Birchmount Garage

Text by Godfrey Mallion
Revised by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos

Ray Corley reports that “Vehicles for the new Birchmount Garage were moved to the facility at Birchmount Avenue and Danforth Road, from the Woodbine Garage (originally the Hollinger Bus Lines Garage, located at O’Connor Drive and Woodbine Avenue) on May 31, 1956. Buses operated from the Birchmount Garage starting on June 1, 1956. An official opening was held on August 2 1956.”

The 89,500 square foot garage has 2 wash racks, 2 fueling stations, a UWE heating system for buses stored outdoors, 10 40-foot hoists, and 4 insection pit stations. The garage houses a fleet of 278 NOVA LFS 40102 vehicles

On opening day, Birchmount Garage served twelve east-end routes, including 15 BRIMLEY, 20 CLIFFSIDE, 23 DAWES, 25 DON MILLS, 38 GERRARD, 43 KENNEDY, 51 MAIN, 62 MORTIMER, 70 O’CONNOR, 67 PHARMACY, 86 SCARBORO and 91 WOODBINE.

As of January 4, 2021, Birchmount Division operates the following routes:

8 BROADVIEW
9 BELLAMY
12 KINGSTON ROAD
16 McCOWAN (split with Eglinton, Sun late evenings)
17 BIRCHMOUNT
20 CLIFFSIDE
22 COXWELL
23 DAWES
24 VICTORIA PARK
31 GREENWOOD
62 MORTIMER
64 MAIN
65 PARLIAMENT
69 WARDEN SOUTH
70 O’CONNOR (split with Eglinton, Sun-Fri late evenings)
72 PAPE
81 THORNCLIFFE PARK
83 JONES
87 COSBURN
92 WOODBINE SOUTH
93 PARKVIEW HILLS
102 MARKHAM ROAD
113 DANFORTH
135 GERRARD (split with Eglinton late evenings, Mon-Fri)
143 DOWNTOWN / BEACH EXPRESS
167 PHARMACY NORTH
175 BLUFFER’S PARK
300 BLOOR-DANFORTH NIGHT
302 KINGSTON ROAD-McCOWAN NIGHT
320 YONGE NIGHT
322 COXWELL NIGHT
365 PARLIAMENT NIGHT
324 VICTORIA PARK
502 DOWNTOWNER
503 KINGSTON ROAD
505 DUNDAS
902 MARKHAM ROAD EXPRESS
924 VICTORIA PARK EXPRESS

Birchmount Garage Image Archive

	The south side of the main Birchmount garage building. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop.
	Another view of the south side of Birchmount garage, focusing on the westward bays. Photo taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	A closer view of the main building, showing the entrance to the repair bays and the pit. Photo taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	Birchmount garage repair bays. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop
	Birchmount garage staging area, on the west side of the property. This photograph is looking south. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop.
	The staging area at Birchmount Garage. This photograph was taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	The public face of Birchmount Garage, as seen from Danforth Road. This photo was taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	A photograph of the run and bus sheet at Birchmount Garage on May 2, 2011. Photo by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	Birchmount Garage - the bus storage area known as the West Yard (even through it's on the north side) as seen on April 19, 1998 with a mix of Orion and GM buses. Photo by Robert Lubinski.
	An issue of the TTC Headlights flyer announces new bus route numbers for buses assigned to Birchmount Garage in 1956. Image courtesy Pete Coulman.
	The route allocation for Birchmount Garage, circa 1969. Image courtesy Pete Coulman.
	TTC CC&F buses 1934, 1935 and 1954 wait to enter service at Birchmount Garage in July 1974. These vehicles are on their last days. Photo by T. Shepherd, from the John Knight collection.
	TTC GM "Old Look" #2126 sits at the vacuum island at Birchmount Garage in March 1958, bearing a 34 EGLINTON EAST sign. This photo is courtesy the TTC.