Osaka #247
Osaka #247 awaits passengers at the terminus near Jasper Avenue (July 17, 2008)
© Hans Ryffel, ERRS
Hankai Electric Railway (Osaka) No. 247 was built in 1921 by Umebachi/Sharyo. Rebuilt in 1947, it remained in service in Osaka until 1990, when it was acquired for spare parts by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society. However, it arrived in such excellent condition that the plans were revised and the car kept for the future High Level Bridge Line. It saw first service in 1995 with the help of a generator trailer and finally made the first trip across the High Level Bridge under overhead lines in 1997. For many years, No. 247 has been the only service car on this line and it has served our society extremely well. At present it is mainly used in mid-week service and on days when two cars operate the High Level Bridge line.
No. 247 in Osaka sporting Canadian and Japanese flags prior to shipment to Edmonton. © ERRS Collection