[PRCo] Toronto 1966

[Bill Robb]

Pittsburgh wasn't the only place loosing streetcar lines in the 1960s.  Today marks 41 years since the TTC cleared out half the system in one day.
 
Today,  February 25 marks the 41st anniversary of the last day for the Bloor, Danforth, Fort, Harbord, Coxwell, Kingston Rd.-Coxwell, Bathurst-Downtown, Parliament, St. Clair-Avon Loop (rush hour only) streetcar lines and the King/Church and King/York trippers.  Danforth and Lansdowne carhouses closed on the same date. 
 
Last cars were:
 
Harbord 4010
Fort 4496
Bathurst/Downtown 4528
Coxwell 4158
Kingston Rd/Coxwell 4326
Bloor 4428
Parliament 4213
Danforth Tripper 4182
King/Church Tripper 4368
King/York Tripper 4112
 
Over 200 out of service PCCs were stored at Danforth, Lansdowne and St. Clair carhouses.
 
With the opening of the Bloor-Danforth subway February 26, 1966 much of the diversity of the system was gone.
 
February 26, 1966 was the first day for Dundas cars to Broadview Station, Bathurst cars to Bathurst Station only and the first day of revenue service for Keele, Dundas West, Bathurst, Broadview  and Woodbine Station streetcar loops.
 
Night Cars
 
The streetcar network of the early 1960s included all night service on eight streetcar lines: Bathurst, Bloor, Carlton, Dupont, King, Kingston Road-Coxwell, Queen, and St. Clair.
 
http://www.transitstop.net/Ride%20Guides/Aug1960%20Night.jpg
 
When Dupont was replaced with the Bay buses in February 1963 all night service was dropped on that route.  
 
Today only Queen and Carlton continue to have all night streetcar service.  
 
In additon to streetcar lines abandoned Febraury 25, 1966, the summer of 1965 was the last season for some seasonal streetcar services.  
 
Ferry Docks
 
The last Dundas-Docks cars ran August 15, 1965 just before the 1965 Exhitibition opened.  Service to the ferry docks dated back to 1928 when Dundas and Bathurst cars first served the ferry boat docks.  Until March 30, 1954 there also was all day service to the Docks provided by Bay cars.
After 1 PM March 30,1954, Dupont cars were routed full time to the Docks Loop.  The last summer of Dupont service to the Ferry Docks was 1962. When the University Avenue subway (which was considered phase 1 of the crosstown subway) opened February 28, 1963 Dupont cars were replaced with Bay buses.
 
Streetcar service to the Ferry Docks did not return until 1990.
 
Exhbition Cars
 
The 1965 Exhibition was the last summer of city wide 'Direct-To-The-Ex' trunk streetcar service.  
 
King-Exhibition cars operated from Hillingdon Loop near Coxwell and Danforth via Danforth, Parliament (Broadview until 1946), King, Bathurst and Fleet to the Eastern Exhibition loop.
Bathurst cars operated from Vaughan Loop via Vaughan, Bathurst and Fleet to the Eastern Exhibition Loop.
 
Kingston Road-Exhibition cars operated from Bingham Loop via Bingham, Kingston Road, Queen, Dufferin, Sprinhurst and Fort Rouille to the Dufferin Loop.  Dundas Exhibition cars operated from Runnymede Loop via Dundas, Roncesvalles, King, Dufferin, Sprinhurst and Fort Rouille to the Dufferin Loop.
 
Streetcars continued to run to the Exhibition in the years after the Bloor-Danforth subway opened but the lines quickly became high density feeders to the subway. King Exhibition and Kingston Road-Exhibition were essentially combined into a single service to the Eastern Exhibition Loop, while Bathurst cars only operated as far as Bathurst Station and Dundas-Exhibition cars continued as before.  The Dufferin bus quickly became a key feeder to and from the subway.
 
Bill Robb

 
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