Whitehorse trolley
Encyclopedia
The Whitehorse trolley is a heritage streetcar
service in Whitehorse
, Yukon
, Canada
.
It uses a single reconditioned trolley
which carries tourists along Whitehorse's waterfront along the Yukon River
. It runs from the Rotary Peace Park, located on the south end of the city centre
, up to the north end of the city centre at Spook Creek Station. The car originally served the trolley/streetcar system of Lisbon, Portugal
, from 1925 to 1978. In 1978 it was sold by Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (Carris)
to a railway museum in Duluth
. It was sold to Whitehorse in 1999 and restored by Historic Railway Restoration of Arlington, WA.
The trolley is a narrow-gauge vehicle, and runs on the track built for the White Pass and Yukon Route
. It has a capacity of 25 passengers.
The trolley was first put into operation in 2000. The electricity to power its electric motors comes not from overhead trolley wires
, but instead from a diesel generator
towed (or pushed) on a trailer
. The car runs each year from May to October.
This single-truck
(4-wheel), double-ended trolley car
was previously owned by Lake Superior Railroad Museum
, which still owns sister car 530, and both cars were originally used in Lisbon
, Portugal
.
The car is stored in a roundhouse/train shed at 1127 First Avenue (end of Wood Street).
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
service in Whitehorse
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
It uses a single reconditioned trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
which carries tourists along Whitehorse's waterfront along the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
. It runs from the Rotary Peace Park, located on the south end of the city centre
Downtown Whitehorse, Yukon
Downtown Whitehorse is a neighbourhood in Whitehorse, Yukon. It is the commercial centre of the city. The Yukon Legislative Building is located in the neighbourhood....
, up to the north end of the city centre at Spook Creek Station. The car originally served the trolley/streetcar system of Lisbon, Portugal
Trams in Lisbon
The Lisbon tramway network serves the municipality of Lisbon, capital city of Portugal. In operation since 1873, it presently comprises five urban lines, and is primarily a tourist attraction.-History:...
, from 1925 to 1978. In 1978 it was sold by Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (Carris)
Carris
Carris is a public transportation company in Lisbon, Portugal. Carris operates Lisbon's buses, trams, and funiculars. It does not operate the Lisbon Metro. Carris was founded September 18, 1872. A total of 234.4 million passenger boardings were recorded in 2008.As of Dec...
to a railway museum in Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. It was sold to Whitehorse in 1999 and restored by Historic Railway Restoration of Arlington, WA.
The trolley is a narrow-gauge vehicle, and runs on the track built for the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
. It has a capacity of 25 passengers.
The trolley was first put into operation in 2000. The electricity to power its electric motors comes not from overhead trolley wires
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, but instead from a diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
towed (or pushed) on a trailer
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
. The car runs each year from May to October.
Car 531 details
This single-truck
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
(4-wheel), double-ended trolley car
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
was previously owned by Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
, which still owns sister car 530, and both cars were originally used in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Stations
- Spook Creek
- Shipyards Park
- Jarvis Street
- Trolley Roundhouse (with combination ticket only)
- White Pass
- Visitor Information Centre
- Rotary Park
The car is stored in a roundhouse/train shed at 1127 First Avenue (end of Wood Street).
External links
- Whitehorse Waterfront Trolley
- Page with photos at ExploreNorth. September 2000.