Jane Loop was an important Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar turning loop and bus station, prior to the completion of the Bloor Danforth Subway line . The Jane Loop opened on December 31, 1923; it was the western end of Bloor Streetcar line from 1925 to 1968. The loop was at a boundary between two zones in the TTC's zoned fare system . Half a dozen or so buses and trolleybuses terminated at the loop.
69-695: In 1915, the Toronto Civic Railways , owned by the City of Toronto , opened its Bloor streetcar line along Bloor Street west from Dundas Street initially to Indian Road then later to Runneymede Road in 1917. The TCR used double-ended streetcars, so there were crossovers at each end of the line. After the Toronto Transportation Commission took over the TCR in 1921, it extended the line further west to Jane Street terminating at
138-577: A broad gauge of 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ). This is 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 in (60 mm) wider than standard gauge of 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) which is by far the most common track gauge in Canada . The gauge is unique to the Greater Toronto Area and is currently used on the Toronto streetcar system and
207-502: A wye in the intersection of Keele and Dundas streets to turn its single-ended streetcars coming from east of the intersection. Before its conversion to standard gauge, the Toronto Suburban shared a track of this wye to connect its routes east and north of the intersection. After the conversion to standard gauge, the wye was rebuilt with a curved, mixed-gauge crossing for Toronto Suburban cars. After its creation in 1921,
276-559: A TCR streetcar passed through the crossing. Thus, two-man crews were required on this route until 1933 by which time the southbound derail had been removed. On May 29, 1931, the Lansdowne Loop was opened at St. Clair Avenue so that Lansdowne streetcars could reverse off-street. On July 5, 1931, the route (now called Lansdowne North) was extended via a new underpass under the CPR tracks to Royce Avenue (today Dupont Street). On April 3, 1933,
345-503: A city. By the early twentieth century, there were two radial systems operating from the City of Toronto: Most of the radials within the above two systems used Toronto gauge at some time during their existence. The following sections give a highly abridged summary of each line, focusing mainly on the gauge used. Click on links for a more extensive history. By 1904, the T&;YRR had acquired
414-534: A network of streetcar lines within the City of Toronto: The Toronto Street Railway created the Toronto streetcar system opening its first horsecar line in 1861. It also created the broad Toronto gauge to allow horse-drawn wagons and carriages to use the inside of the rail for a smoother ride through muddy, unpaved streets. The gauge also had the effect of precluding the movement of standard-gauge freight cars along streetcar lines. When its franchise ended in 1891,
483-582: A newly constructed Jane Loop. At this time, there were no streetcar tracks on Bloor Street between Lansdowne Avenue and Dundas Street, and the TTC named the line west of Dundas Street as the "Bloor West" line. However, on August 25, 1925, the Bloor streetcar line was extended west from Lansdowne Avenue to Dundas Street and Jane Loop, absorbing the former Bloor West line. In 1966, the Bloor–Danforth subway line replaced
552-628: A seven day period, and connected them to the Yonge streetcar line . It closed the Glen Echo carhouse and moved operations to Eglinton Carhouse along the Yonge streetcar line. After re-gauging, box motors serving the Lake Simcoe line carried less-than-carload freight to downtown Toronto. Some city streetcars were modified for radial use to handle crowds to Bond Lake, an amusement park adjacent to
621-401: A specially built track trailer for shipment between Davisville and Hillcrest. This practice stopped with the opening of the shops at Greenwood Yard in 1965. Using Toronto gauge for the Yonge subway line had secondary benefits. A number of ex-streetcar vehicles were used as work trains for the subway, taking advantage of the common gauge. Before the opening of the Yonge subway in 1954, there
690-462: A steam railway converted by the T&YRR into an electric radial line. In 1927, the TTC took over operation of the Metropolitan line, renaming it as the Lake Simcoe line. At that time the Metropolitan line had extended from Glen Echo Road in Toronto to Sutton. The connecting Schomberg and Aurora Railway was closed. The TTC re-gauged the tracks of the Lake Simcoe line to Toronto gauge within
759-412: A temporary single-track line was opened to Quebec Avenue. The line was laid on the north side of the road with a passing siding east of Keele Street. By December 1915, a permanent double-track line was completed in the middle of Bloor Street. Construction west of Quebec Avenue began in 1915 to fill a large ravine west of Quebec Avenue by dumping earth from a long wooden trestle. Service from Quebec Avenue to
