310. Car 101 on Hastings Street

Limited Edition Stretched Canvas Giclee Print, (unframed): sn95, ap10, pp5

20x32 (inches) sn $800, ap $900, pp $950

From an original painting by

Brian Croft

“Car #101 on Hastings – 1949” is one of the original paintings in my “Streetcars of Vancouver” collection. The collection is intended to bring to life the colourful and exciting story of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company (BCER) and its electrified streetcar and tram service.

When the first six brand new streetcars began operations on June 27, 1890, the only other city in North America operating electric streetcars was New York City. The first streetcar lines were installed and operated by fledgling companies, which were formed in rapid succession during the difficult early start-up years. First the Vancouver Street Railway Co, then the Vancouver Electric Railway and Light Co, New Westminster service was started by the Westminster & Vancouver Tramway Company and eventually Consolidated Railway and Light Company took over the combined financially troubled operations. New capitol was eventually organized with the formation of the BCER Co. in 1897. Under the able leadership of Robert Horne-Payne the newly formed BCER began to flourish marking the beginning of what was to be a new and long era of success.

My painting “Car 101 on Hastings – 1949” looks eastward down Hastings from Carrall. This was the all-important intersection where BCER built it’s main depot building. It shows the thriving and vibrant streetscape of the time. Most of the buildings in this painting are still standing today. Several businesses’ such as, Knowlton Drugs, the Dodson Hotel and the Balmoral are still in operation. Behind the viewer stands the BCER Main Depot, also still standing today, which I intend to paint at some time in the future.

Car #101 was built in locally in 1908 by BCER. It was an arched roofed, 2 man, single end streetcar of long service.

Brian Croft