What's LEFT of the Vancouver STREETCAR
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- Have you seen any of these hidden remains of the streetcars in Vancouver, Burnaby or New Westminster?
Let me know in the comments if I missed any.
A BIG THANKS to the everyone who helps to keep these historic stories alive:
BCER Map by Robert White: maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer/
Burnaby Village Museum: www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca
City of Vancouver Archives: vancouver.ca/your-government/...
Transit Museum Society: transitmuseumsociety.org/wp/
Join the channel to support the channel and gain early access to videos and BONUS behind-the-scenes content: / @downielive
Instagram: @DownieLive
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Downtown Depot
0:45 - Downtown Substation
1:10 - Old Georgia-Harris Viaduct
1:45 - Difference between a Streetcar and Interurban Car
2:18 - Original Vancouver Streetcar
2:41 - Roads made of wood blocks
3:12 - Frances St. cobblestone
3:48 - Interurban car
4:43 - Lakeview Station
5:29 - Out to Burnaby
6:18 - Vorce Station
7:00 - New Westminster Depot
7:16 - Rails to Rubber - Heritage buses
The gear I use every day: www.amazon.com/shop/downielive
All music by Epidemic Sound - FREE 30 Day Trial for you here: mbsy.co/epidemicsound/DownieLive
Edited by: @MattMort
Dude at this point Downie Live should be a municipally funded... Great video my guy. 🙋🏻♂️👍🏻
He should be made Honorary Ambassador for GVRD!
Bahahaha 😂.
@@DownieLive Have you considered a history vid on Vancouver's neon signage past that was second only to Las Vegas?
@@michaeldowson6988 I believe it was second only to Shanghai. Isn't most of the Las Vegas signage light bulbs, rather than neon?
@@michaeldowson6988 And, yes, agreed! Those signs are still amazing. Many are still preserved in the collection of the Museum of Vancouver.
They still ran those fishbowl buses with those seats in the early 90s with BC Transit livery. I remember having to manually push the rear door open.
I remember the rear doors of these buses (single rear door fishbowls) being manually push open as the doors were not motorized, just spring loaded to close. The fishbowls with the dual real doors were step on the top step to open the door, much like the high floor accessible buses. Does anyone remember it?
The BCER became what we know today as BC Hydro. While the Burnaby Lakes line was certainly an important part of the interurban system, the largest and most used part of the system was downtown Vancouver to New Westminster along the route of what is now the Skytrain Expo line and then through the Fraser Valley to Chilliwack. The BCER was responsible for the electrification of the Fraser Valley and connected the various communities it served to Vancouver beginning in 1910... long before motor vehicles were popular and road networks existed. Almost the entirety of the track between New Westminster and Chilliwack is still in use for freight service by the Southern Railway of BC.
Fantastic, I love finding the hidden remnants of old public transport infrastructure! When the main road by my house was dug up for repairs a few years ago, it turned out the *old* tram [streetcar] rails were still in place down there, as well as all the cobblestones, under the layers of asphalt!
Interurban line ran all the way to Chilliwack! I believe those rails are 100% still there and operational by a freight line. The tracks between Abbotsford and Chilliwack are awkwardly perched up the side of a hill because there used to be a lake in the way, which has since been drained and is now the Sumas Prairie. There's a neat old powerhouse at Vye and Powerhouse Rd, which has been converted into a house and is currently for sale for the small sum of 3.5 million
Those two tone teal buses are flash back to being an 80s kid. They were still running strong then
The entire BCER network was standard gauge. What you call an "interurban" was referred to locals as a "tram". The Georgia Viaduct was so poorly constructed it couldn't hold the weight of the poles holding the overhead wires. In fact, they removed every second light post and braced the structure underneath to try to keep it stable.
Born in Toronto so there have always been streetcars. My father drove everywhere but when he took me somewhere special like the CNE or our once a year trip downtown before Christmas to see all the new toys we took the streetcar. Thank you, might be wrong city but many happy memories.