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#1732793795154828-561: Is easier to adapt new rail vehicles to fit the gauge than to convert the entire system to standard gauge. An alternate name for Toronto gauge is TTC gauge , named after the Toronto Transit Commission , the only operator currently using the gauge although the gauge existed prior to the creation of the TTC in 1921. All TTC streetcar routes, both past and present, have used the Toronto gauge. The TTC had three predecessor companies that also used Toronto gauge, each with
897-632: The Canadian Northern Railway , the Toronto Railway Company plus several radial railway lines including the Toronto Suburban Railway . About 1912, the Toronto Suburban wanted to convert its system from Toronto gauge to standard gauge, but the City of Toronto obtained a court injunction blocking the re-gauging over fears of freight cars in the streets. The railway, however, prevailed and the system
966-466: The Greater Toronto Area . The benefit of standard gauge would be greater compatibility with other tram systems and the elimination of the costs to customize the bogies. This analysis occurred before Metrolinx took over the project and stipulated the use of standard gauge. Radial railways were Interurban tram lines serving communities just beyond the then-city limits. These interurban lines were called "radials" in southern Ontario as they radiated from
1035-479: The Toronto Railway Company took over the streetcar system in 1891, its charter stipulated a gauge of 4 ft 11 in ( 1,499 mm ) When the TTC took over streetcar operation in 1921, it set the Toronto gauge at the present day's width. However, Ken Heard, Consultant Museologist, Canadian Museums Association , was reported to say: "One of the terms of these agreements was that
1104-481: The Toronto Railway Company took over the system and replaced horse-drawn streetcars with electric trams; it continued the use of Toronto gauge. Because the TRC refused to service neighbouring areas annexed by the City of Toronto, the City created the Toronto Civic Railways in 1911 to serve those areas. TCR lines, clustered in the west end, east end and mid-town, were not interconnected. To move streetcars between carhouses,
1173-407: The Toronto subway (three heavy-rail lines), both operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . Several now-defunct interurban rail systems (called radial railways in southern Ontario) also once used this gauge. The Halton County Radial Railway , a transport museum is located on one of the former interurban lines and uses the Toronto gauge. The unique gauge has remained to this day because it
1242-518: The Bloor streetcar line between Woodbine and Keele stations. From then, the Bloor streetcar shuttle started running between Keele station and Jane Loop until replaced by an extension of the subway line in 1968. By the 1960s the facility had two structures. The facility had two concentric loops with a covered, crescent-shaped structure that protected passengers from the sun and rain as they boarded, unboarded, or waited for their vehicles. The inner loop
1311-595: The CNE from the Hillcrest Complex via the Bathurst streetcar line. Because of the subway car width, buses had to replace night streetcar service during the movements. At the CNE, the subway cars were displayed on their proper subway bogies.) Subway lines 1, 2, and 4 all use Toronto gauge to allow the interchange of equipment between these lines. Initially, after the Bloor–Danforth line opened in 1966, trains from
1380-538: The CPR tracks. Service began on January 16, 1917. The TCR line was on an 8% grade just north of its crossing with the Davenport line, a single-track, standard-gauge radial line. As a safety precaution, the crossing was protected by semaphore signals and derails on the southbound TCR track as well as along the TSR line on both sides of the crossing. The procedure required the conductor to set the signals and derails every time
1449-650: The Danforth except for the portion between Woodbine station and the Luttrell Loop which was replaced by a subway extension on May 10, 1968. Construction of the St. Clair line began in 1911, and had a few challenges. St. Clair Avenue was a rough, undulating road requiring much cut and fill, and the Nordheimer Ravine had to be bridged. After completion of a temporary bridge carrying a gauntlet track over
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#17327937951541518-609: The Gerrard Carhouse until the completion of the Danforth Carhouse September 2015. After the TTC took over in 1921, the TRC and TCR tracks were joined at Greenwood Avenue. Today, the TCR Gerrard route is now served by the 506 Carlton streetcar route. In 1913, the TCR completed a single-track line on Coxwell Avenue between upper Gerrard Street and Danforth Avenue. This gave permanent access to
1587-777: The Gerrard Street Carhouse until the Danforth Carhouse became available. Opening on December 18, 1912, the Gerrard line was the first TCR line in operation. It was built along Gerrard Street between Greenwood Avenue and Main Street, and was effectively an extension of the TRC's streetcar line running east on Gerrard Street from Parliament Street . The TRC and TCR tracks were not connected and passengers had to change streetcars at Greenwood Avenue and pay another fare. At Main Street, passengers could connect with
