What are the opening hours?

Friday 11am - 4:09pm Saturday 9am - 4:09pm Sunday 11am - 4:09pm

https://www.edmontonstreetcars.ca/

Edmonton Radial Railway Society, 8408 Gateway Boulevard NW, Edmonton, AB (2025)

01/17/2025

Welcome to the Streetcar, please take a seat!
.. Apparently the maintenance guys took that seriously.

Our volunteers are hard at work doing maintenance on our cars the High Level Bridge, including reupholstering some of the seats on our 2 main cars, Melbourne 930 and Edmonton 33.

The seats in Melbourne 930 (built 1947) are fairly modern, upholstered in easy-to-clean vinyl and arranged in alcoves so half the car is facing forward on any particular run. This is a common setup still used in trams today! The vinyl is great, but none of us can sew the stuff, so we've sent these seats out to be redone.

Edmonton 33 (built 1912) is more old-fashioned, with rattan upholstery and reversible seats. Rattan was standard in early streetcars, a cheap, more durable alternative to cloth seats (vinyl didn't exist at the time). Rattan requires replacing every few years, something we do ourselves. The seats on 33 deal with the car being driven from either end by being reversible. A handle on the back of the seat makes the seat (and footrest!) switch sides. This was actually a common feature on streetcars of the era; Car 1 at Fort Edmonton also has a seat that does this.

Do you love reupholstery? Or streetcars (probably more likely)? ERRS is 100% volunteer, including doing maintenance of all kinds. We are also looking for reliable, dedicated people to drive the streetcars for our 2025 season. Motorperson training starts in March, with a regular commitment to drive over the summer. If you're interested, message us here or check out edmontonstreetcars.ca!

01/02/2025

Happy New Year!
ERRS is starting 2025 on an educational note with another moment! Do you know what a controller is?
The controller is the part of the streetcar that sends electricity (600 Volts DC) from the trolley pole, through various resistors, to the motors.
Streetcars have a maximum power available, 600V, coming off the wire, which equates to the car's "full power/speed". If that were to hit the motors from standing, they would immediately start spinning at full power, then either make the car jump or motors short out, both not good things to happen. To moderate the power going to the motors, streetcars use resistor grids to burn off current before it gets to the motors, slowing them down. As the car accelerates, grids are taken out of the circuit, giving more power to the motors, before reaching full power. This is the 'cruising speed' where the motorperson keeps the controller until the car has enough momentum, before "notching off" (cutting the power) and letting the car coast. We actually spend most of our time coasting. If you watch the lights in the streetcar as you ride, you'll notice them flicker as the motors are engaged periodically to maintain speed.
These photos show the K35 controller in Edmonton 42 at Fort Edmonton. As the controller handle moves through its positions, you can see the contacts on the drum connect with tabs on the bus, connecting and disconnecting the 3 - 2 - 1- 0 resistor grids to the motors. This controller handles the 600V directly, hence the large contacts; the large finned thing to the side is an insulator that fits between each tab to prevent arcing. All these photos were taken while the car had no power, the only time it's safe to have the controller open like this.
If you read all of this, you are at least a little , and we appreciate that. Why not start something new in 2025? ERRS is looking for committed, reliable motorpersons to train up and drive streetcars with us in 2025! We are always looking for more help in Outreach and maintenance, including electrical work on the cars. check out edmontonstreetcars.ca for info!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at ERRS!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Christmas Car services at the High Level Bridge and Fort Edmonton Park . We had over 1100 people join us at HLB this December, and almost 37 000 people ride the streetcars at Fort Edmonton Park for the Yeg Christmas Market. This is phenomenal turnout, and we are so happy so many Edmontonians got to join us for a ride this holiday season. We're not the Polar Express, but we believe in the magic of the season anyways!
ERRS will have cars running again in May for our regular summer season, and in the meantime, our archives, maintenance, and restoration teams are all working away. There's lots to do before Spring!
ERRS is 100% volunteer run, and (aside from an emergency call to a snow-clearing service at HLB, where help was much appreciated!) all of the planning, maintenance, and operations for this December was done by our members. We're always happy to have new people join up and help out, including becoming motorpersons driving the streetcars (although this is a big, ongoing commitment). If you want to get involved with the streetcars in 2025, check out edmontonstreetcars.ca for info, or message us here!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12/11/2024

Get ready for more railway holiday fun!

ERRS is excited to announce that we will have our decorated streetcar, Edmonton 33, parked at our Whyte Ave stop (10254 82nd Avenue NW) tomorrow, December 12th, between 7:30pm and 9:00pm. The CPKC Holiday Train will be in town for a performance starting at 8:15, just south of our platform on the other side of Whyte Avenue!

