, etc) with fewer taxpayers to pay for it all yet their taxes equivalent were much lower per capita and per property. That generation must have been smarter and much more efficient?…I worked in an Architects office at Oak and Broadway in the early 60’s…Thank you for assembling and posting this history.
Hi elrolo3711, Thanks for watching and for your informative comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the presentation and appreciate you talking the time to let me know. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
Another great slide show. Trolleybuses must have been the preferred method of transportation in Vancouver during the 60's and 70's since there's hardly any traffic in the photos.
Hi Captain, Again, thanks for watching and for your kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Vancouver did (and still does) have a large well-run trolleybus system which was a pleasure to ride. Nowadays, they also have SkyTrain, which has become the backbone of their transport system. This is complemented by a trolleybus system of 13 routes, with a fleet of 262 trolley buses. SkyTrain has 79.6 km (49.5 mi) of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks running on underground and elevated guideways. Regards, tassiebaz.
Started my career at Winnipeg Transit, but eventually moved back to Vancouver. I loved driving the Trolleys, but live and drive in the Tricities now. Its been a much greater challenge and experience on the coast. Still love driving them, though I've moved to the Shuttles to help out with the grandkids.
Hi Charlene, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well and all the best for 2021. Cheers, tassiebaz.
When I was 8 years old - 1960ish - I was on my knees in the back seat of the trolleybus, crossing Granville Street bridge, looking out the back window when the poles disconnected from their wires and the cables flexed into the back window, breaking the safety glass into small fragments some of which went into my eyes. I remember going to St. Pauls hospital in a taxi and the doctors picking the glass fragments out of my eyes. I think there was ice on the wires that day.
Hi Gord, Thanks for watching and for sharing that memory, although it was not a good one. That sounds like an unusual occurrence and, unfortunately, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
The big excitement for us kids along Hastings in E. Van was watching the trolley poles disconnect with sparks flying around and then being reinstalled with the fear he might not pull it off...ah the drama :)
Hi deonal, Sounds like a great pastime. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I cannot say enough good things about your photo collections! The photos practically look like they were taken in 2019, clear & crisp. I always enjoy all your rolling archives. My favorite is still the Pittsburgh collection during the 60s and 70s, especially since I lived there in the 70s and 80s and remember well the PAT trolleys. Thanks.
Hi 2016 Road King, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I'm working on some more presentations that should be ready in the near future, which I hope will be as enjoyable. Regards, tassiebaz.
So many memories!!!
Hi Peter, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'm glad you liked the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. I'm very pleased to be able to share these memories. Cheers, tassiebaz.
love your vid. hugs from vancouver,canada
Hi leni, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.😃
I love the brills! Cool shots i see
Hi Vancity Elevators, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Regards tassiebaz.
The Brill coaches were virtually indestructible. After BC Hydro replaced them, they were put into
service in Mexico. As kids, some of us occasionally grabbed a free ride by jumping up on the rear
bumper and holding onto one of the trolley-pole cord encasements.
Hi R. Compton, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'm glad you never got hurt doing what you described you did as kids. Those encasements (retrievers) have large coil springs that deploy if the trolley pole dewires to pull the pole down away from the wires to avoid damage, but could easily cause injury. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz Thanks. We were pretty stupid at times (just like some of today's youngsters). Fortunately, nobody got hurt. And a "stay
well" to you and yours.
R. Crompton They actually weren’t. The original deal was to have them reconditioned and sold to Mexico City but that never happened. They sat in a scrap yard on River Road in North Delta, before being moved to the old United auto property just off Scott Road near the Pattullo Bridge. And they sat in that property until 2001. Approximately 15 units were pulled out of that facility and stored at the Surrey Transit Centre for possible refurbishment to use in a special downtown Vancouver service. That never happened either. A couple of units were sold to museums in the US, the Transit Museum Society took some parts for the Brills that they have running, A couple went to scrap. And the remainder went up to a historical attraction in Sandon, BC where they remain today.
@@VancouverComposer Thank you for the detailed history! I wasn't aware that the Mexico deal fell through. Glad though that we still have some of the Brills fairly close to home to admire.
I caught the tail end of the Brill era. Used to see buses marked Dunbar, Arbutus, Granville and took a trip on one once. Debarking I remember there was a light gate I walked through stepping down before the doors opened?
H universityofnowhere, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Vancouver had, and still has, a large and efficient trolleybus system. It was always a pleasure to visit. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Nice collection of photos! I recognize most of the scenery. The roads were a lot quieter back then, probably because Vancouver's population was only half its size.
Hi Busologist, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Oh, for the good old days. Regards, tassiebaz.
Oh yes, the days when Vancouver was almost like the best kept secret about Canada. A normal everyday place for kids to grow up, plus the bonus of its beautiful scenery. Too many people now and getting worse.
@@charlenegareau9302 Yes, Vancouver was a sleepy little city back then. Not all was perfect. When I was a kid, I remember Yaletown & Coal Harbour were scary looking neighbourhoods with dilapitated warehouses & industrial buildings. And then there were those abandoned Victorian homes across from city hall and Vancouver General Hospital. It's so interesting to see how beautiful and thriving these areas are nowadays.