Omg this nerd content is my absolute favorite. So cool to see all of this!
RIGHT?!! It's so fun! Thanks Alyssa!
Mike is a legend
What a travel in time. Amazing to see how the town has evolved in a century and the work of restoration is more than beautiful. Every day you walk and see a wall, an arch, and thanks to those videos you can imagine the people and the life behind, and then get more involved in the development of your city. NW, I used to see this place just thinking it was a piece of art by the architect. Excellent job Mike!!
Couldn't agree more!
Crazy how that cobblestone street is still probably a calmer drive than on Quebec roads😂
Are you referring to Quebec St. in Vancouver, between 4th and 5th? That stretch would leave astronauts who've driven on the moon shouting, "WTF?"
@@pitcat1376 i think they probably mean actually old Québec City streets, which are mostly cobblestone.
And calmer still than a drive on highway 1 in Vancouver...
@@person-yu8cu probably!
It can be an bumpy ride to the Vespa shop on the corner of Frances and Clark.
Wicked cool content!! Love the history and "where it used to be" stuff. Looking forward to next week's video!!
3, 6, 9, the goose drank wine, the monkey chewed tobacco on the streetcar line, the line broke, the monkey got choked and they all flew to heaven in a little row boat, clap hands.
I wonder how many variations of that exist. Every time I see a streetcar, this skipping or clapping rhyme pops into my head.
Thanks for another great video, Michael! That was fun!
Your videos are so good. I think that the City of Vancouver or Metro Vancouver need to make you their official “Historical TH-camr for the Modern Era”! 👊
Your videos have always been great but have especially enjoyed your videos around Metro Vancouver and how you mix the history with the modern day!
Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing what you do once you can travel more in BC in a few weeks!
For the amount of research and effort that goes into each of these videos and for the art of keeping it interesting through and through , salute you Mike !
Full Speed ahead 🔥
Thank you, Athul
As an English bus enthusiast I just loved this video Mike, nice to see so much has been preserved as it is in this country.
Great video! History like that is priceless! Some of the cities in upstate New York still have brick paving under the surface pavement as well as trolley tracks. Years back there used to be a trolley that ran from downtown Syracuse out to Lower South Bay on Oneida Lake where steamboats would take the city folk to their summer or weekend homes. Absolutely love the way you get into the history of your area and travels! Thank you for the video!
This is amazing. I live in Vancouver and its sod neat to see how the city has changed over the years. Thanks for bringing this to light!
My pleasure, Alex. Thanks for watching!
Mike, I'm 67 years old. I live in Indiana, but when I was 10, I used to ride a train to Detroit to visit my grandmother. The DSR (Detroit Street Railways) had those same 1964 buses that I rode all the time in Detroit, whether to Tiger Stadium to watch a baseball game or whatever shopping needed to be done. Good memories.
When I was a kid I rode on the Brill buses in the mid 1960s and it cost 10 cents to ride from King Edward Ave to Seymour Street downtown, I also remember driving with my parents across the old Georgia Viaduct many times in the 1960s. To get onto First Ave. to go east there was a loop to the right off Main Street where Science World is now. It was all industrial factories and rail yards there at that time.
I remember being on them via the special runs to Hastings Park that ran during the Pacific National Exhibition. My family would come over from the Island to the fair and by the time we got there you had to park your vehicle some distance from the gates so the electric trolley was taken. The old round light fixtures, the little pockets where the Buzzer pamphlets were and most fascinating to me was the doors. Each side was made of four folding panels for a total of eight per doorway that would rattle and bang open or closed with what seemed like lightening speed. Over the back exit door was a green lens which when illuminate meant that the drive had unlocked and powered them up but you still had to step down upon the first step for a switch in the mat to open your half of the door. And the driver could choose at the front to open both halves of the front door or only one. They seemed like they were extra wide too. But the speed and rattle ending with a bang when they stopped is something I probably will not forget.
