News   Nov 28, 2024
 356     0 
News   Nov 28, 2024
 787     2 
News   Nov 28, 2024
 678     0 

TTC: Streetcar Network

You are sounding like Phil Verster ?:->

Of course Phil is paid to deliver transit projects on time and on budget; I do believe we are the beneficiaries of @DirectionNorth 's philanthropic impulses here, donated time and all.
 
Made this map showing the Streetcar network at the peak of the Toronto Street Railway era before there operating charter expired in 1891; this was before electrification when the lines were still operated by horse-drawn cars. The real routes never had any kind of designation and were just known by either what street they operated on or where they terminated. Since their are quite a few routes I grouped and designated them in a similar fashion to the New York Subway with routes that operate on the same street sharing a colour. I will also point out that while the BLOOR Streetcar was constructed by the TSR, the never actually operated it as their operating charter expired before the line was completed, however I included it on the map since they built it. EDIT* I updated the map to be easier to read and corrected some errors.

TSR.png
 
Last edited:
Made this map showing the Streetcar network at the peak of the Toronto Street Railway era before there operating charter expired in 1891; this was before electrification when the lines were still operated by horse-drawn cars. The real routes never had any kind of designation and were just known by either what street they operated on or where they terminated. Since their are quite a few routes I grouped and designated them in a similar fashion to the New York Subway with routes that operate on the same street sharing a colour. I will also point out that while the BLOOR Streetcar was constructed by the TSR, the never actually operated it as their operating charter expired before the line was completed, however I included it on the map since they built it.

View attachment 542313
Apart from the Sucmach typos this is an interesting map.. Lots more are available at https://oldtorontomaps.blogspot.com/2013/01/1892-toronto-street-railway-lines.html and https://transittoronto.ca/archives/maps/system-map-19240121.jpg and https://transittoronto.ca/spare/0053.shtml Some of these show lines used for detours and routes to Barns.
 
Made another map, this one based around the Toronto Railway Company, Toronto Civic Railway, and Toronto Suburban Railway at their peaks after World War I before they became part of the TTC in 1921. This map is the same as last time with it using a New York style designation system. TRC routes are given letters, TCR routes use numbers, and routes that heavily interline share a colour. On the topic of interlining you'll notice the TRC didn't do this as much as its predecessor the TSR did as the network under the TRC was expanded further and so there was no longer a need to jam all the routes onto King Street. This map only shows the standard services, the various tripper services and exhibition runs are not included. EDIT* Updated map to include the missing BLOOR WEST line, removed the PAPE line and added the local Toronto Suburban Railway lines.
TRC-TCR.png


.
 
Last edited:
Made another map, this one based around the Toronto Railway Company, and Toronto Civic Railway at their peaks after World War I before they became part of the TTC in 1921. This map is the same as last time with it using a New York style designation system. TRC routes are given letters, TCR routes use numbers, and routes that heavily interline share a colour. On the topic of interlining you'll notice the TRC didn't do this as much as its predecessor the TSR did as the network under the TRC was expanded further and so there was no longer a need to jam all the routes onto King Street. This map only shows the standard services, the various tripper services and exhibition runs are not included.

View attachment 542704
Seeing how vast the streetcar system was is almost a sad thing when we are trying to build LRTs all over the city. Makes me wonder how much further ahead we'd be had they been maintained.
 
Another map, this one showing the streetcar network at its peak under the TTC in 1931. This map also shows the 3 lines that were owned by the Township of York Railway's but operated by the TTC under contract. Just like before this map uses a New York system with letters denoting TTC routes, numbers denoting TYR routes, and routes share a colour if they interline/share the same road. This map doesn't include the tripper services or exhibition services. The network would remain largely unchanged throughout the 1930's and 40's save for minor route changes. It wouldn't be until after WWII that the network would begin to heavily contract into the one we have today.

