Calgary Transit history

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Calgary Transit history

Postby newsposter » Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:14 am

updated July 2010 see below

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David Finch article on Calgary's historic streetcar system, linking it to today's transportation system. Herald Nov 18 2007

"Electric streetcars solved problems in city's 1909 boom"

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/sto ... 59d0286f5e
Last edited by newsposter on Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:56 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Postby newsposter » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:47 pm

Note that 2009 is the centennial of the Calgary Transit - originally the Calgary Municipal Railway. The first run was July 5, 2009.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/about_ct.html
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Postby newsposter » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:51 pm

The City is digging up 1.2km of historic streetcar tracks that were long ago buried under the asphalt of 16th Avenue NW as part of road work. Some of the track will be preserved for posterity. Full story below:

Calgary Herald April 9 2009 - City to dig up historic tracks

(note, link no longer works - story posted below)
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Travel/Cit ... story.html

City to dig up historic tracks
Streetcar rails to make way for 16th Ave. revamp

By James Jeffrey, Calgary Herald April 9, 2009 3:02 AM

The railway for an electric streetcar system that began in Calgary 100 years ago is finally going to be dug up.

The city had a population of 30,0000 when the Calgary Electric Railway began with 25 kilometres of track and 12 streetcars. The rails for the Crescent Heights line became part of the roadbed for 16th Avenue N. when it was first paved.

In the 1940s, the transit system was modernized and the streetcars were phased out, with the last regular streetcar run in 1950.

The streetcars were replaced by buses and electric trolleys, deemed to be more flexible for a growing city.

The last streetcar was restored and moved to Heritage Park, where it still operates today.

Now, the only evidence of the Crescent Heights railway exists in the form of cracks in the road between 9th and 4th streets N. W., and 1st Street N. E. and Centre Street.

"As (the railway) gets compacted under the pavement, it creates these thin cracks," said David Danchuk, city transportation spokesman.

He said some of the 1.2 kilometres of rail will be preserved, given to Heritage Park or interested museums.

The removal is part of the city's $80-million plan to improve 16th Avenue N.,which is being widened to six lanes.

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Last edited by newsposter on Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby newsposter » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:14 pm

2009 was the 100th Anniversary of Calgary Transit - originally the Calgary Municipal Railway - and now there are two books out about the history of our transit system.

Calgary Transit has produced "Calgary Transit: A Centennial History", written by well-known historian and author Harry Sanders. It comes with a companion book, "Calgary Transit A Moment In Time" that profiles CT today. It can be purchased at CT offices and online. For more information click the link: http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/ct_books_2009.html

Another new book is "Calgary's Electric Transit: An Illustrated History of Electrified Public Transportation in Canada's Oil Capital: Streetcars, Trolley Buses, and Light Rail Vehicles", which kind of says it all. By Colin K. Hatcher and Tom Schwarzkopf. Hatcher is also the author of "Stampede City Streetcars", produced in 1975 for Calgary's centennial. It is a bit more technical than Harry's book. It is on the shelves in a number of bookstores around town. Here is a link to more information from the publisher (you have to paste the whole link into a browser for it to work - apostrophe in the url seems to block direct linking): www.railfare.net/Calgary'sElectricTransit.html

ImageImage
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Postby newsposter » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:54 pm

You can still ride a genuine Calgary streetcar at Heritage Park:

All aboard for Heritage Park streetcar ride through history
Calgary Herald May 20, 2010

Historic streetcars are riding the rails once again at Heritage Park. The century-old streetcar No. 14 and its companion, streetcar No. 15, were put back in action Wednesday, shuttling park patrons to and from the main gates. No. 14 is one of Calgary's original streetcars. In its service for the city decades ago, it used to carry riders from the downtown to Bowness, then a separate community...

Read more:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/abo ... story.html
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