1656-624: The Hanson Yard (where the TCR received new streetcars by rail) and connected to the new Danforth line and Danforth Carhouse. The TCR did not operate passenger service on the Coxwell line. After the TTC took over the TCR in 1921, it double-tracked the line and extended it south to Queen Street. The TTC's Coxwell streetcar route operated until 1966 when it was replaced by the 22 Coxwell bus. The Danforth line opened on October 30, 1913 after 14 months of construction. It ran along Danforth Avenue to
1725-503: The Hanson Yard and the Gerrard Carhouse until September 2015 when the Danforth Carhouse was completed. On October 2, 1921, the TTC merged the Danforth route into the Broadview route and placed Peter Witt cars on the route. On July 1, 1923, a new, crosstown Bloor streetcar line serving both Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue was opened. In 1966, the Bloor–Danforth subway opened (today Line 2 Bloor–Danforth ) replacing streetcar service on
1794-533: The Lansdowne North and Lansdowne South routes were combined and terminated at College Street at the south end. On June 19, 1947, the Lansdowne streetcar line was replaced by a trolleybus route. The Bloor West line was completed in two stages along Bloor Street west of Dundas Street. Its construction started in 1914, and the first stage required filling in a ravine at Keele Street. On February 23, 1915,
1863-468: The Little York branch of Toronto and York Radial Railway 's Scarboro division which would take them to Kingston Road . However, many passengers found the new Gerrard line to be more convenient than the Little York branch, and the latter closed in 1913. The Gerrard line had crossovers at the end stops plus another on Coxwell Avenue just south of upper Gerrard street. Gerrard streetcars operated out of
1932-481: The Mimico radial line in 1892. It ran along Lake Shore Road and initially used Toronto gauge. By 1905, the line reached its full length from Humber Loop to Port Credit . After taking over the line in 1922, Hydro-Electric Railways converted it from Toronto to standard gauge. When the TTC subsequently took over the line in 1927, it converted the line back to Toronto gauge in one overnight operation. The TTC also closed
2001-472: The Station Street Yard. Only two carhouses survive today and have been repurposed for other uses. All TCR streetcars were closed double-ended electric vehicles. When the TTC took over the TCR, it renamed the TCR class designations, and renumbered the streetcars with even numbered only. Note that TCR class F is not the same as TTC class F in the following table, but class G is the same for both
2070-482: The TCR and TTC. The year retired column refers to retirement from TTC passenger service in Toronto; it excludes the retirement of cars converted for work service (snow scrapers, rail grinders) or sold to other operators. For more information on the TCR streetcars after the TTC acquired them, see: Toronto streetcar system rolling stock § Ex-TCR streetcars . Toronto gauge Toronto-gauge railways are tram and rapid transit lines built to Toronto gauge ,
2139-414: The TCR used the tracks of the TRC, which is one reason that the City chose Toronto gauge for the TCR. The other reason is that when the TRC franchise ended in 1921, the City wanted to merge the two systems. There were no permanent links between the tracks of the TCR and TRC; temporary track was laid at night when the TCR needed to transfer streetcars. When the TRC franchise ended in 1921, the TTC acquired both
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2208-547: The TRC and the TCR and amalgamated the two systems, permanently linking their tracks. Toronto gauge was first used for the horsecar system opened by the Toronto Street Railway in 1861. Two explanations are offered for the width of the gauge: According to the TTC, advocating the first explanation, the City of Toronto feared that the street railway franchise operator would allow the operation of steam locomotives and freight trains through city streets , as
2277-543: The TRC network. To move streetcars between TCR carhouses, temporary track connections had to be made to a nearby TRC line. Thus, the need to use TRC tracks for movements between TCR carhouses was one reason the City chose Toronto gauge for the TCR. The other reason was that when the TRC franchise ended in 1921, the City wanted to merge the two systems. The Toronto Civic Railways had five routes grouped into 3 operating divisions, with each division operating out of its namesake carhouse. The Gerrard route initially operated out of
2346-485: The TRC's favour. Thus, the City created the Toronto Civic Railways to serve the newly annexed districts. The TCR was not a separate entity or agency but operated under the City's Department of Works, Railway and Bridge Section. TCR lines had three divisions clustered in each of the west end, east end and mid-town; the three divisions were not interconnected nor did they have any permanent connection to
