^ North Yonge Railways @
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
^ NORTH YONGE RAILWAYS @ Crossing the Don River in Hogg's Hollow - the only bridge on the line. After the abandonment of the Lake Sim- coe Line on March 16, 1930, the terr• itory between the Toronto City Limit and Richmond Hill was served by a TTC red bus line known as the North York Bus. This was routed via Yonge Blvd. and the high level bridge, thus leav• ing the Hogg's Hollow area without transportation. Additional sources of dissatisfaction included overcrowding and unreliability in bad weather. A strong demand therefore arose for the return of the electric cars. In Willowdale in 194?. To satisfy this demand for the 3120 fighting a storm. restoration of satisfaotory transport• ation, the Townships of North York, Uarkham, and Taughan, and the Village of Richmond Hill, arranged to purchase for $66,500 the 10.3 miles of line between the City Limit and the north end of Richmond Hill, and made an agreement with the TTC to operate the line for them. Under this agreement, dated July 17, 1930, the TTC was to operate and maintain the line, provid• ing cars and crows, and using a modern type of car with a satisfactory speed. The TTC was to keep 1% of the gross receipts as payment for administration Three-car meet in Lansing. At Richmond Hill station. of the line and any surplus or deficit was to be divided among the municipal• ities as follows: Township of North York 555b Township of Markham llSb Township of Vaughan llji Village of Richmond Hill ZSjo Bulletin 40 The TTC agreed to refrain from oper• ating buses in the radial area, which DECEMBER 1954 extended (and still extends) as far as the south side of the cross roads at Blgin Mills. The Municipalities also IHpptc Cannba -Railtoap ;&ocittp agreed not to permit the operation of BOX M2, TERMINAL "A" At Pearson's Siding near Thornhill. competing bus lines in this territory. TORONTO, CANADA WESTLAND 12-54 The first agreement ran for flftaon exterior appearance. Only the 2120 years, was renowad in 1945 for three saw much use, and only it lasted until yeeurs, and again in 1946 for one add• tha end. itional year. Before this expired, RICHMONCI HILLT rail service had been abandoned, and Oars were maintained at the TTO's 0STATI ON the new contract drawn up in 1949 was Bglinton Division, and were deadheaded for bus aervioa only. over regular Yonge Street car tracks to and from North Toronto Terminal. The line started at the North Toronto Terminal, on the east side of For fare collection purposes, the ^Dunlop Yonge Street at the City Limit, where line was divided into six zones, and a ''Observo- direct connection was made with the fare of five cents was charged for tory city street cars. Immediately on each zone. Return tickets were sold leaving the terminal, the line crossed at agencies for five cents less than to the west margin of the highway and double the one way. Thus Toronto to plunged down the long steep grade into Richmond Hill was 30(< one way or 55(< picturesque Hogg's Hollow. After return. Oomrautation tickets were also crossing the Bon Siver, it started the sold at agencies, and were popular. A toilsome climb to higher ground egain. ticket office was maintained at North On reaching the top of the grade, the Toronto Terminal, and agencies were track swung to a reserved strip in the established at stops 8, 11, 16, and centre of the dual highway, continuing 25, the last-named being Richmond Hill thus through the built-up communities station. of Lansing, Vailowdale, and Newton Brook. The original schedule of 1930 provided cars to Richmond Hill at 20 minutes, and to Steelas at 40 minutes, At Steoles Avenue, the dual high• pn.-4 each hour, giving an odd 20-40-20 way arrangement ended, and the line headway on the southern part of the continued along the east edge of the line. This was gradually increased highway through more open and rolling until the final timetable, in use dur• country to the south end of Richmond ing 1947-46, showed cars on the hour Hill, where it swung to the centre of to Thornhill, on the 20 to Steeles and the main street, and continued thus on the 40 to Richmond Hill. More fre• on paved track through the length of quent service was offered in rush the village to the north end, where it hours, usually including some short swung again to the east side of the trips to Finch's only. highway, and immadiately terminated. Al'Lor 4ia ivar, the territory Single tracked throughout, the along the railway grew so rapidly that ..NEWTONBROOK North Yonge line was laid with old 56- the eight small cars were hard-pressed Ib. and newer 80-lb. rail dating back to handle the traffic, and the TTC had to Metropolilan days, the heavier rail no additional suitable cars. It was being mostly south of Steeles. The common to see all eigiit cars in use at 15 MINS. JFINCH'S SIDING 2 paved trackage in Richmond Hill boast• once, making proper maintenance im• ed 93-lb. 'Tl" rail, laid by the TTC. possible. Also, much of the track and finch Overhead was direct suspended from overhead was worn out. - jjSUBSTATION span wires on the dual highway section and in the main street of Richmond As an alternative to completely Hill, and from bracket arms elsewhere. rebuilding the line, the TTC.proposed Ilaohod trolley-contact block signals to substitute buses, and the acute furnished protection throughout. power shortage in the fall of 1948 furnished a good excuse to "tempor• Ave. The TTC assigned the eight oars arily" close the line. A proposed of series 409-416 to operate the line. BALES SIDING vote of the ratepayers on the question Built by Ottawa Oar Oo. in 1924-25, of rehabilitating the railway was un• these were small low-floor double-end questionably influenced by propeganda one-man steel oars, and were the only issued by those who wished to see passenger oars ever used on the North the line permanently abandoned. When Yonge line. the vote was finally taken, after some delay, the result was overwhelmingly Snow-fighting equipment comprised in favour of keeping the buses. Rotary Plow HP-190, box-cab wedge plow TP-7, and Scraper Car 2120, a former The line was then sold for scrap, Civic Railways passenger car, which and Toronto's last interurban line NORTH I ONE MILE still retained much of its original passed into history. TORONTO TER RUNNING TIME TO u-M TURN5ACK POINTS INDICATED NORTH YONGE TYPICAL TICKiiffia - Right, coupon RAILWAYS from an employees' book. Lower H o MANAGEMENT OF Left, coupon from coninutation jr % Toronto Transportation Commission ticket. Lower Hiidit. half of a —' X return card ticket, as sold at EMPLOYEES TICKET stations and agencies. CO NOT GOOD ON CITY LINES NORTH YONGE RAILWAYS 24662 OELORAINE AVE. UfWOE TICI'CT North Yense Rsilwiy GLEN ECHO RD. C3 OKE GtWTINBOOS RIDE IHWUN TORONTO 77^ —TO — ro TORONTO NORTH TORONTO 44 NEWTONBROOK CO HMl STOP I I TERMINAL DETAIL Noitoo-OTtr allowed.Good ODNEWTOMBROOK • • to return within oiiemonth -1-4 NORTH YONGE RYS. of date itanped on buck. CITY TRACKAGE -^HIJ tOiPBM »OID If OEUCHEB Form R 2 R -|—OVERHEAD BREAKERS .