The Remarkable Rooftop of Tram Car 1220
For this year’s Historic Places Days theme of “Makers from Coast to Coast to Coast: Honouring Arts, Crafts, and Storytelling”, we are highlighting the craftsmanship of the Tram Car 1220 restoration.
Built in 1913 by the St. Louis Car Company, Tram Car 1220 features the art of fine carpentry, brass work, woven rattan, and elegant mechanics. Today, over a century later, visitors still marvel at its beautiful design. However one of its most remarkable parts has gone unseen — the tram roof!
Built to Last: The Original Roof
Hidden from view, this roof is made of layered natural materials that create a lightweight, water-resistant barrier that was essential for a tram designed to run during all seasons.
The roof begins with narrow wooden slats, steamed and bent into graceful curves. While common in 1913, this woodworking method has ancient roots, used in furniture, barrels, and boats for millennia. Wide curved wood panels were not yet a feasible option in 1913, so designers worked with narrow slats, and made them highly water resistant through a clever layering system.
Burlap, a durable textile made from jute fibers, formed the first layer. Horse hair, once a common upholstery filler, provided natural insulation and flexibility. It would expand in the summer, contract over winter, and bind the surrounding materials together. A final layer of canvas was sealed with linseed oil paint, that would penetrate and remain flexible to protect it from cracking.
Restoring the Roof: 2016–2018
Through restoration efforts between 2016 and 2018, the tram’s roof was re-created using the same traditional methods.
Carpenters from the City of Richmond built a custom steam box to bend wooden slats, just like the original builders. Horse hair, now a much rarer commodity than in 1913, was sourced through diligent research. Each layer was carefully reapplied to match the historic construction.
The most demanding part? Installing 14 air vents through the fully reconstructed roof: six in the Smoking section, eight in the No Smoking section. This required precise cutting through the multiple layers without damaging surrounding structures. Years of carpentry experience, careful measuring, and a steady hand made this possible.
The result is a roof that not only functions as it did in 1913, but adds to the legacy of contributions to Tram Car 1220’s craft work.
Visit the Steveston Tram during Historic Places Days to see this handiwork for yourself. And click here to learn more about the Historic Places Day contests being held from July 11-20, 2025.