While our streetcar will be remaining stationary for the evening, we invite you to come take a look at our decorated car and talk with some of our dedicated volunteers! If you missed out on buying tickets for our public runs, this display gives you the perfect chance to see the streetcar up close (inside and out)! It also makes for a great photo op!

For those of you who have ridden our High Level Bridge line in the past, you are most likely aware that the line used to be used by the Canadian Pacific Railway (now CPKC Railway) up until the 1970’s, and we began our regular service on it in 1997. Prior to that, the Edmonton Radial Railway and the C.P.R. shared the use of the High Level Bridge, but never any other sections of track. Though the railway crossing has since been removed from Whyte Avenue and the two lines are now seperate, the equipment that will be parked on either side represents the importance that trains (and streetcars) play in helping to deliver the Christmas and holiday spirit to all! 🎅🚂🚋

12/07/2024

Happy Holidays!
Streetcar service at Fort Edmonton Park is back and feeling festive!
ERRS is operating complementary 2-car service for the duration of Edmonton Christmas Market . Toronto 4612 and Edmonton 80 are both decorated and operating (with working heat!) for the entire market. Board the car at any of our 3 open stops (front entrance, Blatchford Hangar, and Bill's Confectionary) for a free ride on the streetcar.
Please note, food and drink are not allowed on the car, and due to the vehicle's age, accessibility is limited. Cars run roughly every 10 minutes.

11/26/2024

Christmas Market Starts this week!
is hosting their Christmas Market again this year, running Thursdays through Sundays at the park. ERRS will be operating 2 streetcars for the event, Toronto 4612 and Edmonton 80 (both with working heat!). Stop by and check out the vendors in Blatchford Hangar and elsewhere on 1920 street, and of course ride the streetcar!
Please note that the car gets very full at times, so we do not allow any food or drink on the car to avoid spills. As well, we cannot accommodate strollers, wagons, or other equipment on the car, please just bring yourself.
We'll be there every week of the market, check out yegxmasmarket.com for full details on the market, market starts this Thursday. Happy Holidays!

11/21/2024

Join ERRS and at the 2024 Winter Whyte Light Up as we get into the holiday spirit!
Winter Whyte Light Up is November 30th, from 4-8pm, with events centred on McIntyre Park and 83 Ave. Winter Whyte Light Up will feature live performers, a variety show, art displays, a festive market, and more; most importantly, it will have a streetcar!
We will be running free short-turn service for the evening, until 7:30 pm. Come take a ride on Edmonton 33, our original 1912 streetcar, all decorated for the holidays! Follow the signs to our Strathcona Platform to catch the streetcar!
Please note: rides are first come, first served. Capacity is limited, we will turn people away if the car is already full for its run. Strollers, walkers, baggage, dogs/pets, and other items cannot be accommodated. Runs are approximately 15 minutes, and not scheduled, runs will leave as the car fills. Edmonton 33 has minimal heat, please dress appropriately for the outdoor temperature.
Check out oldstrathcona.ca/holidays for more information on Winter Whyte Light Up and everything else happening in Old Strathcona this holiday season!

11/15/2024

Happy first day of snow!
ERRS is feeling extra festive with today's weather, and we have good news! Tickets to our public rides for our special High Level Bridge Christmas Car service are still available! Check out our website (edmontonstreetcars.ca) for tickets.
Speaking of frosty weather, do you know how streetcars were kept warm back in the day? While some streetcars had electric heat as well (including Edmonton #33 (pic 1 on our High Level Bridge line) and Edmonton #80 (pic 2 at Fort Edmonton Park)), all of Edmonton's fleet were equipped with coal stoves (pic 3) to provide heat. These stoves were up by the front door, and tended by motormen as they drove. They were equipped with a small electric fan to blow warm air back into the passenger area. These stoves were needed because the electric heaters drew too much power, at a time when electricity was many times more expensive than it is today. Edmonton #33 was delivered without a stove in 1912 (which is why it doesn't have one now) but a stove was added in 1913 to reduce electricity consumption. The coal stoves were a nuisance to run and maintain, as well as a huge fire hazard (ERR even lost a car to a fire started by an intended stove left burning overnight), but provided heat more cheaply than electric could at the time.
Nowadays the stoves are just for show, and we use the electric heat to keep our cars toasty warm. Come check us out at both the High Level Bridge and Fort Edmonton Park this winter. Schedules and tickets at edmontonstreetcars.ca

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween from ERRS! 🎃

In case you hadn’t heard, there was an incident on our High Level Bridge line! 😱 The evil Doctor Trolleybus tried to sabatoge one of our streetcars so that they could replace our system with buses! Luckily, Spider-Man showed up to help Motorman Harv bring the tram to a stop safely! Thank you Spider-Man!