@@rabbytca I remember that... I think there was also a wooden gate that had to be pushed open before stepping onto that first stair.
@@althunder4269 Yes, I used to take the Arbutus or Dunbar Brills from Granville Street and there were low gates you pushed through before stepping down the first step to exit the rear doors.
Would have been nice to get a closeup of the Canadian Car & Foundry builder's plate on the dash of the Brill. You catch a glimpse of it at 11:36.
Great video. Love transit history. I walked the old interurban burnaby lake line right-of-way last year. A chunk is hidden in the bush off north rd
Where many TH-camrs have failed to create good content during the pandemic, you’ve really upped your game. Like mini documentaries. Way to go dude!
Thanks so much!
Wow! You still have spaghetti warehouses, as far as I know they have all closed in north Texas, permanently. But I do remember them having street cars or trolleys or whatever they were called in this area in the middle of the dining room. Not sure if they were authentic like yours, but it had the same mystique
There was a Spaghetti Warehouse in Columbus, Ohio, when I was in grad school years ago but I haven’t seen one in a VERY long time. That was a treat.
No. We have The Old Spaghetti Factory. Similar, but it's a different franchise. And there are tons left around north America; primary in the west.
You should also look at the inter urban line that went to Chilliwack. Lots of old cool power stations on the way.
I love those old, boxy streetcars with all the shiny woodwork inside. With the different "rooms" they're like a small flat on wheels. The 1950s bus was super modern for its day with that bright, very 50s turquoise blue and in a hip two-tone design. A lot of 50s cars were two-toned and would have looked so cool compared to dull, single-color pre-war cars.
Awesome! Your rail videos are always my favorites. (And your cartwheels always make me laugh!) Thanks for all your hard work and your enthusiasm. It’s infectious. Love your videos!
This has been one of my fav vids you've shared. Good to see you featured Angus. I got to pass a few hours with him and some other heritage buffs sharing stories at the Billy Bishop Legion in Kits.
Man Mike what an AWESOME vid. I love these vids cant wait for next week feels like im there with u on each vid. Thanx again and we will be with u on each and every vid u make 😁😁😁
Just wanted to mention, that about a few months ago I actually went up to Vancouver! Was in Spring Break so... I couldn't see the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway with all the BCER interurbans, but I actually followed yer video and got to see some of the BCER's city lines for myself. Hell, I went to Steveston purely because of your video!
That old viaduct approach sure looks like its in a sketchy area, but I'm probably wrong because I visited at the dead a night. Not to mention that cobblestone street! It was pretty common for streetcar lines to line their rails in the street with basalt blocks, so that paving didnt interfere with their rails, though more or less up there it was either cobblestone, basalt, or in the later years, just a concrete block inbetween the rails.
Thanks for your video! I hope to come back up one day to finally complete my B.C. interurban mission.
Mike, I'm watching from Melbourne, Australia, and I keep coming back to your channel because I love your passion for what you do and your clear love for your city! Thanks for sharing, keep it up. You make me want to visit Vancouver again!
Mike - Thank you for that great tour. I remember going to downtown Vancouver from 18th & Main on the streetcar
with my Mum. Brings back so many memories. I was born & raised in Vancouveri in 1943. 🤗
Very cool!
Really loving these glimpses into local history from your videos. Have you done a video about the Marine building or the Hotel Vancouver? Would love to know more about those iconic buildings if they'll grant you access.
Love the old bus! Angus rocks! He's even dressed in matching colors to the bus! ❤ i always sit at the back of the bus lol
Very very very cool history with DownieLive.. :) Can't wait for next week.
I’ve watched most of your videos but I think this one is the best! Keep Up the great work Mike I’m sure other Vancouverites, especially those born and raised here, will enjoy these videos as much as I did.
Two minutes in and I'm already enthralled by the information.
