Rollsigns from Edmonton, AB |
Public transportation in Edmonton began in the 1890s with an omnibus service called "Edmonton Bus Line" that connected Edmonton to the train station at South Edmonton (now known as Strathcona). This service was timed to match up with the arrivals and departures of passenger trains. Other omnibus operators tried to compete, but the services eventually discontinued. The Edmonton, Yukon & Pacific Railway also added service between the two communities, which may have added to their failure. Around the same time in 1894, the Edmonton Street Railway Company was incorporated to run in Edmonton. The company landed the franchise in 1903 to run in the Town of Edmonton, but no services were initiated, and the franchise was forfeited in 1905. On October 30, 1908 and under municipal control, the Edmonton Radial Railway was incorporated. This included the previously acquired Strathcona Radial Tramway Company Ltd. on August 26, 1908. Although the ERR was originally intended to operate tramways in the city, and within an 80 mile radius of the city, no new interurban lines were ever built. Over time, the ERR's service was expanded to include the villages of North Edmonton and Calder. On July 16, 1946, the system changed its name to the Edmonton Transportation System. This new name was short lived, and just nine months later on April 29, 1947, the system modified its name to be called the Edmonton Transit System. In later years, the ETS would take over services provided in the Town of Beverly in 1961, and in the Town of Jasper in 1964. On April 22, 1978 the ETS began operations of the LRT system, in conjunction with the city hosting the Commonwealth Games. The line ran along the CN right-of-way from Belvedere to the Coliseum and Stadium Stations, then to the Churchill and Central Stations. In the years to follow, contracted services to other communities would be implemented, including St. Albert from 1974 to 1986, Sherwood Park from 1977 to 1989 and Beaumont from 2003 to 2004. Other contracted services are still in operation, which include Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton Garrison from 2005, Spruce Grove from 2006, and Leduc in 2010. On April 28, 2009 City Council voted to move forward the decommissioning of the trolley operations in Edmonton as one of the cost saving measures due to a city-wide budget deficit. The last day of trolley bus operations was May 2, 2009, however the ETS's full network of accessible vehicles continues to operate to this date. |
to go to the Edmonton Transit electronic sign list page. |
All three of the horizontal route number rollsigns in the box they came with. This assembly would be mounted in the rear window of the bus. |
All four of these route number rollsigns, the destination sign, and the rear number assembly below left, came from retired Edmonton Transit System's 1969 built GMC T6H-4521 #12. The route number signs were made by Transign, however none of them have a print date on them. On two of them, the end sections from "E" and "X" to "60" were later additions. The two to the left are part of the front sign set. They have 30 and 19 exposures respectively. The mylar used on the 19 exposure sign is translucent. The two route number rollsigns nearest to the right make up the side sign display. They have 29 and 19 exposures respectively. Both signs are printed on translucent mylar except for the new addition at the end of the left one. The destination sign (below centre) goes with the two number signs to its left, making a complete set. The original sign up to the blank after "Zoo" is dated December 7, 1993. Two of the readings were swapped out later. The added end section updated the sign to April 2, 1997. Both its sign tags are shown below. The rear sign assembly below contains three separate rollsigns that roll horizontally. They're about the same size as a typical run or block number set. Each roll within the box has 12 exposures and they're all printed on opaque mylar. |
Edmonton Transit System 1969 built GMC T6H-4521 New Look #12 (serial #C116), the bus these route number rollsigns came from, is seen retired at Edmonton Transit's Ferrier garage on December 29, 2000. (Photo by Peter McLaughlin from his website www.busdrawings.com. Used with permission.) |
This special front street side mylar destination sign was designed only for Edmonton's GMC/Brown Boveri electric trolley buses, and reflects destinations only within that network. The sign has 42 exposures. It is odd that the sign has two different print dates on a single mylar sign with no splices. The upper date is September 24, 1981, where the lower date is September 25, 1981. Each sign tag reads slightly different as well. Both sign tags are shown below. |
Edmonton Transit System 1982 built Brown Boveri trolley bus with a GMC body #102, the type of bus this destination sign was designed for, is seen westbound on Jasper Avenue at 97 Street NW in downtown Edmonton on July 7, 2007. The entire electric trolley bus network has since been eliminated. (Photo by Peter McLaughlin from his website www.busdrawings.com. Used with permission.) |
Lower sign tag: EDMONTON TRANSIT P.O.# P875776 MULTISCREEN# 10173-A APR. 2 / 97 FRONT - GMC MANUFACTURED BY MULTISCREEN INT'L INC. MADE IN CANADA |
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