Canadian Rail No158 1964

C;a:n..a )~~iin Number 158 / September 1964 GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP of railways in Canada occurs at all levels, and not the least interesting is the Pacific Great East ern, which is owned by the Province of British Columbi'l.. For many years, the PGE began and ended nowhere, but in 1952 and 1956, the completion of extensions linked the "nowhere" carrier with the rest of the Canadian rail network. Here, in the latter year, the inaugural train is shown arriving from North Vancouver at Squamish, the erstwhile southern terminus of the line. (See "The PGE Is A rDiffe~entr Railway" in this issue). Photograph by PETER COX. Canadian Rail Page 179 ~ontreal Streetcars 900 by R. M. Binns Class (M.S.R. Photos) By mid-December 1904 about class),- and probably on the new half of the fifty 790 class semi 790 class, had fo~ned the habit convertible cars were in service. of collecting fares on the plat Well satisfied with these cars, form at stops where only one or the first to have transverse two passeng ers got on. seats, - Montre al ~tre d t Hailway Co. was authorized by its 80ard The "Pay-as-You-~nter" me of Directors to build twenty-five thod had been tried on one or two more, at a cost of $6000 each - roads in the United States, but all to be built in the Company's without success. It was clear shops. Ten cars were to be equip that the conventiona l car was not ped with General ~lectric Co.'s adapted to that system. No. 68 motors, K6 controller, and Christensen air brakes. Fifteen The original conception of cars would have Westinghouse 101 the Montrea l pay-as-you-enter car motors, 'dH -402 controller and design has been variously credit Westinghouse air brakes. ed to a McGill student, a M.S. R. co nductor and others, but the The first unit, similar in credit belongs without question all respects to other 790 class to the then Superintendent, Mr. cars, was put in service in April Duncan McDonald and his associ 1905. It was No. 888. ates. The design was patented in C ~ nada a nd the United States und 3efore the next car appear er HcDonald' s nanle. ed, however, there was to be a pronounced chan3e, not only in The innov ~ tion and its far design, but in the whole concept reaching effects may best be des of urban street raj.lway opera cribed by quoting from Blake and tion. Jackson's book, "Electric Railway Transportation", published in Probably for some time the 1917. Their chapter on "car types [oanagement bad been convinced of in Relation to Traffic" begins as the benefits to be derived from follows: collectins fares before passen gers entered the car. This would eliminate the slow and uncertain "Up to 1905, the doors and steps process of collecting fares with of city electric cars showed no in the crowded interiors of the radical advance over those of larger double-truck cars which horse-car days. A few cars for had come into ~eneral use since rapid transit service had been 1900. Also there would be a de built entirely of steel, but the finite advantage in keeping the art of city car desiz n seemed to conductor on the rear platform at have gone the way of Tyria n pur all times, not only for the safe ple and t~npered bronze. But in ty of passengers, but to give the that year a pair of courageous starting signal promptly. The Canadians, H. G. Hoss and Duncan thinking may have been influenced McDonald, then respectively man too by the fact that some conduc a~ing director and superintendent tors on the S cotch cars - (638 o~ the Montre&l Street Railway Canadian Rail Page 181 CrunpanY,showed a skeptical street in Westmount, with a party of railway world that pay-as-you Company officials,Aldermen of the enter (prepayment) fare collec City and representatives of the tion really was practicable. press. To mark the inauguration Practically all they did to re ceremony, a photograph was taken volutionize fare collection was and mounted copies were later to lengthen the conductor's plat distributed, - bearing the title form, install dividing rails, "l1ontreal Street Railway Companr, provide two doors instead of one The Old and the New, 1893-1905'. in the rear bulkhead, one an in Unfortunately, but quite under wardly opening door for entrance, standably, the photographer con and the other an outwardly open centrated on the distinguished ing door for exit, and, finally, members of the party rather than supply also a front-exit door on No. 890 