2010-07-04

MTM: Edmonton High Level Street Car (corrected)

It has been awhile since I've done one of these, But I vaguely remember mentioning the High Level Street Car in one of my other posts. We finally got around to taking a ride on it a couple of weeks ago and I even had my camera along!


The Edmonton Radial Rail Society has put in thousands of volunteer hours yearly to restore and locate cars. They run on a short section of track from Strathcona to Jasper Avenue as well as in Fort Edmonton Park. We took the run over the High Level Bridge and I can see we will have to go to Ft. Edmonton Park as well. That will be at least two posts worth too ;)

This is where we start, just behind the the bus barns and Museum. Click any photo to enlarge.





Here comes the Street Car.






Hmm, seems a little modern and plastic!





Is that German?



Yes, it sure is! This is the car from Hanover, Germany!
The trip is about the ride anyway.




Approaching the tunnel that runs under 109 St and some apartment buildings!



Once out of the tunnel you can almost believe you have left the city behind.




But no...there it is, just hidden behind trees.


To the East is our ball diamond, yes, we have a team... um... Edmonton Capitals (forgive me they were the Cracker Cats two years ago and I don't follow the sport) and they belong to the Golden League.
Oops! This is Kinsmen field on the South side of the river (hard to tell in the little photo). The diamond (Telus Field)for the Capitals would be behind the Rossdale plant.

This is the view to the West from the bridge.




This is the Rossdale Power Plant (it seems they are decommissioning it) and the Walterdale bridge which the locals call the 5th street bridge - because we're too lazy to say one hundred and 5th.


The dome of our Legislature building and a few of our high rises.




Picking up a passenger at the Grandin stop.







The end of the line....Jasper Avenue, surrounded by Apartments and office towers.



For $4.00 you can stay down town all day and take the street car back in the late afternoon...cheaper by far than the daily fare for regular transit - if you live near the Strathcona terminal. Regular transit is $2.75 and you get a 90 minute transfer.


Southbound for the return trip you can see the bridge for the LRT and in the background residences and other buildings (hospital) for the U of Alberta.


Oh, look! The LRT! Which to be honest I didn't even notice until I processed the photos... it probably beat us to the other side of the river. Behind that is the Royal Glenora Club and Victoria Park and behind that are residential high rises.



MTM  is being hosted by Clare2e from Women of Mystery and it even has it's own blog now...My town Monday.

Have a good day all.

20 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

Reb, that was a wonderful trip. Great pics. Thanks for the ride.

Reb said...

Leah, glad you enjoyed it ;)

messymimi said...

Wonderful! For old time's sake, I'll have to make a trip to New Orleans and ride a streetcar again, like I did when I was a girl.

Reb said...

Messymimi, it was fun... you should and then do a post for us all.

Barrie said...

How interesting that we both did transit MTM posts!!! Love your photos. And I enjoyed "visiting" Edmonton again!

David Cranmer said...

I've always enjoyed riding in street cars. There's an old romance to them that you also find in trains. Great post and pics!

Reb said...

Barrie, ha timing is everything ;) I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.

David, thanks. Yes, I was a bit disappointed at the newness of the car, but the trip was worth it.

Barbara Martin said...

Nice photos, Reb. Reminded me when CPR still ran the dayliner from the north side to Strathcona and down to Calgary. More expensive than the Greyhound Bus but worth it.

Reb said...

Barbara, I would prefer the train over the bus any day!

Clare2e said...

I'm a train girl myself!

Reb said...

Clare, I've only been on a train once! I don't count the LRT.

Dianne said...

I really enjoyed this trip :)

I love the shot going into the tunnel

Reb said...

Thanks Dianne, I enjoyed it too.

Janet said...

That tunnel is pretty cool!

Reb said...

Thanks Janet.

the Bag Lady said...

Great fun, sis! I can scarcely remember, but when we lived in Edmonton, and I was in kindergarten, our class took a field trip on the train. Crossing the river is the one thing that remains in my mind (and probably the reason I'm afraid of bridges to this day! It was so-o-o high!!)
Lovely photos, and I am looking forward to your visit to Ft. Edmonton Park!

Reb said...

Thanks Sis. I remember a short trip on a train where we crossed a bridge, then went backwards back to where we started....was I with you, or was that a different trip? I think that is why I hate riding backwards on the LRT!

Scott Oglesby said...

Wow that is such a beautiful ride! And I love the premise of taking photos every few miles of a trip. I’ve done it myself with my morning jog... when I’m not being lazy that is.

Edmonton looks beautiful, and I see it does get sunny occasionally!

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I feel honored to have been taken on the ride with you! Thanks, Reb. :)
I rode the sky train in Vancouver, B.C., back in 1986 when I was there for Expo (and visiting my step-cousin).
I might have to make a trip into Washington, DC, on the Metro and blog it... sometime after this heat wave is a distant memory.

Reb said...

Thanks Scott. I do that all the time...photos while taking a trip that is. Edm gets an incredible amount of sun - all year round!

Karen, it was a pleasure to have you along :) I would love to see that, but, yes, after the heat wave is over.