Half way through, and I'm feeling thankfully elated.
So, thank you! I really enjoy this type of history info.
You're so welcome!
This video is MINT! Definitely a well-edited, thoroughly-researched GEM of a clip, so thanks for doing it.
I personally am addicted to Vancouver's rich history, especially old footage taken from cameras mounted on the front of those old street cars.
I live just a stone's throw away from the old BCE station that's adjacent to the Dunsmuir viaduct.
But I had no idea of the history of that vacant lot beside it that's at the beginning of the video. I'm gonna have to go for a walk later today and look for the tracks that are still there. I've been there too many times to even bother making an estimate, yet I've never noticed them before.
Do more clips like this one! Vancouver's history is fascinating so thanks again.
The plan is for more videos like this, Randy. Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you find the tracks!
Your dad stopped by Crossbuck Park (16/Arbutus) and asked me to look at your video. I did. It’s great. Some notes of interest for you - the mileage signs you see on the ends of the instrument cases at level crossings are in fact the distance in miles from where trains crossed to this side of False Creek. There are (were) 17 of these cases along the Greenway. They contain the switch gear, voltage rectifier circuits and batteries to control bells and flashing lights at level crossings. They were left behind after the rails were pulled up in 2016. Badly vandalized and graffitied they are now all brightly painted. That was, and continues to be, my contribution to adding art to the Greenway, and it is done with permission of the City Project Management in charge of maintenance on the Greenway.
This is awesome, Mike. Just found your channel and love your topics and style of Vancouver videos. They avoid the typical shallow content of rehashed places/things to do and give me a new perspective on a city that I've lived in for a while now.
That's the idea! Glad you enjoy it Dane. Thanks for the kind feedback.
When I was a child (about 3 or 4 years old) I remembering wanting to get on a street car in Vancouver. We lived out in Deep Cove and there were no street cars out there. After much persuasion I got my ride, not far but I got my ride. Thank you for your post for jarring my old brain pan.
Thank you for all your videos on this Channel. You’re a great presenter, and the content is Interesting as Hell. I first found you while looking for Motorcycle videos of BC. You and your Sister were travelling together and they were great inspiration. I’ve stuck with the Channel ever since, and it came along in time for Covid, which helped to see my City in new and safe ways. Keep it up my Friend and hope to ( accidentally ), run into you out there.
Thanks so much, James. That means a lot. I put a lot of time into the videos and the channel, so I really appreciate the ongoing support, and I'm happy I can help show you the city in a new light.
Totally love all the videos, always fun and Mike’s great to watch, a great ambassador to Canada. Keep up the excellent work Mike, look forward to your next videos! ❤️
Love this one, im a city bus driver and awesome history and preservation , Thumbs Up to keep history alive in Transit! Great Presentation !Thanks for Your Great Work! :-)
That cartwheel was worth the price of admission. Another dam good video!
Hahaha, thanks Ira!
Awesome video! Can’t wait for the next one! Love your energy and enthusiasm!
As always, a great video, fantastic editing and abounding enthusiasm....a wonderful way to start the day, thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome vid - finally got some answers about those random things I've driven/ridden/walked over for years!
That was so cool Michael 😎 Thanks so much for a great start to the weekend 👍 I'll be sharing this with my Mom, she was born in Vancouver in 1947 and has talked fondly of riding the streetcars as a kid . She'll love this ❤
Wonderful Gina! 😀
Glad you got a chance to see some of the vintage buses. I was part of the group that did the update to the TV and audio in the rear. Also for the streetcars, there is a section of rail at the south end of the Granville bridge by 4th ave.
Yep, it's in tomorrow's video!
Very cool ! Thanks for the always great video !
Public transit history is so fascinating! Thanks for documenting this Mike!
