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Return to Main Page (1) of This SectionSection IndexWelcome AboardIntroduction To Saint JohnThe People's Street Railway CompanyLease of OperationSaint John City Railway CompanyStart of ElectrificationComplete RebuildingOttawa CarsTurn of the CenturyExpansion YearsThe StrikeOne Man CarRunawayModernizationDepressionWorld War IIEnd of EraEnd of LineChallengeCredits Page 12

The Expansion Years

The old suspension bridgeIn 1903 an agreement was made between the Saint John Railway Company and the city. The agreement was for the building and operating of street cars on the west side of the harbour. The old suspension bridge at the time was 50 years old and in the need of replacement, so it was decided that it was not feasible to run the cars across and no attempts were made to connect the west and east line. Instead an arrangement was made, that the passengers would walk across the bridge and board cars on the other side, this would continue until the present highway bridge went up.

Trams enduring an Atlantic winterThe Saint John Railway Company made many other extensions and improvements in their service, so in between 1903 to 1907 serval purchases were made of both open and closed cars. By the end of 1907 the total of street cars running in Saint John was 21 closed and 20 open. From 1906 to 1911 the Saint John Railway Company did not buy any more new cars, instead they bought the cars second-hand from US cities, such cities as Boston and Buffalo. Some of these second-hand cars dated back to 1892. These cars were largely used for rush hour service, and for the most part they did not last long in Saint John.

Since 1907 the Saint John Railway Company had been toying with the idea of "pay-as-you-enter" cars, and in 1912 the company ordered six specially designed "pay-as-you-enter" cars from the Ottawa Car Company. These cars were numbered with the 80 series of even numbers, they were 32 feet long and had 21-foot bodies with wide entrance doors. This series of trams were the largest single-truck cars that had yet run in Saint John. These cars were the last of there kind for Saint John. They were the last ones ordered from the Ottawa Car Company and the last ones with the clerestory roofs. With subsequent rebuilding, these cars would last to the end of the street cars service in Saint John.


Return to Main Page (1) of This SectionTop of Page CreditsChallengeEnd of LineEnd of EraWorld War IIDepressionModernizationRunawayOne Man CarThe StrikeExpansion YearsTurn of the CenturyOttawa CarsComplete RebuildingStart of ElectrificationSaint John City Railway CompanyLease of OperationThe People's Street Railway CompanyIntroduction To Saint JohnWelcome AboardSection Index10 More
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