Rollsigns from Edmonton, AB
This style of front linen
rollsign was common on
their CC&F Brill electric
trolley buses. It came off
of T-44 Brill bus #131.
The actual printed area is
very narrow so side fill in
pieces were sewn on to
fill out the sign. It has no
print date. It has 15
expousres. The end blank
had to be trimmed back
because the linen material
had degraded over time.

This rollsign was donated
to the collection by
Ken Baker.
Public transportation in Edmonton began in the 1890s with an omnibus service called "Edmonton Bus Line" that connected Edmonton to the
train station at South Edmonton (now known as Strathcona). This service was timed to match up with the arrivals and departures of passenger
trains. Other omnibus operators tried to compete, but the services eventually discontinued. The Edmonton, Yukon & Pacific Railway also added
service between the two communities, which may have added to their failure. Around the same time in 1894, the Edmonton Street Railway
Company was incorporated to run in Edmonton. The company landed the franchise in 1903 to run in the Town of Edmonton, but no services
were initiated, and the franchise was forfeited in 1905. On October 30, 1908 and under municipal control, the Edmonton Radial Railway was
incorporated. This included the previously acquired Strathcona Radial Tramway Company Ltd. on August 26, 1908. Although the ERR was
originally intended to operate tramways in the city, and within an 80 mile radius of the city, no new interurban lines were ever built. Over time, the
ERR's service was expanded to include the villages of North Edmonton and Calder. On July 16, 1946, the system changed its name to the
Edmonton Transportation System. This new name was short lived, and just nine months later on April 29, 1947, the system modified its name
to be called the Edmonton Transit System. In later years, the ETS would take over services provided in the Town of Beverly in 1961, and in the
Town of Jasper in 1964. On April 22, 1978 the ETS began operations of the LRT system, in conjunction with the city hosting the Commonwealth
Games. The line ran along the CN right-of-way from Belvedere to the Coliseum and Stadium Stations, then to the Churchill and Central Stations.
In the years to follow, contracted services to other communities would be implemented, including St. Albert from 1974 to 1986, Sherwood Park
from 1977 to 1989 and Beaumont from 2003 to 2004. Other contracted services are still in operation, which include Fort Saskatchewan and
Edmonton Garrison from 2005, Spruce Grove from 2006, and Leduc in 2010. On April 28, 2009 City Council voted to move forward the
decommissioning of the trolley operations in Edmonton as one of the cost saving measures due to a city-wide budget deficit. The last day
of trolley bus operations was May 2, 2009, however the ETS's full network of accessible vehicles continues to operate to this date.
Edmonton Transit System 1946 built CC&F Brill T-44 electric trolley
bus #131 (serial #5023), the bus this rollsign came from, is seen
at a private yard in Edmonton, Alberta on September 25, 1999.
(Photo by Ken Baker. Used with permission.)
to go to the Edmonton Transit
electronic sign list page.
All three of the horizontal route
number rollsigns in the box they
came with. This assembly would be
mounted in the rear window of the bus.
All four of these route number rollsigns and the rear number assembly below came
from retired Edmonton Transit System's 1969 built GMC T6H-4521 #12. The signs
were made by Transign, however none of them have a print date on them. On two of
them, the end sections from "E" and "X"  to "60" were later additions.
The two furthest left are part of the front sign set. They have 30 and 19 exposures
respectively. The mylar used on the 19 exposure sign is translucent.
The two rollsigns nearest to the left make up the side sign display. They have
29 and 19 exposures respectively. Both signs are printed on translucent mylar
except for the new addition at the end of the left one.
The rear sign assembly below contains three separate rollsigns that roll horizontally.
They're about the same size as a typical run number set. Each roll within the box has
12 exposures and they're all printed on opaque mylar.
This entire collection of rollsigns was graciously donated by Ken Baker.
Edmonton Transit System 1969 built GMC T6H-4521 New Look #12
(serial #C116), the bus these route number rollsigns came from, is seen
retired at Edmonton Transit's Ferrier garage December 23, 1999.
(Photo by Ken Baker. Used with permission.)
This special front street side mylar destination sign was designed only for Edmonton's
GMC/Brown Boveri electric trolley buses, and reflects destinations only within that network. The
sign has 42 exposures. It is odd that the sign has two different print dates on a single mylar
sign with no splices. The upper date is September 24, 1981, where the lower date is September
25, 1981. Each sign tag reads slightly different as well. Both sign tags are shown below.
Upper sign tag:

TRIPLE FRT. DRIVER'S SIDE

DIESEL DIV.-EDMONTON
P.O.J-6210-CQ
2009964
9-24-81 TRANSIGN
Lower sign tag:

DIESEL DIVISION-EDMONTON
P.O.J-6210-CQ
2009964
TRIPLE FRT. DRIVER'S SIDE
9/25/81 TRANSIGN
Edmonton Transit
System 1982 built
Brown Boveri trolley
bus with a GMC body
#160, the type of bus
this destination sign
was designed for, is
seen southbound on
101 Street NW at 103
Ave NW in downtown
Edmonton, in April of
2003. The entire
electric trolley bus
network has since
been eliminated.
(Photo by Ken
Baker. Used with
permission.)