Created 10-Aug-20
Modified 8-Mar-24
Edmonton's trolleybus system opened with six British-built trolleybuses. 104-106 were on Leyland chassis with GEC equipment and Park Royal bodies but this gallery deals with 101-103. These were built on AEC chassis with English Electric traction equipment and also English Electric bodywork.
The AEC chassis were based on the 663T six-wheel chassis but had several special features reflecting the harsh winter climate in Edmonton. The rear bogie featured sanders, more akin to railway practice and the bogie wheelbase was extended by four inches from the standard four feet to provide clearance for snow chains. The body incorporated additional insulation and powerful heating and the traction motor cooling air was taken from inside the saloon.
The body design seems to have been specified to follow the design of the very similar vehicles previously supplied to Montreal which were on AEC chassis but with Park Royal bodies. The English Electric archive contains several AEC photos of these which have clearly seen much use in the English Electric design office. The design incorporates a forward extension of the chassis to allow an entrance right at the front, the door for which was controlled by the driver. The central exit door, in contrast, was treadle-operated. The traction equipment was mounted in a frame at the rear which permitted easy removal for maintenance.
101-103 were shipped in 1939, arriving in Edmonton in time for the opening of the trolleybus system on 25th September 1939. 102 and 103 were withdrawn (retired in North American parlance) in November 1950 with 101 lasting until the following year.
Edmonton Radial Railway was the name of the tram system in Edmonton but these trolleybuses were a further step in the replacement of trams. This had started in 1932 with the use of motorbuses but accelerated with trolleybuses - the last tram (trolley in local parlance) ran in 1951 and at some stage the the organisation became Edmonton Transit System, more recently changing again to the Edmonton Transit Service. The last trolleybuses ran in 2009.
The English Electric contract number for this order was 486 H 0363, this was probably just for the coachwork.
© David Beilby
