On Track: early SkyTrain project film from 1983

On Track is a 15-minute film from April 13, 1983, produced by JEM Productions for BC Transit. The video highlights the events leading to the acquisition of SkyTrain, the rapid transit system in Vancouver, BC, and shows the SkyTrain in operation at Kingston Ontario. There are lots of images of construction for the prebuild demonstration section that debuted at Main Street in 1982!
Visit the original Buzzer blog post for more about this video:
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[@NetiNeti25920]

Anyone else binge watching these historical Vancouver videos?

[@glen6945]

ase hole

[@NetiNeti25920]

@@glen6945 sorry sir, the mirror is that way down the hall

[@videosforfun123]

Man you gotta love the music in these videos

[@CancorseTV1]

wow i never knew that those skytrain stations looked like that! this is just amazing those skytrains are seriously life savers and its great cause they pretty much go everywhere and you can transfer at every stop

[@ParmMohan-us6rn]

Lol, it runs so quietly you can carry on a conversation. Fast forward to 2019, the train exceeds safe hearing levels.

[@javidmirza4584]

Parm Mohan it’s not that the train exceeds hearing levels it’s just that people started to pay attention to noise more before no one cared how loud it was cause it was already something that moved people around, if does it’s job right and safe then what else do you need. Then came the whiners and changed everything

[@ParmMohan-us6rn]

Javid Mirzayev You are some bit correct. When the sky train was first operational, BC considered it a great achievement. Remember Expo site was a dump way back and Vancouver city was coming out of a very seedy reputation in North America. It was the sex capital on North America. But when the investment poured in, people wanted improvement and now its considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With achievement comes greater expectation of standard.

[@dowotyalike]

Still watching in June 2021

[@MichaelBorodySwizzlerz]

this reminds me of a video you would watch at school in the 90's lol

[@chocomanger6873]

It's from 1983.

[@FreshLyte]

Wow look at Terminal. That's old school Vancouver.

[@glen6945]

fk you ass holed

[@FreshLyte]

​@@glen6945 Are you a Vancouver history buff? I personally have always loved the Terminal area of Vancouver. So much cool history. I really miss what it looked like in the late 80s early 90s.

[@ParmMohan-us6rn]

Wow look at how pristine Vancouver use to be

[@CelGenStudios]

30 years later, we're once again "on track" with the Evergreen Line. \o/

[@seamack3]

Well at least the Evergreen Line has now been completed. Surrey and beyond soon? LOL. Langley isn't even in the first phase of the recent transit initiative... at the rate things are moving, they won't likely get SkyTrain until 2033... a half century after this film was made!

[@user-xg8yy7yl1d]

seamack3 if the SoCreds were still in I bet the SkyTrain would be in Langley and they'd be talking about extending it all the way to chilliwack in 10 years

[@arctic_shadow578]

@@user-xg8yy7yl1d and port coquitlam

[@Wpdhsx]

@@seamack3 The Surrey to Langley expansion is finally happening!!

[@slam5]

@@seamack3 Evergreen Line is so wonderful. I traveled from Marpole (by Arthur Laing) to Port Moody in 95 or so minutes. That was so utterly amazing.

[@trevorcanham1493]

I find it amazing how when u enter the tunnel at stadium and head to granville its a staight shot on a angle and then another to burrard on a angle then a massive curve to waterfront never get tired of that the enginnering was next level for that time so cool

[@classicrockcafe]

I would like a Greater Vancouver Bus map dated before the Skytrain was built. I want to see all the places where all Skytrain places were built on all the lines. From the Vancouver Waterfront to Lake Lafarge in Coquitlam. A before and after maps and photos. Pre-Skytrain Greater Vancouver was part of my childhood and teen world. My heritage. I want to see them again.

[@chocomanger6873]

I want Google Maps satellite and street view from that time. That would be really interesting.

[@mcp12300]

Interesting to note while the test cars are virtualy identical it seems they decided to go with square headlights for the production models.

[@chocomanger6873]

It's also interesting that they were testing the system in Ontario, not BC.

[@threeparots1]

@@chocomanger6873 UTDC was company that design the original Skytrain system was designed in Ontario. Bombardier would later take over the company. Some Mark 2s were built innBC next to Skytrain control. Mark 5s built in Quebec. Mark 1s all had round headlights. I never went on the 1983 test track sadly.

[@Ezdduf4kuZ]

it was at this time i had no interest in the skytrain event or line...yet to listen to this today, it sounds like a very memorable event and apparently it is, it is!!!!!! back in 1983 it wasn't and yet i lived up the hill from what was to be the edmonds skytrain station. i take the train once or twicwe a week, usually downtown from surrey's gateway station where i'm living now and i'll tell you i would be at a loss for words if something was to happen where i have to travel by bus again. thx

[@garricksl]

Good things that you noticed the improvement of Lower Mainland past 30 years and need to see the future of Translink. SF Bay Area has a horrible transit system.

[@slam5]

@@garricksl Bay Area's transit isn't that great, especially if you need to take bus. I was in SF a while ago. as I do in Vancouver, I always thank you to the driver before I get off. I did that and people think I'm from Mars.

[@garricksl]

@@slam5 California's idea of public transit is for the poor and disabled.

[@slam5]

@@garricksl I gathered that. It is the polar opposite of Vancouver. A lot of people take transit because it is convenient and enjoyable, especially with SkyTrain.

[@garricksl]

@@slam5 Our Former Gov Regan hates public services.

