Edmonton Radial Railway Society
High Level Bridge Line

In 1913 the Edmonton Radial Railway initiated service over the top off the CPR's High Level Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River, connecting Edmonton and the former city of Strathcona, amalgamated with Edmonton in 1912. The streetcars ran on the outsides of the bridge, while the single CPR track ran down the middle of the bridge. Crossovers were installed at either end of the bridge so that in an emergency the doors on the cars would open towards the inside of the bridge! The last streetcar made it's run over the HLB on September 2, 1951. The CPR continued to use the bridge as it's route into the Edmonton station, and to interchange with the CNR in Downtown.
Streetcars returned to the High Level Bridge during the Thanksgiving weekend in 1979. Restored #1 operated with a generator on a trailer for those 3 days. It wasn't until the mid 1990's though that another streetcar would cross the HLB.
The CPR abandoned it's line north of the HLB in the late 1980's and it's track west of 103 St. soon after. The ERRS brought car #247 out to provide a shuttle during the 1995 Fringe, using a generator car. In 1996 overhead wire was erected from the Strathcona terminus, however, not across the HLB.
In 1997 the overhead wire had been extended across the HLB to the terminus at Grandin, and #247 was now running across the HLB by mid August 1997.
The ERRS acquired space inside of the former Strathcona bus barns and started work in 1998 to turn it into a 3 track car barn. This work was completed in August 1999. 
During the 2003 operating season the line was cut back to just north of the HLB to allow the construction of the Ribbon's of Steel trail, including an extension of the HLB line to just south of Jasper Ave. The earth ramp upto the HLB used originally by southbound (eastside of bridge) streetcars was used to access the car.
The extension opened in May 2004. A passing track as also been added to allow 2 cars to operate.

August 8, 2003 Work in the Grandin stop area

February 19, 2004 Looking north from 100 Ave.

February 19, 2004 Looking north towards the Jasper Ave terminus.

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