I started as a bus operator in Edmonton in 1978. At the time, there were more than one hundred Brill trolleys in operation. Seems like yesterday. Armstrong steering and cluncky motor speed controls combined with switches and icy streets and wires in winter made this an interesting task. Overhead clearance at the driver seat was very low causing a hunched posture for some taller operators. When they were phased out in 1980 or so, I believe some went to Vancouver for parting out to maintenance needs. They would drive them away on the highway while pulling a diesel genset and a small bowser.
Hi Fraser, Thanks for watching and for your interesting and informative comment. If you haven't already done, so please have a look at my Edmonton trolleybus UA-cam. I'm sure you'll find some familiar scenes. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz I did look at the Edmonton edition, thank you. I'm pretty sure I drove every one of the old electric coaches shown on every one of the routes displayed. This looks like 1971 - 72 by car models, before my ETS time but looks exactly as I remember.
@@fraserhenderson7839 Hi, I hope the scenes revived some good memories for you. I always enjoyed visiting Edmonton and Vancouver (and riding the train between the two cities), so publishing these stimulated thoughts of past good times. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Nostalgia time
Hi Michael, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Agreed!!! Regards, tassiebaz.
excellent, do a slide of the greyhound buses
Hi Wilfred, I'd do it if I had a such a slide. Sorry. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Glad you liked what was presented. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
When it was a small, law abiding, liveable and affordable city.
Hi Alison, Yes, back in the good old days. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Cheers, tassiebaz.
child hood memories alright ! I remember all the grown ups would be smoking in the back of the bus , and I could barely breath sometimes.....Remember the drivers use to carry a change belt It costed 25 cents for adults and ten cents for kids around that time !
Hi Gabriel, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Glad the presentation brought back some good memories. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Thank you. It's very interesting to see the same streets we walk today but much cleaner and much less crowded. Vancouver was a big village back in the day. Now it has turned into a not-so-great place no thanks to all the "users" and their support groups. Roads are in bad shape. Garbage (just about) everywhere. Nasty pot smell on occasion. As for the trolleys, the colour schemes were much better with lots of white. Current ones are so gray, it's sad. Bring the white back.
Hi ihikebc, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I've had similar reports about Vancouver and other cities I have visited and it really sad to hear it. Vancouver was always one of my favorite cities to visit, ride the trolleybuses, and walk around without ever feeling threatened. The good old days were certainly just that. We can only hope that things get better, but I have my doubts. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
15:35...where was that Honda and Midas at??? I cannot place it!
Hi Keith, Sorry, my note taking at that time was not that good. My caption only says near Cambie Bridge. I looked at Google Maps but could not find anything recognisable. Thanks for watching. Cheers, tassiebaz.
That looks like Robson at Beatty (looking west up Robson), with the 17 Oak going onto the old Connaught (Cambie) Bridge to exit Downtown. The photo looks like it was taken from the east sidewalk of the bridge, near where the Terry Fox memorial is now.
@@sewing9434 Thanks for that information. Cheers, tassiebaz.😃
There are some mistakes with the opening text to your video in terms of the fleet numbers and manufacturing years.
Hi VancouverComposer, Thanks for watching and for your comment. The information to which you refer comes from what I regard as a reliable source. Could you please let me know exactly what you found to be erroneous, so I can check and fix it if necessary. Thanks. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
tassiebaz Thank you for your reply. This is the correct information for fleet numbers and years for Vancouver Brill Trolleys built by CCF.
2001-2082 are 1947 T44s
2083-2168 are 1948 T48s 2201-2288 are 1949 T48s
2301-2355 are 1950 T48As
2401-2416 are 1954 T48As
There were other CCF Brill Trolleys that operated here but there were purchased used from Saskatoon, and Hamilton and other cities. The numbers I gave are only buses that were ordered new and built for Vancouver.
My source? I’m a member of the Transit Museum Society (TRAMS) for the past 21 years and Vice President of the club for 11 years.
Hi @@VancouverComposer, Thanks for the information. I've put the correct information you supplied in the description of the presentation. You can't make that kind of a change in the video itself without losing all the statistics and history. My original source was "The Trolley Coach in North America", by Seebree and Ward. I couldn't find any other information to check it against on the Internet, so used that. Thanks for taking the time to point out the error and provide the correct information. Regards, tassiebaz.
tassiebaz you’re welcome.
Wow, Kootenay Loop looked so different back then. The trolley wires are still there....
Translink should get rid of an outdated way of public transit no matter the history.
What do you mean outdated? the line is still used to Kootenay Loop
How healthy back then compared to now.what happened?
Hi Jeffrey, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Unfortunately, the good old days are gone as are all the best things about them. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Ah, the "before times", before our government leaders decided on unfettered immigration and population growth......
Check out those "empty" roads! Can;t even get that kind of traffic today at 3:00am....
Hi Zewestcoaster, Yes, the good old days, we all do miss them! Thanks for watching and for your comment. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