The T-48 was the first type of trolley bus used by the HSR. HSR #701 was delivered by rail on April 17, 1950 and was put on public display at the Hamilton Industrial fair at the James St Armouries between April 26 and 29. The remaining T48s were delivered that fall, and replaced diesel buses on the Cannon route on December 10, 1950.
The closely related T-48A was purchased for the King and Barton routes, which were former streetcar lines. After the streetcars were removed in April 1951, diesel buses handled operations until the new wires and vehicles were ready in October 1951.
All of the T-48s were retired by the end of 1974, replaced by the first batch of E700As. One T-48 wasn't scrapped, HSR #716 was sold to a farm for use as a storage building, but was ultimately scrapped sometime after 1986. The HSR had originally decided to retire all of the T-48As after the arrival of the second batch of E700As in 1974, but decided to keep 9 on the active roster (HSR #727, 728, 730, 732, 735, 745, 747, 748 and 750). These buses were repainted into the yellow and black ‘Ticat’ scheme in 1974-75, and were finally retired in 1979.
The electrical equipment from the retired buses was salvaged, rebuilt, and installed into the E700As when they were rebuilt in 1982. Two T-48A's were not scrapped at the end of their service with the HSR. HSR #732 went to the Halton County Radial Railway, but was sold off in 2022 and is now in Sandon BC. HSR #739 was sold to a private owner, and spent several years in a field near Hwy 2 approximately 2 km west of Cardinal in eastern Ontario, before being scrapped in July 1995.
Tom's North American Trolley Bus Pictures has a large number of HSR trolley bus pictures, well worth a look.
Some of the dates for these photos are unknown, and the locations are often just a guess. If you know either date or location, email me!
(All photos © Tom Luton, except where noted)
HSR #701 at Wilson & Sanford, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #701 on Strathearne north of Roxborough, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #702 at Hughson & Gore, August 12, 1970. (By Joseph Testagrose, used with permission)
HSR #702 on Barton east of Kenilworth, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #703 at the Queenston Traffic Circle, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #703 and #712 rest in Sanford Yard, date unknown (From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #705 at Beland & Dunsmure, May 1971. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #705 at Sanford Yard. Date unknown, but it's in the scrap line and has had parts removed, so it's near the end.
HSR #712 on King St E. at West Ave in May 1969, along with HSR #305. (Photo by Mike Harrington, used with permission)
HSR #712 & #691 on James at King William, May 5 1972. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
HSR #714 on the Barton Route, date unknown (From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #717 at Sanford yard in May 1969, along with HSR 462. (Photo by Mike Harrington, used with permission)
HSR #722 on Hughson north of King, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #722 on Main St East, between Glendale and King, January 7, 1973 (Photo by John Sutherland, used with permission)
HSR #727 passing a church at Main and Edgemont (From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #728 on the King Route, date unknown (From the Nightbus collection, used with permission)
HSR #729 at Main & MacNab, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #730 at James & King William, September 27 1973. (Photo by David L. Phillips, used with permission.)
HSR #730 and #747 at James & King William, September 27 1973. (Photo by David L. Phillips, used with permission.)
HSR #730 at Reid & Lang, May 1974. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #732 at King St W and Charles, date unknown (From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #732 on display at the Halton Radial Railway Museum, June 26, 1983. (Photo from the Richard Vincent collection, used with permission.)
HSR #732 on display at the Halton Radial Railway Museum, August 25, 2002.
HSR #733 at Main & MacNab, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #737 at Osborne and Melvin, Jan 1 1976. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
HSR #737 on Talbot north of Melvin, Jan 1 1976. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
HSR #738 eastbound on Barton near Ferguson, August 25, 1960. (Photo by William D. Volkmer, From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #742 at James & York St in September 1963. The empty space behind the bus is the site of the old Hamilton city hall, demolished in 1961. Everything else in this photo was torn down by the end of the 1960s to make way for Jackson Square. (Photo from the Ed Viveiros collection, used with permission.)
HSR #742 on Hughson north of King, May 1971. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #745 at Melvin & Parkdale, date unknown. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #747 at Roxborough & Strathearne, May 1974. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #748, eastbound on Main near the Queenston Traffic Circle, date unknown (From Dave’s Electric Railroads.)
HSR #748 at Beechwood and Gage on a fan charter, May 25 1975 (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
HSR #748 on Wentworth at Wilson on a fan charter, May 25 1975 (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
HSR #749 at Hughson & Wilson, May 1972. (Photo by Mitchell Libby, used with permission.)
HSR #750 at Hughson and King in Sept 1972, along with HSR 669. (Photo by Mike Harrington, used with permission)
HSR #750 on King St, west of Catherine (Photo from the Ed Viveiros collection, used with permission.)