and the two old horse under the control of the motor omnibuses brought out for the oc man. casion. "Chicago, Newark, New York, and No. 090 was put in regular other cities followed Montreal in service on St. Catherine Street. rapid order. With each installa Public reactionwas not altogether tion came many new conveniences favourable,for it seemed at first quite foreign to the question of glance to be a rather stupid ar prepayment it~elf. The electric rangement that would slow down railways were now ea3er to adopt the service. It was true that a system of collection which when a large crowd of passen3ers would intercept fares previously was boarding, the stop time was missed and which, by keeping the longer, but the Company knew that conductor on the platform, would such crowds were encountered at also avoid many boarding and a only a few points on a route, and lighting accidents. 'Ihey feared, that the time savedat other stops however, that the public would on a complete round-trip baSis, refuse to accept the new or re t03ether with other advantages, built prepayment cars unless they g reatly outWeighed the slight de showed manifest superiority in lay. It was subsequently proved convenience and safety. Thus be that a P.A.Y.E.car could maintain gan an era of improvement which a higher schedule speed. even ~fter a decade is still in full vigor. Prepayment, there Some people were offended fore, is directly responsible for at being asked to produce their t~e use of longer platforms,wider money before being allowed to en aisles, inter-operating doors and ter the car, - as if their abil steps and many safety devices; ity to pay was being questioned. and it is indirectly responsible Cartoons appeared in the newspa for the high-grade ventilation, pers ridiculing the new system. heating and lighting which have One series depicted a dear old made the American city car a mar lady standing at a corner on a vel of comfort." dark rainy night, fumbling in her purse while a streetcar waited. So, on May 4th, 1905, the Finally the car proceeded, leav second car, No. 890, came out of ing her stranded. lIochelaga Shops as the first streetcar in the world designed No. 890 remained in service specifically for "Pay-Enter" fare until ~1ay 22nd, when it was in collection, and einployi·ng the volved in a tragic accident. principle of a "circulating pass I\'hile proceeding east on St.Cath enger load". erine Street at Harbour Street, the rear truck split the switch, On that day, a special trip causing the rear of the car to was made on St. Catherine St., swinS violently toward the side from Harbour St.,to Victoria Ave. walk, crushing and killine in- MONTREAL STREET RAILWAY COMPANY FIRST ELECTRIC STREETCAR IN THE WORLD DESIGNED FOR COLLECTION OF FARES FROM PASSENGE RS WH EN BOARDI N G, (PAY-AS- YO U-ENTER SYSTEM) 1905 SIGN "PLEASE PAY AS YOU GET ON" L6'2"--4I_, ----~-- 28'3" --------~+ 42' 3" ----------------->-l FLOOR PLAN, GENERAL DIMENSIONS, AND ARRANGEMENT OF ENTRANCES AND EXITS 900 C LAS S NOS 900 ( EX 89C») 904 946 ]11< 1 1 1 1 I 1 I I 1 1 946 (EX sea) I rq 950(eX628) I' 28:3':, '17 ~ Gdl ~ 42 - 3 . NOS ' ~g~To93e -< 9 42 94" '-- _ R£/l11 PLATFORMS r tAreR REDUCED TO 7~ G" < NO . 9 4 0 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I i 35" ~ .. II \ , 51 '·1 0 " i ,. ~ Number 900, the first Pay-as-you-Enter car, as rebuilt after mishap. (M.S.R. photo - 1910) stantly a man who was standing No. 900 had a 28'-3" body against a pole. While a pure co (10 windows) and a 7 1 -6" rear incidence, it can be imagined platform. A similar car, No.904, that this event was not looked was turned out early in July, upon as a good omen for the ne ..1 1905. Also in that month, a 790 car. class car No. 828, which had been built in 1904, was converted and No. 890, damaged quite renumbered 950. Late in July, heavily, was shopped for repairs No. 902 appeared. This car, pro and emerged some time in June as bably experimental, had a 30 1 -4" No. 900. Not only had it been body (11 windows). renumbered, but it displayed the number in large 8 inch silver In August, No. 888 was con numerals on a bright red panel a verted and became No. 948. Ano cross the front dash. It was ther car (28 ft. body) which pro felt that P.A.Y.E. cars should be bably had been in course of con classed as a new series and be struction before the P.A.Y.E. de easily identified by the public.

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