Edmonton 1 went airborne to service the main bearings on both of its trucks. These bearings are the connection between the trucks (the self-contained wheel-motor-suspension units under the car) and the body of the car itself. The connection consists of interlocking concentric plates on the truck and body that bear the weight of the car and allow the truck to pivot, and a large pin that goes through the plates to form the pivot point for the joint.
The whole thing is held together by gravity; to access the bearing for service, all you have to do is lift the 10-tonne car off the trucks!
Edmonton 1 is operable, but hasn’t been in regular service for several years due to issues with these bearings. This past week, ERRS volunteers at our Fort Edmonton barn got the car jacked up and serviced the bearings, replacing the ‘doughnuts’ (the low-friction wear material placed in the bearing plates) on each truck, and replacing one of the (bent!) pins that was holding the front truck in place.
The new doughnuts and pin have all been dry-fitted, and will be back in the car soon. Car 1 is actually still on jacks right now; lifts like this are a good opportunity for regular service, so all the contact points between the car and trucks are getting assessed, cleaned, and serviced. Car 1 will be rail-worthy in short order!
Car 1 is ERRS’ oldest streetcar, and was Edmonton’s 2nd streetcar (the identical Car 2 was shipped separately from the factory, and arrived first), servicing the city from the first day of service in November 1908, to the end of service in September 1951. Car 1 was never parted out or sold off like the rest of our cars; it was kept whole (although stored outdoors) with all of its mechanical equipment present. So, although we strive for accuracy in all our restorations, Car 1 is our most realistic Edmonton streetcar, as it has never been rebuilt. Having its original air compressor, trucks, and controller make Car 1 a very special connection to Edmonton’s transit heritage.