(For legal reasons obviously this didn’t actually happen and there’s no such villain named Doctor Trolleybus even if it does seem totally plausible and if someone decides to take up that mantle they owe us royalties)

Also, Spider-Man got special permission from our society to stand on the front of the tram while it was idle. Please refrain from standing on or near railway equipment and property without permission! 🚋

10/09/2024

Christmas Car is back this year!
ERRS is excited to announce we will be running Christmas Car service on the High Level Bridge this holiday season (weather dependant), as well as providing two-car service for 's Christmas Market. This is the most festive way to ride the streetcar!
Christmas Car service on the High Level Bridge will consist of both private charters and pre-ticketed public service. We will also be doing short-turn service for 's Winter Whyte Light Up. Charters can be booked via our website starting October 15th, and public service tickets will be available starting November 1st.
Christmas Market service at Fort Edmonton Park will be complimentary as part of the event.
Please check out edmontonstreetcars.ca for full details regarding tickets, schedules, and passenger information.

08/15/2024

It's Fringe!
ERRS is excited to be running our special Fringe streetcar service this year for . Starting today until the end of Fringe, ERRS will be offering service between Jasper Plaza and Fringe HQ in Old Strathcona. Service starts at 11am every day, (9am Saturdays) and continues until 9pm, with cars running every 40 minutes. Please see the full schedule on edmontonstreetcars.ca for more details. Regular fares apply.
Please note: our service will be stopping at Fringe and will not be running to Whyte Ave or our regular Strathcona stop. This means our wheelchair ramp is also inaccessible. Fringe can be very busy, seats/space is first-come, first-serve. please do not bring wagons, strollers, or other large items on the car.
Did you know that Streetcar service on the High Level Bridge started with the Fringe? For Fringe 1995, ERRS brought Osaka 247 (pic 2) up to the bridge to ferry people to a play staged in the tunnel. This service was the start of HLB service, which first crossed the bridge as it does today in 1997. Osaka 247 is being repaired right now and won't be running this Fringe, but our other 2 cars will be out to carry on this tradition!

08/06/2024

Marigold Infrastructure Partners - Valley Line West uncovered something amazing a couple of weeks ago near the 142 Street Stop on the Valley Line West at 102 Avenue. They uncovered, in-situ, the 102 Ave streetcar line!
The 102 Ave stub line opened in the fall of 1913 to provide streetcar service to the planned neighbourhood of Glenora. Masterminded by financier James Carruthers, the neighbourhood was to be the finest in the city, with streetcar service secured by Carruthers via the bridge he paid to build over Groat Ravine. The line is identified as “A” on the 1930 map.
Unlike the popular line on nearby 124 Street, the 102 Ave stub was never well-ridden. Thanks to the economic strife brought on by WW1 and the local doldrums of the 1920’s, Glenora had not been built out to its full extent. Even by the end of the 1920’s, most of the land was still uncleared brush and forest, interspersed with grand houses facing the trees. This was not an ideal place for a streetcar, with long distances on rough track serving few local riders. In 1932, streetcar service on the 102 Ave line ended, replaced by Edmonton’s first (rather small) gas bus.
102 Ave would become key for transit later on, however. After WW2, the little gas bus was replaced by a trolleybus, running out to the then- city limit of 149 Street. This bus would provide service to Jasper Place, and was very well-used. This is the “trolley” most people now associate with 102 Ave.
The Valley Line arriving at 142 Street is special - aside from Jasper Ave, this is the only place where Edmonton’s modern LRT runs along an old streetcar route, (124 Street, Quarters, etc. are just crossings). Ironically, it’s running along ERR’s least used stub! We know VLW will be a lot more successful.
ERRS would like to thank Marigold Infrastructure Partners and City of Edmonton - Local Government for donating 7 rail spikes to our archive, the only verified ERR rail spikes in our collection, as well as their crews for putting up with us taking photos! Please note the area is an active construction site, and the ties are now gone; there is no need to trespass to see the tracks.

07/25/2024

With only four days left at this year, now is your chance to visit the display in Hall B of the EXPO Centre. The folks at ETS put together a wonderful display that takes you through the history of public transit in Edmonton. Among the artifacts displayed, you’ll find a few items, pictures, and maps that were borrowed from our own archives! We also have an ERRS volunteer onsite to help answer any history questions from the days of streetcars in Edmonton, so be sure to stop by! 🚋

06/27/2024

It's almost Canada Day! We hope to see you on one of our streetcars this weekend. Below is some info for anyone planning to ride!
Fort Edmonton Park line: ERRS will be operating regular service all weekend, with our Edmonton cars. Stop by the park for Dominion Day July 1st!
High Level Bridge line: we will be providing 2-car service on Saturday and Monday, following our regular 2-car service schedule (Monday service will begin at 11:00). Please note the last run of the day departs Whyte Ave Northbound at 3:30pm both days. There will be no streetcar service on the bridge during the fireworks display, as the bridge is closed during the show. ERRS will be running Edmonton 33 in regular passenger service on Canada Day, alongside Melbourne 930.
Please note none of our cars on either line can accommodate strollers, walkers, or wagons. ERRS has to adhere to passenger capacities and will turn away passengers if the car is too full; arrive at your stop early to ensure you get a seat. Bridge only: Fares are cash only, tickets purchased at the car before boarding.
For more info, check out edmontonstreetcars.ca or message us here. It's going to be a great weekend!

