One unusual thing about the parent company of the Hamilton area radials, the Cataract Company, was that as it took over each of the Hamilton radials there was little or no integration of operations. Rather than merge operations into that of a single company, each radial company existed much as it had before. The only change made to the radials was that all equipment and cars were renumbered where needed to avoid confusion. (An organized numbering scheme for all Cataract company owned radials was introduced in 1910.)
To further complicate things, in Nov 1907 the Cataract Company created a new subsidiary called the Hamilton Terminal Company (HTC), to control ownership of the newly constructed Hamilton Terminal Station, and to become the owner and operator (for the most part) of any new cars purchased for the Cataract's radials.
As the owner of the Hamilton Terminal Station, the HTC made revenues by charging the other radial lines for use of the terminal (at 25¢ per car per use) and it ‘rented’ out its radial and freight cars to the other four radials.
The HTC lasted as a corporate entity until the end of the radials in the Hamilton area, in the early 1930s. The cars were scrapped, but the Terminal station survived and served as a bus station until 1955. It was torn down in 1959 to make way for a new residential and commercial complex.
HTC dump motor #146 at Sanford Yard, circa 1921. Like a self-propelled hopper car, dump motors were used to transport gravel for line reconstruction, and dump their loads where needed. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #147, July 1920, place unknown. These dump Motors were constructed by the Koppel firm around 1912. They were purchased second-hand by the HTC around 1913, for use as trailers, and were sold off in 1933. (Photographer unknown)
Ex-HTC #147, now Canada Crushed Stone 14, in 1947. The Canada Crushed Stone Company hauled stone from its quarry in Flamborough Township to its rock crusher next to the CN mainline near Dundas using electric cars. When the Hamilton radials went out of business, the CCS bought several of the work cars for use on its electric line. Compared to the previous photo, HTC #147 became CCS #14 with the replacement of its three smaller containers with one large flatbed, and a pantograph on top of the cab has replaced the electric trolley pole in the middle of the car. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #149 at Sanford yard, date unknown. HTC #149 was built around 1900 by the Koppel firm and was purchased second-hand by the HTC in 1913. (Photographer unknown)
HTC #149 at Sanford yard, March 1923. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC/HSR #149 at Sanford yard, April 10, 1938. After the end of the Hamilton Terminal Company, HTC #149 became HSR #149, acting as a work car for the streetcar system, until its retirement in 1948. Behind #149 is HSR #429, one of the Preston DEDT streetcars. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #149 waits as a Laconia DEDT streetcar enters Sanford yard, date unknown. (Photographer unknown)
HTC #600, Date & place unknown. Built by the Preston Car & Coach Company in 1910, it was later transferred to the Hamilton Radial Electric Railway (HRER) and renumbered #308.
HTC #601 has derailed on the HG&B at Maplewood and Prospect in Hamilton during the 1920s. Built by the Preston Car & Coach Company in 1910, it was later transferred to the Hamilton Radial Electric Railway (HRER) and renumbered #309. (Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library, Local History & Archives, used with permission)
HTC #602 pokes out of the Beamsville car barn on the last day of service, June 30, 1931. Built by the Preston Car & Coach Company in 1910, it was scrapped in 1933. From left to right is Conductor Omar Cosby, Motorman Jim Steven, Earl Spencer, Bill "Greeny" Greenfield, unknown, unknown, Albert Dipper, unknown, with Harry Barnes on top of #602. (Photo from the James McFarlane Collection, courtesy Trevor Parkins-Sciberras used with permission)
This unused postcard shows HTC #603 at the HRER's Oakville station, circa WWI. Built by the Preston Car & coach company in 1913, #603 would be destroyed on December 29, 1919 during the Beamsville Car Barn fire.
HTC #603 is towed back to the Sanford yard after being damaged in a collision during the 1910s. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #605 and B&H #235 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, 1928. (Photographer unknown)
Close up of HTC #605 and B&H #235 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, 1928. Built by the Preston Car & coach company in 1913, 605 was scrapped in 1933. (Photographer unknown)
HTC #606 at the H&D Dundas station, circa 1917. Built by the Preston Car & coach company in 1913, #606 was bought by Canada Crushed Stone near Dundas for parts in 1933. (From the Dundas Museum & Archives)
Ex-HTC #606 at the Canada Crushed Stone Company near Dundas circa 1935. (From the Sirman collection, used with permission)
HTC #608 & #609 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, date unknown. Built by the Preston Car & coach company in 1913, #608 was retired in 1933. (Photographer unknown)
HTC #608 heading eastbound on Main St W in Grimsby, just west of Mountain St, May 24, 1926. (Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library, used with permission)
HTC #609 at the Sanford yard, circa 1921. Built by Jewett around 1907, HTC #609 was originally a combine owned by the Cincinnati & Columbus Traction Company (numbered 2-16, even numbers only), before being bought second hand in 1920. It was scrapped in 1932. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
The soon to be HTC #610 or #611 at the Sanford Shops in 1920. Built by Jewett around 1907, it was originally a combine owned by the Cincinnati & Columbus Traction Company (numbered 2-16, even numbers only), before being bought second hand in 1920. It was scrapped in 1932. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #610 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, 1927. HTC #609-611 were rebuilt into standard radial cars by the Preston Car & Coach company after being purchased in 1920. #610 & #611 were also given Tomlinson couplers (salvaged from Toronto Suburban Railway #102 & #103 that were destroyed in a plant fire on Jan 7 1917) that allowed the cars to be run in multiple-unit service. HTC #610 was retired in 1932. (Photo from the Richard Vincent collection, courtesy of the Halton County Radial Railway)
HTC #610 at the Canada Crushed Stone Company near Dundas sometime in the 1930s. (Photographer unknown)
HTC #611 at Wilson and Sanford in 1927. (Photo from the Richard Vincent collection, courtesy of the Halton County Radial Railway)
HTC #676 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, date unknown. Built by McGuire-Cummings, it spent its first few years as part of the New York & Brooklyn Bridge Railway before being bought by the HTC in 1910. It was scrapped in 1934 (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
HTC #677 at the Hamilton Terminal Station, circa 1920. Built by the Preston Car & Coach co. in 1913, this freight motor was a twin of HG&B #171:2, and may have been intended to be numbered HG&B #172:2. It was scrapped in 1932, after having accidentally been left behind in Trinity when the tracks of the B&H were torn up. (From the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission)
A clip of HTC #675 has been found online, inside a short 1920 film on fruit picking in the Niagara Peninsula called 'Where Nature Smiles.' A low quality version is available on YouTube. A higher quality version is on the National Film Board of Canada website. It can't be linked to directly, but here's how to find it:
Visit the National Film Board of Canada Images Search page
in the field 'Shot ID', type 27708.
The full documentary is 9 minutes, 15 seconds. HTC #675 appears at about 12:05:31:00 (for some reason this clip starts at 12:00:00:00)
HTC #675 was built in 1906 by the Russell company. It was bought by the HTC in 1913 from an unrecorded previous owner. Used as a freight motor in the summer, in the winter large snowplows were installed for snow clearing. The clip shows HTC #675 hauling one of the Hamilton Radial's flat cars, HRER #393-398. These cars were originally ordinary flat cars, and had sides installed and a beam mounted at the top of the car running lengthwise, so that a tarp could be placed over the cargo like a tent.
More info on the HTC's fleet is here
