Top bid $112 for electric streetcar being auctioned off in Vancouver
A decades-old electric streetcar is up for auction in Vancouver, and the top bid as of Friday morning was just $112.
While the low pricetag might sound enticing for some, the streetcar does come with a few strings attached – no pun intended.
The listing on the B.C. Auction website notes the vehicle is not in working condition, with some parts missing, and has visible damage on the exterior and interior. The streetcar also contains asbestos, according to a hazardous materials report attached to the post.
Retrieving the streetcar could pose a significant challenge as well: "Railway tracks may require preparation prior to removal including additional gravel provided by the winning bidder to bring the loading area to grade," the listing reads.
The purchaser will also need to arrange for "a switchman to operate the switch."
The Belgian government donated the streetcar to the Transit Museum Society around the year 2000, according to Matthew Laird, who was with the organization at the time.
Laird posted about the auction on Twitter this week, writing that the streetcar was at one point intended for use in Vancouver's Downtown Historic Railway, which ran between Olympic Village and Granville Island.
That railway was scuttled in 2011, and the streetcar never made it into operation – even though approximately $20,000 was spent "having UBC students build a new controller for it," Laird wrote.
"Now it's being disposed of because it's partially restored with nowhere to run it," he added.
The auction closes on August 29 at 8 p.m., according to the B.C. Auction website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.