This month, we’re celebrating a piece of local history. In January 1913, Tram Car 1220 was completed by the St. Louis Car Company in Missouri. Part of a $250,000 order by the BC Electric Railway Company, Tram 1220 proudly served the Lower Mainland for 45 years before being decommissioned in 1958.
The construction of these iconic trams began in 1912, with the first one rolling out in October that year.
Remarkably, these trams ran on hydroelectric power – a forward-thinking energy solution, much like the ideas we’re embracing today to shape the future of transportation.
See the photos below from the St. Louis Car Company archives at Washington University. They show the early construction of some of Tram Car 1220’s sister trams later put into service in the Lower Mainland.
Tram Car 1220 holds a special place in the hearts of people from Richmond and beyond. Visit the Steveston Tram museum and take a seat in the beautifully restored tram car to reflect on 112 years of rich history and cherished memories.