2415-408: The Toronto Railway Company's franchise expired in 1921, its services were combined with those of the Toronto Civic Railways, and are now assumed by the new Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC). The first route of the TCR started operation on December 18, 1912. When the City of Toronto granted the Toronto Railway Company a franchise in 1891 to operate the streetcar system in Toronto, the City had
2484-607: The Toronto subway system but use the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge that is the usual track gauge in Canada : In 2009, the City of Hamilton Public Works produced an analysis for a future light rail line in Hamilton. The analysis looked at whether the city should use standard gauge or "TTC gauge". The report said the benefit in using the Toronto gauge would be to save costs if Hamilton's order could be combined with Toronto's for light-rail vehicles, and to encourage their manufacture in
2553-464: The Woodbridge line (1914). These were basically semi-rural, suburban streetcar lines. All were built to a track gauge of 4 ft 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 in / 1,492 mm , a variant of Toronto gauge. By the completion of the Toronto Suburban's standard-gauge Guelph line in 1917, all the other Suburban lines were converted to standard gauge. The Toronto Street Railway had
2622-530: The Yonge–University line terminated at the termini of Bloor–Danforth line as a trial for interlining. However, the trial ended six months later. The Sheppard subway has no carhouse, and so for servicing, its trains must transfer to line 1 to reach the Davisville Yard . In addition to the heavy rail lines, there were and will be light metro and light rail lines that are considered to be part of
2691-525: The centre reservation was restored along the entire route in 2010. The Lansdowne route ran on Lansdowne Avenue between St. Clair Street West and the Canadian Pacific Railway midtown line north of Royce Avenue (today Dupont Street). The double-track line connected with St. Clair streetcars at the north end, the Davenport line of the Toronto Suburban Railway at Davenport Road and with the TRC's Lansdowne route if passengers walked across
2760-488: The following independent radial railways: In 1922, the City of Toronto acquired the assets of the T&YRR, and contracted with the Hydro-Electric Railways to operate the radial lines on behalf of the City. However, ridership declined and the City suffered operating losses. In 1927, the TTC took over all the above radial operations, converting standard gauge lines to Toronto gauge, and connecting
2829-445: The horse car gauge of 4 feet 10 and 3 ⁄ 4 inches. (The TTC changed this to 4 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 and is still in use today even on the subway. [ sic ])" James V. Salmon said the "city gauge" was 4 ft 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 . Both these sources were describing a former streetcar junction at the intersection of Dundas and Keele Streets laid entirely to Toronto streetcar gauge until August 1912. The junction
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2898-417: The line plus another at Beacondale Avenue. At Yonge Street, passengers could connect with the Metropolitan line of the Toronto and York Radial Railway which ran from the Canadian Pacific Railway 's midtown line to Sutton near Lake Simcoe . At Avenue Road, passengers could transfer to the TRC's Avenue Road route. In 1917, passengers could also transfer to the TCR's new Lansdowne route at Lansdowne Avenue; this
2967-514: The line reached its full length from Queen Street to West Hill . After Hydro-Electric Railways took over the line in 1922, the portion of the line west of Victoria Park Avenue was replaced by a TTC streetcar line, used today by the 503 Kingston Rd streetcar route. In 1927, the line was taken over by the TTC and connected to Bingham Loop , and the Scarboro line's Warden carhouse was closed with operations moved to Russell Carhouse . The line
3036-468: The line was electrified. In 1895, the Province granted the Metropolitan the right to change its gauge, which it did to standard gauge allowing for freight car interchange with steam railways. By that time the Metropolitan had reached Richmond Hill . As a standard-gauge line, the Metropolitan was eventually extended to Sutton , along the way connecting to the standard-gauge Schomberg and Aurora Railway ,
3105-524: The line west to Jane Street opening on October 9, 1921. In 1923, the isolated Bloor West line was attached to the rest of the streetcar system. Bloor West would be served by the Bloor streetcar line until 1966 when it was replaced by the Bloor–Danforth subway. A remnant of the Bloor West line remained operating west from Keele station to Jane Street until May 10, 1968 when it was replaced by a subway extension. The TTC inherited all TCR facilities except
3174-399: The line. In Aurora , the TTC constructed a 3.2 km (2 mi) section of four-rail, dual-gauge track in order to deliver freight cars from a steam railway interchange to a local factory. (Three-rail dual gauge was not possible with only a 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 in (60 mm) difference between the two gauges.) The TTC adapted an old radial car as a standard-gauge switcher. This