[@LittleWolfBindery]

What a beautiful city Vancouver used to be. Now it's all high rises that look like greenhouses and giant aquarium tanks. :(

[@stpat7614]

Thanks to the skytrain.

[@SuperGayHomo]

Oh boo hoo. Move, you're keeping the prices up!

[@chocomanger6873]

It looks better now, actually.

[@smallstudiodesign]

… man, you’re such a sour sap of a person. Look at the positives.

[@jamiesebastian5207]

The most 80s thing ever

[@Pfenex]

I remember having to push a button to open the doors to get on or off. I now feel old.

[@mcp12300]

Joseph Greenlay I've only read about that, could you tell me how that worked?

[@AbbieOates]

I was on the Skytrain in the early 90s and cannot remember this, do you know when this was?

[@dustmybroom288]

@@mcp12300if you look on the oldest trains the buttons are still there

[@NausicaaLeGuin]

Awesome. Love the music :)

[@disneyplay4]

Awesome! Wish I had lived in those times

[@BNSFfan2373]

thankyou for contributing to skytrain!!!!

[@glen6945]

sky train is garbage

[@TranslinkLover_YT]

@@glen6945that garbage is worth more than you

[@Richie858]

is there a video like this on the building of the sky train into surrey?

[@kabiam]

They should should of started when they tore up the inter urban in the fifties. We would of had rapid transit out to White Rock and as far as Chilliwack by now 30 years and 100 Billion behind schedule

[@chocomanger6873]

"should of"? Don't you mean "should've"? And who's this mysterious "they"? You're definitely from the west coast. Always complaining about what others haven't done for you. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

[@spencermatthews5942]

Such stylish music!

[@archerofloaf]

I do too!

[@BADBIKERBENNY]

They did not use Imperial. I bet a lot of people at the time were asking, what the hell is that?

[@UTubeIsTrackingYou]

Why did they let them back out of the tunnel????

[@robertcartwright4374]

It's a winner!

[@ricksmith9794]

wow

[@tonye4176]

Now the tracks are so worn out you need ear plugs to avoid hearing damage. Trans link is over 200million in the hole. It’s unbelievable

[@mvg2x34]

As long as there are people working in all the big buildings the rest of a city will come together. Once the jobs are gone, the rest of the ambiance and innovation deteriorate too.

[@markseto1172]

7:47 not anymore haha i still like them though

[@TheBean2p]

train should be 2.00 one way. its too pricy with the 3 zone garbage

[@edsonlizarazo2447]

TheBean2p Pjgf

[@SuperGayHomo]

Free transit is an Unestablished Charter Right.

[@ryan-kv2ct]

there’s capitalism for you

[@chocomanger6873]

It is pretty expensive, isn't it?

[@videosforfun123]

5:53 8:25 12:06

[@newdmbfan]

13:35

[@jaworskij]

Winnipeg should have purchased a UTDC (now Bombardier) system it would have been much cheaper tan Bullshit Rapid Transit they built in 2012.

[@user-hr7gj3im7p]

hey its not bullshit its nice

Feel old?

[@tylero8595]

Vancouver was so exciting in the 80s and 90-s. Because you knew the city was being developed and expanded. Unfortunately I am not a fan anymore of how the city has turned out. Pretty boring now. No fun city.

[@nickbrooks7171]

Too many Asian= too boring

[@superapple4ever]

The sky trains now are manufactured by Hyundai in 2008. Much prefer the look of the old ones.

[@wilsonkong2014]

Those are only the ones on the Canada Line. The new 2016 cars are still built by Bombardier.

[@milanstreit49]

I totally agree with you. I live the white boxes with red and blue stripes. It looks so 80s but yet still looks great today.

[@blitzk782]

​@@milanstreit49 a timeless look with lots of character

[@Slevin-Kelevra]

Only the Canada Line Train Sets. The rest of the lines are still made by the Bombedier now Alstream.

[@Theunknownshredder]

4:20

[@TW-lk3ul]

The 80s

[@classicrockcafe]

And here is the Central Park Line. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKO8k4OwiLqmqqs

[@lifelong5425]

And today....a never ending traffic nightmare being retro fitted using trains.....that used to exist years ago all the way from Chilliwack.......A city that has become hard to afford....Progress...? Vancouver was the West Coast jewel....what happened ? Do we think one day it will be finished...lol.

[@nickbrooks7171]

Where are the Asian? No asians wow!!!

[@pm6613]

Skytrain technology" noisy, wearing wheels on tracks instead of magnetic wheel technology was the decision.

[@chrisbuck1695]

Today it is snowing in Vancouver, the Skytain will most likely break down somewhere when the people of Vancouver need it most, the system is a joke.

[@stinkfinger630]

80 km/h? Nope

[@jurisprudence5259]

It's the train's maximum speed. It does hit 80 in sections

[@stinkfinger630]

@@jurisprudence5259 Where? I ride it fairly regularly.

[@jurisprudence5259]

@@stinkfinger630 in certain sections such as the stretch between Main and Broadway for example. Between certain stations the train will get to 80 but not for long ofcourse

[@stinkfinger630]

@@jurisprudence5259 nope. It doesn’t hit 80

[@stinkfinger630]

@@jurisprudence5259 okay, I rode the train yesterday and it appears to actually hit 75 km briefly from main to commercial. You are correct 👍🏻. My apologies. I always felt it was slow as molasses in January!