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TTC PCC 4090 (an A1-class car built in 1938) heads eastbound on The Queensway on an overcast Sunday, just past the South Kingsway and its stairwells down to the Queen streetcar transfer platform.  4090 is also passing over the former site of one of the few streetcar lines in Toronto that once had an at-grade crossing with a rail line: CN's Humber Belt Line spur at Mile 4.7 Oakville Sub branched off by the old Stelco Swansea Works (out of frame to the left), crossed The Queensway here at a grade crossing with diamonds and crossing signals/gates, and headed north to serve two local industries. The spur was part of the short-lived Toronto Belt Line Railway's Humber Loop, built in the 1890's and only operated for a few years. Segments at the north and south ended up as spurs used for local freight service operated by GTR, CNoR and eventually CN. When the Queen streetcar line was moved onto the Queensway in 1957, an at-grade crossing was created here. This only lasted a few years though, as photos suggest the spur was abandoned, ripped out and crossing protection removed sometime between June and October 1964. The rails in the pavement were left in place and paved over by May 1965 (but were faintly visible poking out of the pavement in later years). In this photo, the tracks would have crossed where the fence on the right ended (right behind 4090), about where the break in the curb is visible.  The Bloor-Danforth subway line opening in 1966 and extensions in 1968 would render a good chunk of Toronto's older PCC streetcar fleet surplus and out of work. 4090 was included with a group of 100 other older cars that were sold and shipped overseas for use in Alexandria, Egypt.  John F. Bromley photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection.  There's a few more photos of this crossing at Ray Kennedy's Old Time Trains page here.
Copyright Notice: This image ©John F. Bromley photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. all rights reserved.



Caption: TTC PCC 4090 (an A1-class car built in 1938) heads eastbound on The Queensway on an overcast Sunday, just past the South Kingsway and its stairwells down to the Queen streetcar transfer platform.

4090 is also passing over the former site of one of the few streetcar lines in Toronto that once had an at-grade crossing with a rail line: CN's Humber Belt Line spur at Mile 4.7 Oakville Sub branched off by the old Stelco Swansea Works (out of frame to the left), crossed The Queensway here at a grade crossing with diamonds and crossing signals/gates, and headed north to serve two local industries. The spur was part of the short-lived Toronto Belt Line Railway's Humber Loop, built in the 1890's and only operated for a few years. Segments at the north and south ended up as spurs used for local freight service operated by GTR, CNoR and eventually CN. When the Queen streetcar line was moved onto the Queensway in 1957, an at-grade crossing was created here. This only lasted a few years though, as photos suggest the spur was abandoned, ripped out and crossing protection removed sometime between June and October 1964. The rails in the pavement were left in place and paved over by May 1965 (but were faintly visible poking out of the pavement in later years). In this photo, the tracks would have crossed where the fence on the right ended (right behind 4090), about where the break in the curb is visible.

The Bloor-Danforth subway line opening in 1966 and extensions in 1968 would render a good chunk of Toronto's older PCC streetcar fleet surplus and out of work. 4090 was included with a group of 100 other older cars that were sold and shipped overseas for use in Alexandria, Egypt.

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

There's a few more photos of this crossing at Ray Kennedy's Old Time Trains page here.

Photographer:
John F. Bromley photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. [930] (more) (contact)
Date: 07/25/1965 (search)
Railway: Toronto Transit Commission (search)
Reporting Marks: TTC 4090 (search)
Train Symbol: Queen (ebnd to Neville Loop) (search)
Subdivision/SNS: The Queensway at South Kingsway (search)
City/Town: Toronto (Etobicoke) (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 36209

Map courtesy of Open Street Map

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2 Comments
  1. Thanks for this one. I used that stop frequently over the years to get to my summer job.
    IIRC the spur may have gone to the brickworks that was located just north of the line between South Kingsway and Windermere. The brickworks burned down in the late 50′s or early 60′s.

  2. Vauxhall heading east too?

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