3243-468: The loop posed between the sleepy suburbs and Toronto's more sophisticated downtown. 43°38′57″N 79°29′03″W / 43.64917°N 79.48417°W / 43.64917; -79.48417 Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Civic Railways (TCR) was a streetcar operator created and owned by the City of Toronto , Ontario, Canada, to serve newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve. When
3312-574: The old T&YRR carhouse near Grenadier Pond and moved operations to Roncesvalles Carhouse . In late 1928, the Mimico line became the Port Credit line when the portion east of Long Branch Loop was replaced by a streetcar line (today used by 501 Queen ). The Port Credit line closed in 1935, replaced by buses. The Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company opened the Scarboro radial line in 1893. It ran along Kingston Road and used Toronto gauge for its entire life. By 1906,
3381-498: The radial tracks to the streetcar system. The City had hoped for efficiencies by not duplicating carhouses and shops. The Metropolitan line of the Metropolitan Street Railway opened in 1885 as a horsecar line that used Toronto gauge. Initially, it ran along Yonge Street from the Canadian Pacific Railway mid-town line to Eglinton Avenue. At that time, the area was outside of the City of Toronto. By 1891,
3450-464: The ravine, service began on August 25, 1913 between Yonge Street and Station Street (at today's Caledonia Road). The permanent bridge was completed on June 20, 1914. The TCR had a temporary streetcar storage yard at Station Street which it used until December 31, 1913, when the St. Clair Carhouse at Beacondale Avenue (today Wychwood Avenue) became available. Tracks were located in a centre reservation free of road traffic. There were crossovers at each end of
3519-412: The right to require the TRC to build new streetcar lines within the city limits. Later, the City annexed several neighbouring districts expanding the city limits, and ordered the TRC to extend streetcar service to them. The TRC refused saying the franchise agreement required the TRC only to provide streetcar service within the city limits as they existed in 1891. The City took the TRC to court which ruled in
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#17327937951543588-495: The said tracks with their vehicles loaded or empty, when and so often as they may please, provided they do not impede or interfere with the cars of the party of the second part (Toronto Street Railway), running thereon, and subject at all times to the right of the said party of the second part, his executors, and administrators and assigns to keep the said tracks with his and their cars, when meeting or overtaking any other vehicle thereon. As wagons were normally built at standard gauge,
3657-399: The same zone. A small structure in the center of the loops housed a ticket agent and coffee shop. The TTC owned and operated a subsidiary, Gray Coach , which ran intercity buses throughout southern Ontario. Tickets for intercity Gray Couch routes could be purchased there. In 2017 Graham Jackson published a coming of age novel, entitled The Jane Loop , which revolved around the gateway
3726-429: The streetcar gauge today. According to rail historians John F. Bromley and Jack May, the reason that the Yonge subway line was built to the streetcar gauge (Toronto gauge) was that between 1954 and 1965, subway bogies were maintained at the Hillcrest Complex , where the streetcar gauge is used for shop tracks. The Davisville Carhouse was not equipped to perform such heavy maintenance, and the bogies would be loaded onto
3795-535: The streetcar gauge was either 4 ft 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ( 1,492 mm ) or 4 ft 11 in ( 1,499 mm ), depending on the historical source, instead of today's 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ). When the Toronto Street Railway opened its first horse-drawn streetcar line in 1861, it used a variation of Toronto gauge, a width of 4 ft 11 in ( 1,499 mm ). When
3864-423: The streetcar rails were selected to be slightly wider, which allowed the wagons to ride on the inside sections of the rail and the streetcars on the outside. The Williams Omnibus Bus Line changed the gauge of its buses in 1861 to fit this gauge. At the time, track for horsecars was not the our modern 'T' rail was but wide and flat, with a raised section on the outside of the rail. Before TTC ownership, however,
3933-426: The then-city limits at Luttrell Avenue. Its only connection to another streetcar line was at Broadview Avenue to allow transfers to the TRC's Broadview route. The line had crossovers at each end of the line plus one each at Greenwood Avenue and Coxwell Avenue. Some Danforth streetcars regularly short-turned at Greenwood Avenue returning to Broadview Avenue. Streetcars for the line came into service via Coxwell Avenue from
