When Men Were Men ... And Horses Were Horses – Canadian Railway Museum, Delson, Québec

From the time it was launched in 1861, the Montreal City Passenger Railway (which became the Montreal Street Railway in 1886) was increasingly successful. In its heyday it owned over 1,000 horses, 150 horse-drawn rail streetcars, 49 omnibuses for spring and fall use and 104 winter sleighs, serving a population of 90,000 in 1861 and 200,000 in 1892. Before the practice of clearing snow from the streets was implemented when the network was electrified, omnibuses and streetcars were replaced during the winter by sleighs that were neither heated nor insulated. Passengers buried their feet in the straw on the floor, hoping to retain a little warmth. The crew, consisting of a driver and conductor, endured the rigours of the climate with only thick fur coats for protection.