New Double-Deck Carriage in Victoria
Dave Shishkoff
This is disappointing. We’ll be starting up our demonstrations soon, let me know if you’d like to join us!
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- Dave
Double-deck carriages debut
They're
modern versions of pre-auto transport
Darron
Kloster, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, April 25, 2008
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=74c9c49c-5d95-4f9f-b742-f296ec072453&k=66597
In a city already renowned for its double-decker buses, visitors to Victoria will be getting another taste of Old England with two-level horse-drawn carriages.
Black Beauty Line Ltd., one of three carriage operators providing scenic tours in the capital, contracted a Quebec company to design and build replicas of the 19th-century 20-passenger carriages that plied the streets of London and other parts of Europe before the advent of the automobile.
Co-owner Rebecca Spray was doing dry runs yesterday with a Percheron team pulling a slender metal-and-glass carriage, which will elevate driver and passengers about three and a half metres off the asphalt.
"It's taking a little getting used to, sitting above the team instead of behind, but they have a lot more control and you can see much better," said Spray. "The horses? They're just, 'Whatever ... let's get going.'"
Ted Jeglum, Spray's husband and Black Beauty co-owner, said the service will start in a couple of weeks to allow the drivers and horses to get the feel for the carriages. Black Beauty has a stable of 20 draft horses, including Belgians, Clydesdales and Shires.
He said the replica carriages have never been used in North America before, and will help Black Beauty compete with Capital City Tally-Ho and Victoria Carriage Tours Inc. -- which both operate larger carriages -- to reduce prices by attracting single-passenger fares and larger groups. Black Beauty currently uses only smaller carriages that attract couples and cost riders more.
The cost to ride the new carriages will be between $20 and $25 per hour.
Smaller carriage rides currently range from $50 for 15 minutes up to $170 for a full hour.
Under bylaws, the larger carriages are only allowed to carry 20 passengers.
The double-deckers were built by Les Voitures Robert Inc. in Ste. Pie, Que., from detailed plans obtained from a British transportation museum, and brought here on a flatbed truck last month. The owners would not divulge costs, but partner Dan Pedrick, a former Black Beauty owner and longtime operator, said replicas recently built in Europe have been sold for $80,000.
The original carriages were made of wood and weighed about 3,700 pounds, but the new sheet-metal variety is much lighter and easier to handle and pull with vulcanized rubber-covered tires and disc brakes, he said.
The lower level is sheltered with safety glass and removable windows.
Each carriage will have a tour guide as well as the driver, said Spray.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008