Tram Car 1220 Rolls Out for the 2026 Steveston Salmon Festival
A Once-a-Year Opportunity
Steveston is getting ready for the 74th Steveston Salmon Festival . As part of the celebrations – and weather permitting – Tram Car 1220 will roll out from the Steveston Tram building for its annual trip out into the fresh air and sunshine.
This rare event gives visitors the chance to climb aboard and explore the 113-year-old electric tram outside the building, much as passengers would have experienced riding it over 70 years ago.
The Tram That Connected Communities
Tram Car 1220 is an interurban, a large electric tram designed to travel long distances between communities. In terms of transportation history, interurbans bridged the gap between the horse-drawn era and the age of the automobile.
These trams helped to access new land for settlement, connected communities, and made it easier for people to travel to work, school, and to visit family and friends.
Passengers on Car 1220 came from many different countries, backgrounds, and walks of life. They worked in local canneries, on farms, in shops, and in the fishing industry.
Fun Fact: Children as young as four-years-old rode the tram to school on their own, under the watchful eye of friendly Conductors.
From Vancouver in 1 Hour, to 10 Metres in 20 Minutes
In the early morning of July 1st, City of Richmond master carpenters will carefully winch Tram Car 1220 out of the building.
In its heyday, the tram once reached speeds of up to 70 km/h, carrying passengers between Steveston to Vancouver in less than an hour. This year’s early morning journey will be much slower, taking about 20 minutes to travel just 10 metres.
Salmon Festival Festivities
On July 1st visitors can enjoy live entertainment under a tent on the north side of the Steveston Tram building. For those seeking a quieter spot away from the crowds, picnic tables will be set up in the shaded area near the Steveston Nikkei Memorial beside the Tram building.
Make the Steveston Tram part of your Steveston Salmon Festival celebrations. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to step aboard Tram Car 1220 while it is outside the building, just as passengers did generations ago.
