Comments on: The last cars to feature the classic profiled top endcaps dating from the first H1′s in the mid-60′s, at this point in November 2011 new subway car deliveries from Bombardier meant the old Hawker Siddeley Canada H4 subway cars on the Bloor-Danforth line were running out of time fast. In his daily travels, the photographer was making a few short side-trips in order to nab what remained of them at different stations while they could still be found out and about. Here, after a quick ride eastbound from Dufferin station, H4 5649 trails a 6-pack of H4′s out in afternoon service (not common by then, but not too rare either), pausing to load/unload at Christie station. Roughly scrawn pen in the notepad indicate the consist of the day was 5633/32-5581/80-5648/49. A few of those cars would last another two months until enough newer T1′s were moved from the YUS to BD line, and the plug was finally pulled in January 2012.

By: Daniel Odette

Daniel Odette — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 08:16:07 +0000

I spent those final few months staking out GM and H4 rides. I remember multiple times seeing H4 sets out in weekends into 2011. One trip I did in early 2011 had two sets out on a Saturday evening at the same time. Weekdays typically had 3-4 H4 sets as late as 7pm, and they usually all went back to Greenwood Yard afterwards shortly after then.

I still find it amazing how quiet they were. A had a high pitched whooshing sound almost like a very muffled turbine engine. The best memory I have was the random jolt they’d sometimes get during acceleration, producing an eerie loud “clack” sound.