Anyone who knows me would probably know that in addition to being a car nerd, I am a bit of a transit nerd as well -- something about these massive honest-to-God utilitarian machineries that really tickles my fancy. Born in Hong Kong, I have only been more exposed to British double decker buses. So learning that @translink and @transitmuseumbc were offering free rides in Downtown Vancouver earlier this week with these North American classics, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.
First of all, what to say? I really love the way these look -- everything from the BC Electric / BC Hydro vintage colour scheme to the quintessential automotive design language that was prevalent in the 1940s and 50s.
Hopping on board, things seemed strangely modern. Seats were well-padded, and though not air-conditioned, the windows rolled down enough to let in some breeze on this hot summer day. And because the buses are electric, they operate in near complete silence, and respond well with instant torque with every blip of the throttle.
The interior of the two buses were lined with advertisements from the era -- including one that proudly proclaimed that inflation is only "in the tires" because fares were at 25 cents. Oh, how times have changed.
The operators of the two buses were two gentlemen who used to drive these buses when they were younger. While driving around Downtown Vancouver, they retold stories of the past and informed us of the quirks of these buses, including the manual steering that looked like you need to be loaded up with spinach in order to maneuver this thing at low speed. Crazy that these guys are still doing it just fine in their 70s.
After a 25-minute ride around Downtown Vancouver, we were dropped off at our original destination, with me being briefly transported into a different era (one that I used to fantasize about), while getting a new found appreciation for these types of public transit.
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