Awesome Vancouver content as usual. Can't wait for next week's video. 😁
History, civil engineering, cars, heritage, DownieLive, all of my favorite things came together! Thank you for such fantastic collection, organization and presentation !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video! It’s fascinating to see the remnants of history that haven’t been completely removed/paved over. And it’s a great insight into Vancouver’s history.
It’s interesting that some cities kept their trams (ex. Toronto and my original hometown, Melbourne) whereas others rushed to “modernize” and switch to buses, such as Montreal (my present hometown). However Montreal is now building, at considerable expense, a light rail system...so it will be back to having some trams!
Well said!
Those older buses had actual cushioned seats - with my boney build, the last time my butt was able to comfortably ride public transit was up until they retired them in the early/mid 70s.
Ahh I loved this! I remember those buses!! Holy mackerel what a blast from the past. And a friend literally lived in that intersection on Frances St so I have driven over those cobbles. Not a smooth ride, no, lol. "Welcome to my antique road," she used to say :D
This was such a cool video! I absolutely love knowing the history of the streetcars! It's great when you can put together an informational tour like this! Brilliant!
I totally agree!
This was insanely fascinating... thank you for putting this together! Subscribed!
Mike, I've never been to Canada. I've always wanted to visit the country, and your videos have put Canada (particularly Vancouver) on my bucket list for future travel 😀
Hey I just wanted to say thanks for your enthusiams and posting all these videos....I teach Urban Planning in high school and always show your clips...great info and knowledge and the kids like that you are young and interested in all of these! Keep posting and thank you!!
Wow! That is awesome! Thanks Sergio!
I absolutely adore this. As a transit geek and a huge bus advocate, I love to see this kind of stuff. With so much constant bickering in the modern era for rail over buses or buses over rail, it is always a good idea to read through and look at the history of each, and then consider all the differences between them, and how incredibly different they are from each other.
Rail can be logical and good in certain circumstances, however Buses ultimately won out not only because of the big motorvehicle corporations and oil companies with their monopolies, but also because buses simply wound up making more sense in the end in most locations in North America. I'd argue now more than ever for city and suburban transit, aka local lines, buses are THE best option of all forms of transit, and also definitely are the future of local city mass transit in North America. We just need to implement and update the bus systems to be right, to full BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) systems, with dedicated lanes, priority at all intersections alongside pedestrians, and of course large fines and possible impounding of vehicles/suspension of licenses if a driver violates the law by driving in a bus lane. People would be surprised and some even shocked in pure disbelief at how effective, rapid, consistent and easy it is to have full BRT systems running across and through all our Metro areas in NA.
There is a negative stigma toward mass transit and those who use it, and a fair portion, especially in the US is rightfully deserved, and I say this as a transit reliant rider in Oregon. But it is how the systems are planned, implemented and run that truly is how and why those stigmas have came to be. If instead they had created the bus systems and entire transit systems here with diligence and care, the negative stigmas likely would have never been as universal and severe as they are today, as BRT would be the norm, and thus frequent, consistent runs without traffic issues would have been the norm, with likely endlessly higher consistent ridership across each system than ever has been in our timeline and reality here, as many people who've became motorists due to the country's reliance on them to get around would have instead naturally opted to use the transit system instead as it would be far quicker, cheaper and more efficient to get around.
So it is this kind of curiosity and content that gives extra context and perspectives to people who may not have otherwise learned and realized how the continent's norms surrounding commuting and transit came to be, as well as what it was before we collectively car-centric and freeways and highways popped up all of the place. We need more it out there for sure. Can't wait until next weeks continuation of this focus!
Very interesting and very entertaining. Insights like these make Vancouver still very high on my bucket list.
Great to hear! The border is almost open...
🤙. Fascinating content as always, Mike. I really loved your face bopping along the train lines! 😂
Hahaha. Thanks Jack!
Amazing video Mike! So cool learning about BC through your videos! Keep up the amazing work. Always look forward to your videos.
