EDMONTON TRANSIT SYSTEM
 LRT Specialty Equipment
1976 Fairmont Speeder #3679, Cars for Speeder, the hi-rail Gator #3680

This page is going to be a collection of smaller "stuff". Primarily it was for the speeder and it's cars, but, I'm going to include the hi-rail Gator "Track Utility Vehicle", and Balco mining battery locomotives, as well as the speeder that seems to have been purchased as a parts source for #3679.

#2012 and a unnumbered counterpart are 1980 Balco Battery Mine Locomotives- These two oddballs are listed in the CTG as numbers 1 and 2 (which to me doesn't make a lot of sense), and are listed under type as "Tugger". I've only ever found limited information about Balco on the internet. I call these mine locomotives as that appears to be their general style. I would hazard a guess that this pair were used during construction on the Corona extension in particular, but possibly others. Most mine locomotives are narrow gauge and these are standard gauge, so I suspect they were built new for Edmonton Transit. Their use today? I'm not sure! I can't see one of these things rocketing along the mainline when something like the speeder is available, or even 3264 below. However, the one in the June 12th pic appears to have been rebuilt and has some massive batteries. It could be they are just used as an emissions free vehicle to move stuff around the shops, and one is probably a parts source. The one in that is stored indoors is fitted with a primitive knuckle coupler one on end, and the other end has a device that looks like the same devise used to attach a Scharfenberg coupler to 2010 and 3850 to move LRV's around. 2012 is a duplicate number with the Geismar KGT tronic.

#3679 is a 1976 Fairmont speeder. This is one of the original pieces of equipment used during construction of the NE LRT line.  Very little is known about the 4 wheel cars usually seen with the speeder. It is likely the these date to the original construction as well, as Edmonton's Electric Transit notes that there are 4 hand cars with 5000 lbs capacity. In addition to the hand cars, a tool car and platform lift car rounded out the fleet of cars used with the speeder.
#3679 received a new body built by Edmonton Truck Body in 1992. This unit is the last active (non historic collection) unit to be in the yellow/ blue stripes with the "Flying E" livery, although ballast car #2401 does stop a "Flying E" logo.

Despite the increasing fleet of specialized equipment being purchased for LRT, it seems that this equipment still fills a specific niche in that the hand cars are quite low to the ground which makes them useful around worksites, rather than equipment with higher mounted flat decks. The speeder and hand cars recently have seen a lot of use on tie replacement projects.
2112 is currently sitting in the weeds at DLM. 3855 is off of the rails, but still at DLM not in use.

Additional, and perhaps more interesting photos, can be found in the "Projects" section under "trains" which will be overall shots of the Speeder hauling cars around.

(Sources: Personal observations, Edmonton's Electric Transit, Various Editions of the Canadian Trackside Guide)


February 19, 2003
ETS #3679 with 2112 with a crane mounted is seen heading south over the grade crossing at 129 Ave. 3679 was heading down to the Grandin crossover to pick up some welding equipment.

Thumbnail Unit # Date Description
2012 and parts unit 1980 Balco Battery Mine Locomotives
2012 June 12, 2009 Inside of the ROW building at DLM. Knuckle coupler end, before the unit received a fleet number.
2012 June 12, 2009 Inside of the ROW building at DLM. Scharfenberg coupler adapter end.
  June 12, 2009 Stored out of DLM.
  June 29, 2011 Store outside at DLM.
3680 John Deere Gator Track Utility Vehicle
3680 June 12, 2009 ETS #3680 inside the ROW building at DLM.
3680 June 16, 2018 ETS #3680 on display at DLM during the 40th Anniversary of LRT open house.
3680 June 16, 2018 ETS #3680 on display at DLM during the 40th Anniversary of LRT open house.
3680 September 12, 2018 ETS #3680 loaded on a trailer along the E track extension, ex CN track, during a tie replacement project. #3680 seems to have been there because it was loaded with hydraulic power packs and it was easier to take the whole vehicle, rather than move the power packs around!
3679 1976 Fairmont Speeder with 1992 custom built body by Edmonton Truck Body
DSC05439.JPG (239163 bytes) 3679 September 20, 2008 ETS #3679 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC05414.JPG (260924 bytes) 3679 September 20, 2008 ETS #3679 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC05419.JPG (245858 bytes) 3679 September 20, 2008 ETS #3679 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC05427.JPG (237626 bytes) 3679 September 20, 2008 ETS #3679 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC05489.JPG (208873 bytes) 3679 September 20, 2008 ETS #3679 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
3679 June 12, 2009 ETS #3679 inside of the ROW building at DLM.
3679 June 12, 2009 ETS #3679 inside of the ROW building at DLM.
3679 June 12, 2009 ETS #3679 inside of the ROW building at DLM.
3679 August 7, 2011 ETS #3679 heading south after crossing 129 Ave.
3679 May 21, 2016 3679 on the mainline at DLM during a tie replacement project. The speeder was being used to transport ties with a few of the cars typically seen with it.
Hand Cars for Speeder
DSC05422.JPG (248259 bytes) 2110 September 20, 2008 ETS #2110 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
2110 June 12, 2008 ETS #2110 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
2110 June 16, 2018 ETS #2110 as part of a display at DLM during the 40th Anniversary of LRT open house.
DSC05426.JPG (254320 bytes) 2111 September 20, 2008 ETS #2111 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC05438.JPG (249122 bytes) 2111 September 20, 2008 ETS #2111 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
2111 August 7, 2011 ETS #2111 loaded with material that would be dropped off just north of Churchill Station.
2111 June 16, 2018 ETS #2110 as part of a display at DLM during the 40th Anniversary of LRT open house.
2112 August 7, 2011 ETS #2111 loaded with material that would be dropped off just north of Churchill Station.
2112/13 June 12, 2009 ETS #2113 loaded with 2112 inside of the RoW Building.
DSC05484.JPG (191785 bytes) 2113 September 20, 2008 ETS #2113 inside of the shop building at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
2113 August 7, 2011 ETS #2113 loaded with material that would be dropped off just north of Churchill Station.
3855 Curtis Hoover Tool Car- This car was used during the initial construction of the LRT. I am assuming that this is the tool car. I can't identify any fleet number in my photo of the car. Currently, it is stored off of the rails at DLM.
3855 September 27, 2012 #3855 stored outside at DLM.
Speeder- Presumably a parts source for ETS's speeder. It turned up at DLM in the mid-late 2000's.
DSC04807.JPG (233858 bytes) Unknown September 12, 2008 A speeder at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.
DSC04817.JPG (203095 bytes) Unknown September 12, 2008 A speeder at the D.L. McDonald Transit Yards.

This page last updated on June 13, 2021

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