TTC-TYR.png
 
Last edited:
Another map, this one showing the streetcar network at its peak under the TTC in 1931. This map also shows the 3 lines that were owned by the Township of York Railway's but operated by the TTC under contract. Just like before this map uses a New York system with letters denoting TTC routes, numbers denoting TYR routes, and routes share a colour if they interline/share the same road. This map doesn't include the tripper services or exhibition services. The network would remain largely unchanged throughout the 1930's and 40's save for minor route changes. It wouldn't be until after WWII that the network would begin to heavily contract into the one we have today.

View attachment 543400
What software do you use to make these?
 
Another map, this one showing the streetcar network at its peak under the TTC in 1931. This map also shows the 3 lines that were owned by the Township of York Railway's but operated by the TTC under contract. Just like before this map uses a New York system with letters denoting TTC routes, numbers denoting TYR routes, and routes share a colour if they interline/share the same road. This map doesn't include the tripper services or exhibition services. The network would remain largely unchanged throughout the 1930's and 40's save for minor route changes. It wouldn't be until after WWII that the network would begin to heavily contract into the one we have today.

View attachment 543400
Interesting seeing Stavebank Rd on the map instead of, say, Port Credit.
 
What software do you use to make these?
Adobe Illustrator

Interesting seeing Stavebank Rd on the map instead of, say, Port Credit.
I chose Stavebank instead of just Port Credit since the latter doesn't really tell you where in Port Credit the line ends. I know the original line only made it as far as the Credit River and Stavebank Road is the nearest road to the river.
 

Here's part two. Ahead of the Crosstown LRT! Take that, Phil Verster! Ha!

We return to our irregularly scheduled programming of cities you've barely heard of and couldn't care less about.
 
So I have made what I believe should be my final maps for the streetcar network unless I can think of something else. The first map is of the "Tripper" services from around the mid-1930's. Tripper's only operated in peak directions during rush-hour (inbound during the A.M. rush and outbound during the P.M. rush) and were meant to give riders a one-seat ride from the suburbs directly into downtown Toronto. Due to their high ridership they often operated as multiple-unit Peter Witt cars and eventually PCC's. These services ended with the opening of the subway as they were no longer needed; today the 508 LAKE SHORE is the only tripper service left. Following the trend of my recent maps I used the New York route designation system with Trippers getting a diamond bullet with the letter of there respective all-day local service from my previous map.

TTCTrippers.png



The second map is of the TTC's seasonal Exhibition services from 1923. The TTC used to operate special runs to the Exhibition when the CNE was happening with two types of services being offered. Some routes would operate all-day while others where "Late-Evening Return" services. These late-evening runs as their name implies only ran in the evening and when they reached there terminus the car would either go out of service and return to the carhouse or dead-head back to the Exhibition to pick up more passengers. These service would gradually disapear until there were only 2 left the 521 KING-EXHIBITION and 522 DUNDAS-EXHIBITION which themselves were ended in the 90's due to low ridership. The 511 BATHURST had also been running to the Exhibition all year since the 60's and the 509 HARBOURFRONT was going to make the 521 redundant. Just like before I use the New York System all though I coloured all of the lines pink like the TTC's seasonal routes. Routes also use the route letter from my previous map but with an additional "x" to denote it as an Exhibition service.

TTCEX.png
 
Update on the remaining Adelaide trackwork from the City:

April 2024: Construction Update​

Starting the week of April 8, the two remaining sections of streetcar track installation will resume on Adelaide Street. The first section will be between Yonge Street and Victoria Street. The second section will be between Sheppard Street and Bay Street. The contractor will excavate the road, pour a new concrete foundation and install the streetcar tracks. Adelaide Street will be reduced to one eastbound vehicle lane during this work.

Work on the streetcar track installation is expected to be completed by April 19.
Source: https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...ucture-projects/adelaide-street-construction/

I also saw them putting up new feeders along Adelaide east of Charlotte a few weeks ago. Hopefully they plan to make the track live for diversions shortly after this is done and we don't have to wait for the much delayed work on York.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PL1
I don't think it's that different than the streetcar network today, honestly. Just minus the lines made redundant by subways.
I'd like to see the Parliament St. streetcar return, but go further and enter the subway grounds as part of a rethink of the Castlefrank station.

Also,
 

Back
Top