The final segment of trolleybuses from April 29th & May 22nd, 1991. Starting on Melvin Avenue, then Barton at Strathearne and on to downtown. GO transit 2-axle MCI buses and a Fun-Trek coach seen near Gore Park.
I won't wax nostalgic about my hometown, but these were the days of my adolescence when I felt Hamilton still had a "grit" you could feel proud of. The Ti-Cats weren't great, the Steelhawks were gone, the Skyhawks were about to start a short-lived run. Yet, there was still an optimism. But deep down, things weren't great. Stelco and Dofasco were already in a steep decline. Jackson Square had ripped the heart out of Gore Park and the downtown core (something that really hasn't come back until recently). Rebecca Street bus station was a hole. Barton Street lost its cultural roots that made it stand apart. People sped through the city on the one-way streets without even stopping to look (maybe that hasn't changed much). Through it all, the HSR took people to and from places they needed, wanted, loved, sometimes loathed. They still do. The buses are a bit fancier now, and more accessible, but in losing the overhead wires, plush seats and yellow livery, they have also lost some of the "grit" that made them so special. Well, maybe except the '91 natural gas "nature bus", that was also special. I no longer have family there, but hope to come back in the future, see the next iteration of my hometown, and be proud to see the HSR still moving people, both literally and physically.
I hate to say it, but coming back will just lead to disappointment. The state of the city now will just ruin the nostalgia for you. Better to hold on to the fond memories of the city than to come and see what it's become. I'm a lifelong Hamiltonian and it's sad to see what has become of our beloved steel city
Growing up in Hamilton without a car, Me and my family heavily relied on the HSR. And even now, though the high floor stairbuses are gone and the great department stores such as Zellers and K mart are gone. The memories still live on.
Check out [6:19] - the Crystal Palace, lol. The re-located Crystal Palace from it''s prior location about 3-4 blocks was further East (late 50's-early 60's)
I miss those trolley's. That was the main reason why I wanted to become a bus driver. When this video was shot I would have only been 13 at the time though! lol
Those electric trolley's were always a PITA, they sucked. Hamilton has already had an LRT, it didn't work then, it will work even less now. Has anybody passed this vid onto Jason Farr?
You know what? Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered, “I want to be a bus driver.” I must have been six or seven at the time, maybe younger. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to put my hands on the Ministry of Transportation’s Official Bus Driver’s Handbook. I never purchased it but local libraries seemed to have a copy that I could borrow for three weeks. That was life growing up in Toronto. Hehehe. I miss the trolley coaches, too. They really gave cities a je-ne-sais-quoi. I loved the overhead wires, the liveries, the double poles, the antique look, the silence when trolleys were in motion. I loved hearing the battery in motion, too. Ah, trolleys. Pity most Canadian cities ditched them. I hope they make a comeback soon. (-:
Well this is a small blast from the past. 🚌 I still have HSR trolley memories from the 60's. 🚎🚎🚎🚎 Wow some parts of the city have changed, while others still look the same. 😉😄 Ps: Really miss that beautiful Birks clock in the downtown.🥰 Glad the city at least got it working even if its only visible at the farmers market.
Trolley! TROLLEY!! TrolleyBUSES!!! Yeah. Ha great vid. These buses had the most comfortable seats, even if they were a little tight if you were tall. They were sometimes filthy, but then I don't think I'd remember them as well. Good times. :)
8mm tape camcorder. The tape was transferred to a DVD which was then split and edited using Cyber Link video software. My cell phone is just a phone, I have shot video since 2009 on a series of Canon Powershot super-zooms, because they all had/have viewfinders. Much easier to track the action. Newest is a SX40HS.
James St one-way southbound and two right turn lanes at King. Hamilton used to be a drivers paradise. Now it seems artificially congested to try to discourage people from driving. A narrow and short-sighted view.
Something I've always wondered about those trolley. Buses that run via the electrical cables. What would happen if the bus were to go off the track of those electric cables and the cables disconnected from the wires above? Would the bus still be able to drive?
We used to hop the trollies when i was a kid to get around town ,we would wait for them to stop then jump on the back bumper and hang on were the cables were housed ,when you wanted off you just pulled the cable and the over head connector would come off the buds would stop and off you go :)
@@danielthoman7324 not as stupid as your ignorant comment keep your fucking opinion to yourself you fucking tool you wouldn't last 10 min in the hammer with that attitude scumbag
OMFG THANK YOU! I'm tired of transplants screwing up one way streets, putting in cycling lanes, and proclaiming what a hole Hamilton was 20yrs ago. I'm sorry the cancer that is Toronto has now spread along the lake as far as Hamilton...but turning Steel Town into a Toronto Lite makes me cry.