4002-492: The track gauge had to be 4 feet, 11 inches. As the streets themselves were not paved, this arrangement permitted wagons carrying heavy loads a stable roadbed." In support of Heard's statement about the pre-TTC gauge, the Charter of the Toronto Railway Company said "the gauge of system (4 ft. 11 in.) is to be maintained on main lines and extensions thereof". According to Raymond L. Kennedy said: "The street railways were built to
4071-437: The track gauge was to accommodate wagons. As horse car rail was step rail , the horse cars, equipped with iron wheels with flanges on the inside, ran on the outer, or upper step of the rail. Wagon wheels naturally did not have a flange. They were made of wood, with an iron tire. Wagons would use the inner, or lower step of the rail. The upper step of the rail guided the wagons on the track. In order to accommodate this arrangement,
4140-403: The track rebuilt to a higher standard. In support of the second explanation, the 1861 agreement between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Street Railway stated: That the gauge of the said railways shall be such that the ordinary vehicles now in use may travel on the said tracks, and that it shall and may be lawful to and for all and every person and persons whatsoever to travel upon and use
4209-401: The western terminal at Runnymede Road started on November 12, 1917 again using a temporary single-track line. The western section of the line was double-tracked for service on October 20, 1920. The finished line had a cross-over at Quebec Avenue as well as at each endpoint of the line. The Bloor West Carhouse was located near Indian Road on the north side of Bloor Street. In 1921, the TTC extended
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#17327937951544278-441: Was a free transfer for passengers to and from the St. Clair line. After its creation in 1921, the TTC connected the TCR and TRC lines at Avenue Road, expanded the St. Clair route both east and west, and added more streetcar routes to connect with the St. Clair line. By the 1930s, the centre reservation was removed putting streetcars in mixed traffic. The TCR St. Clair route is now served by today's 512 St. Clair streetcar route, and
4347-622: Was also a temporary interchange track between the Yonge streetcar line and the Davisville Yard on the north side of the Belt Line bridge . In 1953, subway cars 5000 and 5001, after being displayed at the Canadian National Exhibition , were mounted on shop bogies and towed at night by a Peter Witt motor to the Davisville Yard via the Yonge streetcar line using the temporary interchange. (They arrived at
4416-526: Was closed in 1936. The Toronto Suburban Railway operated several radial lines west of the old city limits, all radiating from the Junction at Dundas Street and Keele Street . Its first line, the Davenport line (serving Davenport Road ), opened in 1892. Next came three other lines: Lambton (1892, serving the neighbourhood of Lambton ), Crescent (1893, serving Gilmore Avenue) and Weston (1895, serving Weston Road ) with an extension to Woodbridge called
4485-480: Was common practice in Hamilton, Ontario (until the 1950s) and in many US cities, such as New York City and Syracuse, New York . However, fear of freight trains invading the streets was from the era of about 1891 to 1921, over 30 years after the creation of Toronto gauge, which makes it an unlikely reason for the Toronto gauge. During this era, railway entrepreneurs William Mackenzie and Donald Mann controlled
4554-541: Was converted to standard gauge in 1917. Also, horsecar tracks could be of very light construction, adequate for horse-drawn trams, but unsuitable for heavier vehicles. When the Metropolitan Street Railway converted its streetcar line in North Toronto from horse to electric operation, the faster heavier electric trams damaged the horsecar rails, which required the line to be shut down and
4623-490: Was one of only two locations where the TTC had dual-gauge trackage; the other was at the Hillcrest Complex . In 1930, the Lake Simcoe line was closed. However, three months later the section from Glen Echo to Richmond Hill reopened as the North Yonge Railways . It was operated by the TTC until 1948, and was the TTC's last radial operation. The Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway and Light Company opened
4692-475: Was reserved exclusively for streetcars , which entered the inner loop in a counter-clockwise direction, so their doors opened onto the inner edge of the crescent-shaped structure. Buses and trolleybuses entered the outer loop in a clockwise direction, so their doors opened onto the outer edge of the crescent-shaped structure. Passengers could ask for paper transfers when they boarded the first vehicle on their route, if they planned to transfer to another vehicle in
4761-415: Was used by both the Toronto Suburban Railway and the Toronto Railway Company . All three heavy-rail subway lines in Toronto use Toronto gauge. They are: Some early subway proposals involved using streetcars at least partially in tunnels so thay using the same gauge would be advantageous, but the idea was ultimately dropped in favour of dedicated rapid transit trains. Nonetheless, the heavy-rail lines use
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