06/26/2024

ERRS is so proud of the Edmonton Oilers for the journey that they took us all on. Our city had the worldwide spotlight, and we showed what a strong community we have. It was fun to have our streetcars displaying Oilers pride on both of our lines, and we look forward to next season!

Historically, the Edmonton Radial Railway employees had a hockey team of their own! While not much is known about the team or how long it lasted, featured is a picture courtesy of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local-569 that shows the players of the 1944-45 season posing for a picture.

06/15/2024

ERRS was honoured last Friday to receive and Award from Explore Edmonton at their 2024 Edmonton Tourism Awards. ERRS was acknowledged for our sustainable operations, being 100% electrically powered. We're also proud to be a part of an Old Strathcona Hat Trick, with
and winning awards alongside us.
ERRS moved almost 60,000 people across the High Level Bridge last season, sharing the views from the bridge as well as local history to thousands of Edmontonians and visitors. All of our cars are electric, with 600 Volts DC coming off the wire and powering the traction system, as well as the compressors for our air brakes.
ERRS is operating across the High Level Bridge all summer, until Thanksgiving. Check our website for schedules and fares.
Thank you Edmonton for joining us on the bridge!

06/02/2024

One of our secrets to success on the High Level Bridge line is our outreach and ticketseller team. Working at both our Whyte Ave and Strathcona stops on most Saturdays and during busy weekends, our ticketsellers are a huge part of the ERRS HLB passenger experience, and a huge help in getting us through busy days. Every motorperson who’s driven on a Saturday has had a late run been saved by our wonderful ticketseller and outreach teams having passengers all ticketed and ready to board. They’re a lifesaver on a busy day!
Although we appreciate our ticketsellers, pre-selling tickets to the car before passengers board is not historically accurate; the Edmonton Radial Railway originally only sold tickets while on the cars. Conductors moved through the cars, collecting coin fares and tickets from passengers after they had boarded. ERR experimented with a variety of boarding and ticketing setups, notably including rear entry Pay-As-You-Enter, where the conductor would wait in the rear vestibule and collect tickets from people as they boarded; passengers would then exit the car at the front at the motorman’s door. Edmonton 33`131 is set up to be operated like this. Entering at the front and paying your fare to the driver (like on a modern bus) didn’t become normal until ERR transitioned to one-man cars in the late 1920s. All that being said, we think having our ticketsellers at the platform to help people before the car arrives is a much better modern option!
Tickets can be purchased both from our ticketsellers and from motorpersons on the car. Tickets are cash only; 8$ round trip and 5$ one way. You can check our website for full fares and schedules; or, better option, stop by and talk to one of our friendly ticketsellers the next time you’re in Old Strathcona!

05/16/2024

ARE YOU READY FOR STREETCAR?!
(Sorry for the bad grammar, we’re just really excited)
Streetcar service starts on the High Level Bridge tomorrow, and at Fort Edmonton on Saturday.
Our maintenance volunteers have been working overtime to get all our cars ready, (930 is ready right in the nick of time!) Volunteers doing car cleaning and ROW maintenance have been working hard to get ready; and our outreach & ticket seller teams are ready for a busy weekend. It’s going to be great!
To Help Fort Edmonton Celebrate 50 years, ERRS will be running a special second car service on May 18, with Edmonton 42 running all day, and Edmonton 80 from 10:00-12:00, Edmonton 1 from 12:30 -14:30, and Toronto 24 from 15:00-17:00.
Important notes for the High Level Bridge line:
Space on the car is first-come, first serve. We have strict passenger limits on our cars and will have people wait for the next run if we are full. Ticketholders on a return trip do not get priority over people already on the car. Get to your stop early to ensure you can ride.
Times on our schedule are departure times, meaning that is when the car pulls away from the stop. Please be at least 5 minutes early to your stop to ensure you catch us.
Strollers, bikes, walkers, etc do not fit safely on the cars and won’t be permitted. Storage is available at our Whyte Ave platform for those doing a round trip.
Tickets can be bought from ticketsellers and motorpersons on the car, CASH ONLY. For fares please see our website.
Fort Edmonton Park:
Due to their age and design, our cars cannot fit strollers, wagons, walkers, etc. These items will not be permitted on the car.
Come on down and see us this weekend, the best part of a streetcar ride is the passengers! Happy Summer!

Edmonton Radial Railway Society

01/17/2025

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