Vintage TTC and GTA transit system photos thread

[Robert Lubinski]

All Wilson division buses were equipped with CIS when it was the only division using it. I don't recall the year it was installed, but it was sometime between 1978 and 1980 or thereabouts so all the buses in the 3500 series that were at Wilson were outfitted with it. They didn't have it for very long since they were retired by 1982.

I grew up in the Danforth garage service area and there weren't more than a handful of buses with standee windows - the last few 2900s and five buses 3150-54, so they were a rare sight in the old east end of Toronto as well. The west end seemed to have a lot of more them since most of the 3300s and 3500s were at Eglinton, Davenport, Lansdowne and Queensway.

[Downsview 108]

I did not realize the CIS units made it on to the 3500 series buses. My childhood memory never recalls many "standee windowed" buses with the white dome, I had an obsession as a child of tracking the fleet numbers of the buses with the white dome in the early 80's. Another thought also occured to me that as far back as my memory serves, the only time I can recall ever taking a TTC vehicle with standee windows was around 1979-1980 was on the 60 Steeles West route on a family trip to Pioneer Village. As a child bus enthusiest I thought they were great! We were frequent TTC users as my mother had no car, so I do remember always hoping to get a bus with those "extra green tinted windows". Never happened again, a least not where i grew up Victoria Park and Sheppard

I remember riding the gm artics and they had standee windows.

[Orion V]

Why did TTC stopped ordering standee windows? Was it the price and maintenance? If so, why were the earlier ones came with standee windows or were they a must back then?

[Bentley]

Why did TTC stopped ordering standee windows? Was it the price and maintenance? If so, why were the earlier ones came with standee windows or were they a must back then?

I do believe it was the fact the TTC liked the increased ad space the backlit lighting fixtures offered. I do remember reading somewhere that ordering buses minus the standee windows was actually an optional extra. I never quite understood that, I would have thought it would have been the other way around.

[tomsbuspage]

I do believe it was the fact the TTC liked the increased ad space the backlit lighting fixtures offered. I do remember reading somewhere that ordering buses minus the standee windows was actually an optional extra. I never quite understood that, I would have thought it would have been the other way around.

From what I've read, GM offered the option of no standee windows to make room for Bus-O-Rama external ad racks, among other reasons. In Canada, Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg ordered at least some of their buses this way (though I've only seen Canadian Bus-O-Ramas on a Winnipeg Transit D700), while American cities ordering Fishbowls without standee windows on their buses included Boston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and most famously New York City.

However, for internal illuminated ad racks, many cities ordered their Fishbowls with both the racks and standee windows, including Ottawa and Montreal. Is it possible that the TTC's racks were larger than the CTCUM's?

[Bentley]

Some shots from the 90's

On streetcar replacement duty at dusk during the summer of 1996.

[D. DeLarge]

Some older shots from the CofT Archives:

1) Edmonton leased trolleybus, along the harbourfront / Queen's Quay somewheres.

2) West of downtown TO, with TTC Orion I.

3) Toronto Union Station, Front St., with TTC Orion I.

4) Tip Top Tailors building, harbourfront, with TTC Orion I.

[Robert Lubinski]

Some older shots from the CofT Archives:

1) Edmonton leased trolleybus, along the harbourfront / Queen's Quay somewheres.

It's looking south on Jarvis to Queen's Quay, the same place the Bay bus has looped until just recently. If the shot was angled a little further to the right we'd see the Redpath slip. The property which is now Loblaws was the OPP garage, the main building was at the SW corner of Lake Shore and Jarvis.

[vivablue5215]

YRT posted this on their Facebook page today: Some old Richmond Hill Transit vehicles.

[D. DeLarge]

YRT posted this on their Facebook page today: Some old Richmond Hill Transit vehicles.

Without having a history of Richmond Hill Transit handy, I'm guessing they ran a Dial-A-Bus service with those similar to what Brampton Transit and GO/TTC did.

[pc8556]

The shot of TTC 7939 was a Patrick Semple shot.

Nice photos Kevin. Thanks for sharing!

My scanner crapped out recently, so my project to scan more of my slides is currently on hold. Hope to get a new scanner soon.

Actually Bob, I did some checking into this photo of 7939 and user 'williampaul' bought this print off of A. Gryfe (back when Alan was the the archivist for the TTS- before Ray made him return whatever of the collection was remaining ) and the 7939 photo is actually listed as a "JEFFREY KAY" PHOTO, not Patrick Semple.

who knows who is right?

[pc8556]

here are a couple of nice TPL shots from James Salmon

1st shot is of a DUFFERIN bus laying over at the Wilson/Dufferin loop preparing to go south down Dufferin to Eglinton

This is Wilson Ave looking west to Dufferin, and also at this time a WILSON bus passed by here going west to loop at Oak Loop (Weston Rd)

Hard to believe that TTC service was scheduled thru this 'outpost' isn't it. The year is 1955

Next shot is of a WOODBINE bus (signed WOODBINE VICTORIA PK/DANFORTH) turning south down Woodbine from O'Connor. Again 1955

[huz66511]

You are correct. I found another copy of the same shot and it was taken by Jeffrey Kay.

