All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems

by David A. Wyatt

Hamilton, Ontario

The formerly separate municipalities of Dundas, Stoney Creek, Flamborough, Ancaster, and Glanbrook, and the regional municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, were amalgamated with Hamilton 01 January 2001.

Principal System

Hamilton HSR ticket (front) HSR streetcar (W.E. Miller Collection)

Hamilton Street Railway Company (15 May 1874 - present)
street railway/light rail trolley bus Incorporated 1873 (Ont.) Became a subsidiary in 1899 of the Hamilton Cataract, Power, Light and Traction Company, later the Dominion Power and Transmission Company until April 1930 when Dominion Power was sold to the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario. The HSR was a subsidiary of CCL from 1946 until 1954 when ownership was reorganized and CCL became a subsidiary of the HSR. Both companies were acquired by the City of Hamilton in 1960. (CUTA 1989, CUTA 1991/2, CUTA 1992, Chow 1998, photos: Collection of W.E. Miller, Peter Cox, Richard Hooles 2001, Alex Regiec 2007)

Hamilton Street Ry 309 CanCar CD52TC (Peter Cox 1966 May 31) Hamilton Street Ry 509 GM TDH4512 old look (Peter Cox 1966 May 31) HSR articulated bus (Richard Hooles 2001) Hamilton Street Railway 8203 (GM TA60102N) (Alex Regiec 2007 Aug.) Hamilton Street Railway 0602 (2006 New Flyer D40LF) (Alex Regiec 2007 Aug.) Hamilton Street Railway 9717 (1997 Novabus LFS) (Alex Regiec 2007 Aug.) Hamilton Street Railway 0612 (New Flyer D60LFR) (Alex Regiec August 2007)

Hamilton Street Railway logo
 
system logo
Service area population440,000 (1991)
Vehicle fleet192 buses (2000)
Employees922 (1991)
Ridership20,624,536 (2009)
Data sources:CUTA 1991/2
CTHF/SSG 2000
website 2002 (logo)
CTF [Aug. 2010] (ridership)

Secondary Systems

Hamilton and Barton Incline Railway (11 June 1892 - 26 December 1931 and 01 March 1932 - 14 May 1932)
funicular Funicular (Mills 1971).

Hamilton Incline Railway (1900 - 1906)
funicular Funicular. Operation sold to a new company 1906. (Mills 1971).

Wentworth Incline Railway Limited (1906 - 15 August 1936)
funicular Funicular. Continued from the HIRy. Operations suspended 03 November 1913 due to an accident, resuming 30 April 1914. (Mills 1971).

Hamilton Jitney Service Association (circa April 1915 - 1916?)
The "jitney craze" in Hamilton played out similar to to other Canadian cities. Jitney operators were reported to be operating circa April 1915 when most of the 40 in operation belonged to the HJSA. By 20 March 1916 there were 60 in service and the Hamilton Jitney Association was wound-up, leaving the drivers as independents. The only operator mention in the pages of CR&MW was Hamilton Jitney Co. in the May 1915 issue. (CR&MW 1915-1918).

Mount Hamilton Bus Company (? - circa 1926)
In early 1926 Mount Hamilton Bus Lines, Ltd. was operating 3 buses between Sherman Avenue in Hamilton and Hamilton Mountain, on an approximately half-hour headway (CR&MW February 1926, p. 96). A second survey a few months later said the route was operated by W.L. Owen using 1 bus, on an hourly schedule, for a fare of 7¢ or 4 tickets for 25¢ (CR&MW May 1926, pp. 262-263). Owen was probably the owner of MHBL. MHBCo acquired circa 1926 by the HSR.

The Canada Coach Lines
Intercity and suburban arm of the HSR enterprise. Some former CCL services now conducted by the HSR.

Modes

Animal railway15 May 1874 - 1893
Funicular11 June 1892 - 15 August 1936
Electric railway02 July 1892 - 06 April 1951
Motor bus26 August 1926 - present
Trolley coach10 December 1950 - 30 December 1992

Brantford & Hamilton Interurban

Brantford and Hamilton Electric Railway Company (21 December 1907 - 30 June 1931)
electric interurban Incorporated 1904 (Dom.) Line from Hamilton to Brantford. Service opened from Hamilton to Ancaster 1907, and through to Brantford 23 May 1908. Came under the control of the Hamilton Cataract, Power, Light and Traction Company, which became the Dominion Power and Transmission Company in 1907. Dominion Power was acquired by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario in April of 1930.

Hamilton and Dundas Interurban

Hamilton and Dundas Street Railway Company (01 March 1898 - 05 September 1923)
electric interurban Incorporated 1875/76 (Ont.) Opened as a steam dummy railway line May 1879 from Hamilton to Dundas. Electrified 1898. Acquired 17 September 1899 by the Hamilton Cataract, Power, Light and Traction Company, which became the Dominion Power and Transmission Company in 1907. At the end of service, city trackage in Hamilton was sold to the Hamilton Street Railway and most interurban trackage went to the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway for steam operation. By 1926 replacement bus service was offered by four carriers: bus operator Highway King Buses Ltd. (from 1921, up to 6 trips/hour, fleet of 13 buses), and three coordinated jitney/bus operators: J.J. Gravelle, G. Green, and William Rogers (3 trips/hour, 3 buses). (CR&MW May 1926, pp. 262-263).

Hamilton, Grimsby & Beamsville Interurban

HG&B car at Red Hill Creek (Charles S. Cochran) Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville Electric Railway Company (17 October 1894 - 30 June 1931)
electric interurban Incorporated 1892 (Ont.) Opened as far as Grimsby via Winona October 1894. Opened through to Beamsville October 1896. Extension to Vineland opened 28 April 1904. Vineland extension passenger service ended circa end of May 1905 (and freight service at the end of the 1905 fruit harvest). Controlling interest acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1902, then by the Hamilton Cataract, Power, Light and Traction Company in 1904. The latter became the Dominion Power and Transmission Company in 1907. Dominion Power was acquired by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario in April of 1930. (Photo Hamilton Public Library collection)

Hamilton Radial Interurban

Hamilton Radial Electric Railway Company (July 1896 - 05 January 1929)
electric interurban Incorporated 1893 (Ont.) as the Hamilton Radial Electric Street Railway Company. Name changed to the above in 1894. Line from Hamilton to Burlington and Oakville. In February 1901, came under the contol of the Hamilton Cataract, Power, Light and Traction Company, which became the Dominion Power and Transmission Company in 1907. At the end of service, city trackage in Hamilton was sold to the Hamilton Street Railway.

Note

electric interurban The Dominion Power and Transmission Company held another subsidiary, the Hamilton Terminal Company, which operated the joint terminal facilities in Hamilton for Dominion's radials. Trackage and cars owned by the HTCo were shared among the radial operations.

References


Copyright ©1989-2020 David A. Wyatt. All Rights Reserved.
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The author is always interested in comments, corrections and further information. Please email to:

dawwpg@shaw.ca
This page last modified: Wednesday, 01-Jan-2020 13:35:11 CST