Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver, Canada

The world's first steam-powered clock has been created for the enjoyment of everyone. Live steam winds the weights and blows the whistles. Every four and a half minutes one steel weight will travel by steam power to the top of the clock. The gravity-driven falling ball drive was engineered by Douglas L. Smith. Each quarter hour the clock will sound the Westminster chimes. The large whistle will sound once on the hour. Steam is supplied by the underground system of Central Heat Distributors Limited. The component parts cost $42,000 and the clock weighs over two tons.

This old clock is located at the western boundary of the old Granville townsite, known as Gastown. In 1870, the shore of Burrard Inlet was only a few yards north of this point. Through the early nineteen hundreds, Gastown was the commercial center of Vancouver. By the nineteen sixties, it had become Vancouver's skid row. In the early nineteen seventies, it was rehabilitated to its former stature. The success of its rehabilitation was due to property owners, retailers, and all the people of Gastown working together with city council and civic departments.

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Entertainment

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• Steam clock
• Canada
• Vancouver
• tourist attraction