Love taking the train

Re: Flashbacks (May 19)

The article by Mark McNeil about the history of streetcars in and around Hamilton going back to 1912 offered great writing and wonderful history.

I can identify a bit, because I am a railway fan and therefore anything that moves on tracks. I came to Canada 1950 from Germany (was born in Toronto — parents went back) and, of course every small city in Europe had streetcars; cities the size of Hamilton usually have between three and six lines.

I loved riding them here in 1950 and 1951 and they ran on Main and King to Kenilworth, on to Barton and also Burlington Street to James Street, also along part of Sherman Avenue and a track on Birch Avenue toward International Harvester and Stelco during rush hours.

They were good transportation and you paid 25 cents for four tickets with transfers to/from buses. I fondly remember that. Pity Hamilton has not “expanded” on that.

That would have been great, but you also need to connect to the Mountain, and 32 years ago we were offered a monorail up there through a tunnel. Sadly, it was rejected.

I am really surprised that we have not built a tunnel through the Mountain for cars long, long ago! Every city with a mountain or situated in a valley has them, like Pittsburgh, Pa., in U.S.A. We need to do something for the future along those lines.

LRT would be fine, but with a Mountain connection. Kitchener-Waterloo opened theirs last year and they did an excellent job, connecting two shopping malls, two universities, a hospital, VIA Rail and is very modern and up-to-date in all aspects.

Raymond Braun, Dundas