Text by James Bow and Alexander Best
In November 2019, former Metro Toronto councillor Howard Levine reached out regarding a friend of his named Richard Glaze. Mr. Glaze was a long-time rail and transit fan who unfortunately had to downsize as he left his apartment for the retirement home. With no children to pass on his collection of slides and photographs, Transit Toronto was offered a chance to preserve the collection, which we humbly took.
Richard’s friend Alexander Best offered us the following biography summarizing Richard’s life and his work: “Richard Frederick Glaze was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1932, and before the age of 10 was already a keen observer of all things railway related. A Pennsylvania Railroad branch line crossed the Dayton-Xenia interurban rail line close to his family’s house on Watervliet Avenue. In his 20s Richard began working for General Motors in Warren, Michigan, and moved up to Canada in 1968 where he was employed as an engineer at GM in Oshawa. Handy with a lens, he documented both old and new vehicles, whether TTC or VIA Rail, in his adopted home of Toronto.”
If anything, Mr. Best’s summary underplays the extent of Richard Glaze’s collection, which as of February 2020, we are only just starting to sort though, scan and categorize. We’ve already been blessed with numerous images of TTC operations in the early 1970s, with fine large scale colour and black & white negatives. Sifting through this treasure is a dream. In addition to the photographs that are appearing on other pages, a selection of his work is being placed here for posterity.
Thanks again to Mr. Glaze and to his friends for arranging this tremendous gift to Transit Toronto and rail and transit fans everywhere.
Richard Glaze Image Archive
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Richard Glaze as a young man, with his camera. Location and photographer unknown (but likely somewhere in Cleveland, circa 1955). |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach pauses in St. John's loop on the 89 WESTON line on a charter organized by Steve Munro on April 25, 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuild #9202 pauses at Jane Station bearing a 4B ANNETTE rollsign on a charter organized by Steve Munro on April 25, 1971. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry heads southbound on Lansdowne Avenue, having passed Seaforth and approaching Queen in 47 LANSDOWNE service in this December 1971 shot by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach #9233 heads southbound on Lansdowne Avenue crossing Dundas in 47 LANSDOWNE service. Notice the abandoned southbound streetcar track in the middle of the street, and the abandoned sockets for the southbound trolley wire. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuilt trolley bus #9202 and Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9104 pause northbound on Shaw Street, just north of King Street in 63 OSSINGTON service. Bus 9202 is on a charter organized by Steve Munro. The date is April 25, 1971 and the photographer is Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9062 pulls into Glen Echo loop in 97 YONGE service. Richard Glaze took this photo circa December 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9062 lays over at Glen Echo Loop. Richard Glaze snapped this photo from the west side of Yonge Street circa December 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9062 departs Eglinton station, followed by Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach 9200. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach #9200 prepares to pull out of Roe Loop at the north-west end of the 61 NORTOWN route. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC Western Flyer rebuild #9316 heads southbound on Mount Pleasant, crossing a bridge over the Blythwood ravine, approaching Blythwood. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9062 turns through Otter Loop in 61 NORTOWN service. Richard Glaze took this photo circa December 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9141 enters Avon Loop during a charter. This photo was taken circa December 1971 by Richard Glaze. |
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Another view of TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach at Avon Loop, taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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After looping at Queen, TTC Canadian Car & Foundry turns from Seaforth onto northbound Lansdowne in service on 47 LANSDOWNE. This photograph was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC A12-class ex-Cleveland all-electric PCC #4699 lays over at Neville Loop at the east end of the QUEEN line. This photo was taken circa December 1974 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC A14-class ex-Kansas City PCC #4759 and another PCC pose at Mt. Pleasant Loop. PCC 4759 is on a charter. Richard Glaze caught this photo circa February 1976. |
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TTC A13-class ex-Birmingham all-electric PCC #4724 heads westbound on Carlton Street, crossing Mutual in CARLTON service circa July 1976. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coaches #9278 and 9260 pass each other through the Bay/Charles intersection in 6 BAY service circa September 1976. Photo by Richard Glaze |
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TTC GM "New Look" bus #7726 heads eastbound on St. Clair, approaching Brimley in 86 SCARBOROGH service. Richard Glaze took this shot circa October 1976. |
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TTC A8-class PCC #4514 heads southbound on Bathurst, past construction around Wolesley loop in this October 1976 shot by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC GM New Look bus #3958 heads southbound on Mt. Pleasant Road, passing the entrance to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Richard Glaze took this photo on October 5, 1976. The diesel bus is in operation until trolley buses arrive. |
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TTC GM New Look heads southbound on Mt. Pleasant crossing Heath Street East during temporary diesel bus service on 74 MOUNT PLEASANT service before trolley buses arrived. Richard Glaze took this photo on October 5, 1976. |
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TTC A9-class ex-Cincinnati all-electric PCC #4560 pauses southbound on Bathurst in BATHURST service at King Street on September 4, 1978. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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A1-class all-electric TTC PCC #4074 waits with two others in an Oshawa scrapyard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze, circa May 1969. |
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TTC A6-class all-electric PCC #4358 heads eastbound on Dundas Street, approaching Elizabeth Street circa August 1974. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC A9-class ex-Cincinnati all-electric PCC #4554 heads northbound on Bathurst, passing King in BATHURST service. This May 1978 shot was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC A9-class ex-Cincinnati all-electric PCC #4558 heads westbound on Fleet Street in BATHURST service towards the Exhibition, past Molson's Brewery and a charter bus. This May 1970 photo was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC A14-class ex-Kansas City all-electric PCC #4767 drops off a passenger facing westbound on St. Clair Avenue at Oakwood, in EARLSCOURT service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa April 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9123 pulls through. Royce Loop at the southwest corner of Lansdowne and Dupont, coming out of 40 JUNCTION service. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa December 1971. |
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TTC Peter Witt car #2766 rests at Wychwood carhouse, alongside TTC Snow Sweeper S-36 and two PCCs. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa 1970. |
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TTC Peter Witt car #2894 heads eastbound on King, crossing Victoria Street. Richard Glaze took this photo circa July 1976. |
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TTC Large Witt #3010 leads a trailer into Glen Echo Loop, passing Peter Witt train led by #2528 on a charter. Richard Glaze took this photo on May 30, 1953. |
