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| BC ELECTRIC #960
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No. 960 was built the year the Titanic sank, carrying over 1500 people to a watery grave
in the bitter North Atlantic. No. 960 represented the latest in technology - electric power.
Clean and quiet, electric locomotives were fast replacing coal burning steam locomotives
in city centres. This locomotive was first owned by the Oregon Electric Railway as their
No. 22 . BC Electric bought her, along with 3 others, in 1946. Three of them, including
No. 960 were converted from 1200V to 600V. They roll on spoked wheels.
Seen at the right is sister BC Electric #961. (Photographer Unknown)
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For the full size image, click on the photo.
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The 960 laboured into the early 1960's , finishing her days as a switcher in the BC
Electric Carrall Street yards on Pender Street in downtown Vancouver. The locomotive
was then acquired by the Royal British Columbia Museum and was put into storage on
Mitchell Island in the Fraser River.
In 1993 the Royal British Columbia Museum donated No. 960 to the West Coast
Railway Association and trucked the unit to Squamish. On Monday April 19, 1993 No.
960 became the first of the West Coast Railway Association collection to "come home"
to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park.
In 1980, one of the other three locomotives, No. 961 was sold to Edmonton Transit
where the unit was used as motive power in the construction of the Edmonton LRT
tunnel. The locomotive is serviceable today and is still used on work trains on the
Edmonton LRT. Electric locomotives have incredibly long lives. There are English
Electric locomotives built in 1910 that were in daily service hauling Commuter trains in
Montreal until 1995. With very little work, No. 960 could run and again perform useful
work.
BCER 960, Vancouver B.C. 02/1052, photographer unknown.
Photo courtesy of GTC Collectibles and is used with permission.
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