[Seashore_518203]

Next shot is of a WOODBINE bus (signed WOODBINE VICTORIA PK/DANFORTH) turning south down Woodbine from O'Connor. Again 1955

Wow, that is a nice shot of a Fitzjohn. By the way, if anybody is curious as to the history of the Fitzjohn in Canada (plant was in Brantford), the October 2012 issue of "Bus Industry" has a feature article on it. "Bus Industry" is published by the Bus History Association.

[Downsview 108]

Does Brantford Transit still have their Fitzjohn? I had no idea the TTC had them too.

[Bus_Medic]

I wonder if the TTC's were hand me downs from amalgamation in '54. It was my understanding that several private operator's fleets were absorbed. ( hollinger?)

[doug_oak]

I wonder if the TTC's were hand me downs from amalgamation in '54. It was my understanding that several private operator's fleets were absorbed. ( hollinger?)

You are correct - all hand me downs, none were acquired new by TTC following amalgamation. There were approx 35 that were used for a few years in regular service, in the 1750 and up number block.

Also, just to the left of 1760 (right in the photo) was the Woodbine Garage location, across the street, on the east side of Woodbine below O'Connor, which is where the Fitzjohn would have been based. Later in the 1950s (?) that garage was closed and the site became a high rise apartment building.

Great memories for me of the 1760 photo -- was 8 years old at that time, and we lived nearby at Ferris/Rexleigh, which is part of the 23-DAWES northern loop today.

[Bus_Medic]

Wow. I was right for once.... My father talks about catching the Hollinger buses at the terminal on the south side of danforth at coxwell.

He grew up on Chester, that's the only reason why I know.

Although evidently, the caption at the bottom of the pic gives a pretty good hint.

[Robert Lubinski]

I think the old Hollinger terminal was on the north side - where the "Bus Terminal Restaurant" is next to the Green P lot. The south side terminal was the north end loop for the Coxwell streetcar. I don't know if TTC buses started using the streetcar loop when Coxwell Station was under construction. Anyone know the timeline for the end of using the old Hollinger terminal and where TTC buses looped until the subway opened?

[Bus_Medic]

Yep, that's the one. Just off the north east corner of coxwell and danforth.

Apologies for the typo.

[pc8556]

I think the old Hollinger terminal was on the north side - where the "Bus Terminal Restaurant" is next to the Green P lot. The south side terminal was the north end loop for the Coxwell streetcar. I don't know if TTC buses started using the streetcar loop when Coxwell Station was under construction. Anyone know the timeline for the end of using the old Hollinger terminal and where TTC buses looped until the subway opened?

The O'CONNOR buses looped on-street via Strathmore, north on Woodington and west on Wolverleigh and then back north on Coxwell. Remember at this time it was only the 70 buses here, years earlier the MORTIMER 62 had combined with MAIN and these buses no longer used the old Hollinger Terminal.

Also the 70 history is incorrect on TT.

Buses NEVER went south to Danforth as this Hollinger loop was only accessible from Strathmore. From 1954 the MORTIMER and O'CONNOR buses ran east on Strathmore and south on the access road entrance, unloaded (usually with the help of the Groundsman, and then 're-circled' the loop with the O'CONNOR loading under the protective canopy in position 1, and the MORTIMER buses loading again parallel to Danforth along side the metal fence which separated the loop from the Danforth.(position 2) Both buses then ran north back thru the opening to Strathmore and then west to Coxwell and north to respective route.'

[GM artic 5001]

Great pics guys. I had to break out the kleenex! LOL!

[Robert Lubinski]

The O'CONNOR buses looped on-street via Strathmore, north on Woodington and west on Wolverleigh and then back north on Coxwell. Remember at this time it was only the 70 buses here, years earlier the MORTIMER 62 had combined with MAIN and these buses no longer used the old Hollinger Terminal.

Also the 70 history is incorrect on TT.

Buses NEVER went south to Danforth as this Hollinger loop was only accessible from Strathmore. From 1954 the MORTIMER and O'CONNOR buses ran east on Strathmore and south on the access road entrance, unloaded (usually with the help of the Groundsman, and then 're-circled' the loop with the O'CONNOR loading under the protective canopy in position 1, and the MORTIMER buses loading again parallel to Danforth along side the metal fence which separated the loop from the Danforth.(position 2) Both buses then ran north back thru the opening to Strathmore and then west to Coxwell and north to respective route.'

Thanks for the information. I have one slide from the pre-BD subway period of a streetcar at the north-west exit track on to Danforth and a bus is visible beside it, so I wasn't sure if the buses used that loop or not. I guess the bus must have just been parked there for some other reason.

[pc8556]

Thanks for the information. I have one slide from the pre-BD subway period of a streetcar at the north-west exit track on to Danforth and a bus is visible beside it, so I wasn't sure if the buses used that loop or not. I guess the bus must have just been parked there for some other reason.

Robert, that is just the TTC notes on what they planned to do. Any detour, loopings could have happened on any day. Remember they had to put the actual subway across/under Coxwell Ave so I'm sure there was a period where nothing got south or even on Strathmore for a bit until they decked it over and so on.

[Rob H]

Starrett Loop - Eglinton near Yonge. Nov 11, 1943.