Edmonton Cars 53 and 65 were delivered to our main restoration barn at Fort Edmonton Park on November 17, 2023, to begin documentation and assessment. This will hopefully allow restoration on these two cars to begin in the near future.
Cars 53 and 65 are very special cars for Edmonton; they are rare survivors of a class called ‘The Big Prestons’, so called because they were built by Preston Car Company (located in Preston, Ontario, now part of Cambridge) and were, well, BIG.
The Prestons were, upon delivery, the biggest streetcars in the ERR; both longer and able to seat more passengers than any other type of streetcar in the system. Big Prestons made up almost half the streetcar fleet, wearing numbers 47-81 (although Cars 80 and 81 were sold to Oshawa in 1917).
Cars 53 and 65 were delivered to Edmonton in 1913, and served in Edmonton until the end of streetcar service in 1951, almost 38 years. The Prestons saw heavy use in the high ridership years of World War II, and were a common sight on Edmonton’s streets. We actually have video of Car 53 in operation, in a video taken by street railway historian Foster Palmer when he visited Edmonton in 1949.
Both Streetcars 53 and 65 had colourful second lives, with 53 serving as a summer cottage for many years (the shag carpet is still on the floor), but time has not been their friend; particularly to their wooden bodies. Many years ago ERRS managed to save them from uncertain futures, and on Friday, they finally came home to the FEP barn to be documented. This will allow restoration to be planned in the near future.
Below are some photos of 53 and 65 as they are now, as well as photos of the Big Prestons from the 1930s and 40s. Colour photo taken by Foster Palmer, shared with us by Seashore Trolley Museum (which also graciously shared colour footage with our museum that was shot by Palmer in 1949-50). ERRS is a 100% volunteer organization, and help is needed in areas such as operations, the Archives and Library, outreach, and restoration. If you are passionate about machines and history, check us out and get involved!