I love finding little nuggets of history like these. I've been using your videos to make a list of places to see and things to do once the border reopens. I'm definitely adding these to the list and I can't wait to find more places next week to add.
That is awesome!
Another Saturday video delight👏Interesting & informative as always. Thank you Mike
Glad to see the Inter Urban at BVM is indoors. It was outside deteriorating for the longest time between the restaurant and the Seaforth School house, which I had something to do with in the restoration process. Painting woodgrains on damaged oak when working with Ed Wheatley, Bill Friday, our supervisor, and Eric whose last name I have forgotten.
Great video! Very educational and fun to watch!
What an amazing look back at the history of Vancouver’s streetcars.Love those old buses also.
Another incredible video from you Mike!
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome Mike! Thanks for doing the research and sharing, that was cool. Look forward to more of this!
Thanks James!
Thanks for the transit history lesson! Loved the look of those old buses and streetcars. Keep up the great work Mike!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job in doing all the research on our transit History.
Great video again Mike. Love the history
it's incredible how passionate you are when presenting to us various topics, no matter what they are, you don't lose authentic enthusiasm. another great video!
Wow, thank you!
Very interesting video. The amount of research that you do is much appreciated. It is easy to see that you love what you do. Great job!
This was super cool and interesting to watch. Never knew any of these existed. Thanks for bringing us this video. It was a joy to watch.
Great video as always Mike. The historical footage was fun to see and Im glad to see the old buses are being preserved 👍
I love streetcars 🤓 the floating Mike head is a nice cheeky touch 😏✌🏽
Haha. That was all Matt's (editor) magic work. 👍🏼
Great video Mike! 👌🏾
You make me fall in love with this city over and over :)
thank you for this! :D
Mike, if you've noticed a sudden spike in your viewership...It's my six year old. He is obsessed with trains/streetcars and has been watching your videos incessantly. We got hooked on your channel after we saw your video of the Caledonian Train that you took from Glasgow to London. We will be going to Scotland next year and a LOVE anything to do with trains. Keep up the good work. We love your videos.
That is awesome! Lucky for him (and you), I might just have some more train videos coming later this summer 😉
Awesome video, love these Vancouver videos about our history. You put so much effort into them and it shows. Thank you!
I'm glad you appreciate the effort. Thanks Jared.
Love it, great one. Grave bien, merci 😊
Wow great video and editing. Love the history you dig into. I'm a new fan. Cheers Sam
Awesome, thank you!
And Toronto still HAS streetcars! At least it did when I lived there 10 years ago
Cartwheel and transit information? Wow! I love watching videos of old and new transit - great job.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Loving these interesting vids. I really need to venture out more around the lower mainland.
Another awesome and super informative video - thanks Mike!!
You bet Jamie! Thanks for the kind comment as always!
Enjoyed this very much! ☀️
Just visited this museum, really fun to see,
And would love to have this streetcar back, then again, the skytrain is pretty great too
Always loved the railcars in the Old Spaghetti Factory(s) .Cincinnati founded in 1788 has remnants of cobblestone and some brick streets with the remnants of rails from transports of the past. We now have a new electric trolley on rails with overhead electric power in the wires. I was first aware of the electric buses in Seattle when I was a kid. This all fascinates me and as usual, I love to see and always learn when you take us with you. Mike, thanks. I appreciate you.
Thanks for the info Pete. I'll have to go visit Cincinnati. Thanks for the comment!
Great video. 👍. I've always been fascinated by rail transport as well as learning how life used to be.
That's a great video sir, thanks so much. 😊👍
Great job! Very very well done, my friend.
Wow so much history great video downie 👍 amazing.
Thanks 👍
Nice. I've been working right across the road from the burnaby village museum during an internship two years ago. Beautiful area :D
Another great episode Mike! I love your energy. Looking forward to next Saturday’s trip to Steveston.
Me too!!
Awesome video. Thanks for making!
You bet!
What a great video. Thank you!