Classic
streetcar scenes at the corner of Bathurst and King. The
trackwork arrangement that completely interconnects the
crossing of two double-track lines is called a “grand
union”, allowing cars to move between the two lines in
any direction. Once a common piece of streetcar infrastructure
in cities throughout the world, only a handful remain.

Cyclists,
autos and streetcars all compete for space on the Bathurst
St. bridge.

Single-ended
streetcars mean turning loops at the end of each line. Here
an ALRV snakes around the Neville Park loop.

Pulling
out onto the street from the Dundas terminal

Streetcars
are woven into the fabric of Toronto’s neighborhoods, which
retain an amazing amount of small-business retail
establishments along the primary commercial streets. Here
streetcars pass a corner grocery at Broadview and Gerrard.

Downtown
also hosts a small railway
museum, co-located in an a restored roundhouse along
with a restaurant and a furniture store. Urban development
envelops the scene, and may ultimately push out the museum.

The
area around the Yonge & Dundas subway station has
developed into a lively night spot

One
of the challenges of on-street operation- an improperly
parked delivery truck results in mere inches of
clearance 

Much
of the system retains the traditional method for streetcar
boarding; passengers simply walk from the curb to the
vehicle.

Passengers
arrive and depart inside a pre-paid fare area at the east
end of the St. Clair line

Re-opened
in 2009, the 512 St. Clair West line represents TTC’s latest
effort to upgrade the traditional streetcar line. The line
utilizes reserved right-of-way with traffic priority and new
platforms. The overhead trolley wire was also upgraded with
stylized support structures as part of the effort to improve
aesthetics.

Along
College Street In Little Italy

Streetcars
roll by outside the restaurant window

Passengers
board on College Street

Night
scene downtown with one of the heritage PCCs

Where
the streetcar routes cross each other, they remain connected
together in traditional fashion. These connections permit
detours around line blockages. The car in the right-hand
photo is detouring around a track construction project.

Bicycles
and streetcars share the road on Queen
Street

Car
4070 passes the Canadian Westinghouse Building on King
Street.

Turning
off Spadina onto Queen’s Quay along the waterfront. An
historic sailing ship is docked in the background.

This
man-made “water cut” brought the water in closer to the
land, enhancing public access to the waterfront while
providing more room for a smallcraft harbor. The iconic CN
Tower is in the background.

Waterfront
intermodal; water taxis meet streetcars.

Car
4012 has just gone through a loop, “short turning”
on route 504 

Two
PCC cars are also part of the heritage fleet. These scenes
are also from the APTA 2007 Rail Transit Conference. TTC
makes the heritage cars available to the public for
charters.

 John Smatlak Photos