Arbutus: Greenway & Future Streetcar | Proposed

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Came across this pic of the Royal Hudson crossing Broadway on the Arbutus Line in 1975.


https://www.facebook.com/everyplaceh...e=3&permPage=1

That's got to be later than that, as a 1977+ Chevy Caprice is the last car on the far right. The NDP and Socreds used to use the Royal Hudson as a rolling promotional tool for BC, Gordo and the BC Libs mothballed it.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Jebby

They should run a very loud steam engine and blow the horn at every crossing.

Maybe a historic street car back and forth during work days.

Reserve the stream train for the weekend. Perhaps add some some sidings and use the steam train to shuttle rail cars in and out of the corridor.

[WarrenC12]

CP Rail is announcing 1,000 layoffs as a result of lower performance (per CKNW).

It will be interesting if this pushes them towards selling assets like Arbutus at a lower price.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

CP Rail is announcing 1,000 layoffs as a result of lower performance (per CKNW).

It will be interesting if this pushes them towards selling assets like Arbutus at a lower price.

I doubt it. The layoffs are a response to cash flow issues - not as much revenue coming in each year so you have to trim expenses to match. The Arbutus line doesn't really represent much of an expense. But it probably kiboshes any plans they may have had to improve the line or run anything on it.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

I doubt it. The layoffs are a response to cash flow issues - not as much revenue coming in each year so you have to trim expenses to match. The Arbutus line doesn't really represent much of an expense. But it probably kiboshes any plans they may have had to improve the line or run anything on it.

An easy way to generate quick cash is by selling unused assets. The short-thinking stock market likes that, as well as governments desperate to show a "balanced budget".

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

An easy way to generate quick cash is by selling unused assets. The short-thinking stock market likes that, as well as governments desperate to show a "balanced budget".

But in this case they'd have to formally abandon the line to do that, and given that their threat to run trains would have failed if that step had been taken I'm a bit doubtful that they'll want to cross that bridge.

A short-term cut in expenses (wages) is appropriate for a short-term drop in business. It's generally not wise to sell assets unless there's some structural reason why you think your revenues are not going to recover in the future.

It's true that this is an unused asset, but I think they'd still like to maximize its value. The question is really one of whether they think they've exhausted all their options in that regard. And that evaluation process is really quite independent of their current business issues.

[logicbomb]

Record profits, record revenues, more layoffs. CP continues to abandon useful spurs. In fact, CP will likely be ceasing operations along the Marpole Spur come the end of the year.

Despite my disdain for railway corporations in this country, I think CP has every right to sell the Arbutus Corridor, and for fair market value. Too bad the Federal government didn't have any foresight to think about protecting critical rail corridors, many of which could have been transferred to short-line entities. Instead, many of the "under-performing" spurs/branch lines in this region fall on valuable land....and here we are.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Too bad the Federal government didn't have any foresight to think about protecting critical rail corridors, many of which could have been transferred to short-line entities.

Spurs like the Arbutus line would be of no interest to any railway operation because they don't have any customers. You can't run a railway without customers unless you're a very, very rich hobbyist.

[MalcolmTucker]

Maybe they could build a Royal Canadian Pacific Pavilion like they have in Calgary. Occasionally a train station, mostly an event venue. 0 municipal planning requirements.

[swimmer_spe]

For CP, what would be the real use of the corridor?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

For CP, what would be the real use of the corridor?

Waiting out the city until the city folds. The city or translink will need permission to go over or under for transit to UBC, and if you hold until then, you can come to a compromise that isn't 'give us this land for way less than its value'.

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Spurs like the Arbutus line would be of no interest to any railway operation because they don't have any customers. You can't run a railway without customers unless you're a very, very rich hobbyist.

More so was referring to the Marpole and Van Horne Spur.

Obviously the Arbutus spur is an exception. The City of Vancouver aimed to rezone many areas surrounding the spur (circa Expo 86) which really left CP with no other option but to abandon the line when Molson became the only customer on the line. This is why I'm on CP's side.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Waiting out the city until the city folds. The city or translink will need permission to go over or under for transit to UBC, and if you hold until then, you can come to a compromise that isn't 'give us this land for way less than its value'.

Why was that spur put in in the first place?

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Why was that spur put in in the first place?

There used to be the Kitsilano Trestle and the Arbutus line used to connect right into downtown over False Creek.

it was demolished sometime in the early 1980s.

http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/u...254-A75390.jpg


http://www.vancitybuzz.com/wp-conten...4/08/AV-14.jpg

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Why was that spur put in in the first place?

Source: Item : CVA 216-39 - [Aerial map of Granville Island, looking north with Burrard Bridge, Kitsilano Trestle Bridge and "old" Granville Street Bridge.]

[Bdawe]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Why was that spur put in in the first place?

Vancouver and Steveston passenger and freight service, for which it was later leased to the BC Electric railway who operated it as an interuban.

Otherwise, there used to be a fair amount of industrial customers on the line around false creek and by the Fraser River

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

Vancouver and Steveston passenger and freight service, for which it was later leased to the BC Electric railway who operated it as an interuban.

Otherwise, there used to be a fair amount of industrial customers on the line around false creek and by the Fraser River

Freight operations servicing the Steveston canneries would have been the driving reason to build the line. The scale of the fishing industry relative to Vancouver's size at the time was huge.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

there also used to be a spur that went out to Kits Beach form the Arbutus Corridor. it also connected to the Roundhouse in Yaletown which also connected to the current Waterfront rail-yards. it also connected going east along what is now the abandoned Olympic Line route which than connected to the Terminal Ave Rail-yard. see this image for a good look of the rail-lines circa 1928. the rail bridge ended up coming out around Expo 86' since Yaletown was no longer a rail-yard. it also connected into Steveston in Richmond along Railway Ave. Richmond was able to buy their spur and turn it into a park, i wonder why Vancouver can't? hmmm.

CoV Archives

[officedweller]

Kingsway Extension ...
Oak St. Extension ...

[Bdawe]

The Kitsilano Spur went a few hundred yards further and was at one time the official terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. They ran one train to the end, had a little party, and it was promptly cut back to the parking lot, and later given to BC Electric who ran streetcars to the beach.

At point time CPR wanted to turn Kits point into a major shipping terminal