Caption: TTC "Small Witt" 2858 is signed for a Kingston Road to King/Dufferin run, but is actually out on an Upper Canada Railway Society fantrip. During one photo stop on this gloomy April 1963 day, it's seen posed here southbound on Dufferin Street just north of King Street West (in the distance is the Queen St. underpass near CPR Parkdale Station). As per an old UCRS newsletter, it was on system-wide excursion that including 16 photo stops around the city.

The interesting part at this photo stop is this particular spot, and what's going on: there was a crossover here, and the streetcar, facing south on the southbound tracks, was being crossed over in reverse to pose facing south on the northbound tracks. The operator is looking rearward to reverse 2858 through the crossover just behind the car, and there were two other individuals out of view behind car, one pulling the trolleypole cable to the right to guide the pole through the crossover's overhead connecting wire, and another with a pry bar for setting the track switches.

The crossover here was used for a Dufferin summer stub service in the 1920-30's, using a double-ended streetcar to provide service from just past the crossover at King, south down Dufferin Street to Dufferin Loop (to reach the CNE), and back up northbound to King. Then the double-ended car would cross over here for its next southbound run. This practice occurred occasionally in the mid-1940's too. Since the crossover was still intact, a popular practice during fantrips was to pose streetcars facing the opposite direction, on the wrong side, or crossing over (there was another crossover at George Street below King that was also visited on this day).

By the 1960's, the few remaining Peter Witt streetcars saw little service since the opening of the University subway line in February 1963 (and nixing of the Dupont streetcar route that operated on Bay Street). But, they would be chartered by groups like the UCRS for excursions and fantrips around the city in their final years, until the last cars in the fleet were retired in mid-1965. Some would return in the 1970's for a new "Tour Tram" service.

John F. Bromley photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.