The Fog Days of January . . . Snow . . . and  Teardrops

Above: A New Flyer TB rolls off Granville Bridge and catches a "ruby" at Seymour and Drake on Jan. 15, 2009.  Behind is an Orion suburban with yellow LEDs blinking SORRY.

Right: 2157 disabled on Dec. 26, 2008.  It's Boxing Sale Day on the 4th Ave. shopping strip and traffic stretches to the horizon. Heavy snow kept motorists from parking at the curbs, so this busy street was reduced to one lane in each direction. Following buses could not pass 2157 safely.  The 4 and 7 TB routes were tied up for hours. After the snow came fog . . . .

Below: 2210 splits the mist on G-Bridge.

The January '09 fog lasted for weeks and kept Vancouver cold under a remarkably strong weather inversion.

Right: Fog obscures 4th Avenue as 2172 turns eastward from Fir Street to finish a 17-Oak job. Memories of old trackage are visible in the asphalt. Closest to the camera is the old B.C. Electric interurban line to Steveston, now part of CPR and disused. The northbound track was dismantled in the 50s, leaving the intact track seen here crossing 4th Avenue. To the right of the bus, look for the ghostly T junction that allowed streetcars to access the shops under Burrard Bridge.

Teardrop for a Selectric switch.

Left: At Granville and 5th, a driver looks back at his poles as he applies power to throw the switch. Operators on the 10 and 17 routes use the first set of teardrops to time the switch, while 4 and 7 operators turning in from the left use the next teardrop.  As the teardrop disappears from his view beneath the dash, the poles touch contacts in advance of the switch.  If the bus is drawing current, the current throws the switch, guiding the poles where the teardrop points.

Buses home

Previous TB page

Next TB page