Text by James Bow.
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See Also
The TTC's Last Surface Rail Work Cars
The TTC used to count amongst its surface rail vehicles a large fleet of work cars designed to keep the system moving. These included snowsweepers that cleared the tracks and farebox cars that delivered fareboxes to various carhouses and returned the cash to the TTC's central headquarters at Yonge and Front. There were cranes, flatbed cars, and even electric shunter locomotives designed to ferry unpowered Witt trailers along yard tracks.
Over time, the TTC found that these work vehicles did not need to run on the streetcar rails in order to effectively assist the system. Snowsweepers were phased out as the city of Toronto's snow-clearing methods improved; farebox cars were replaced by money trucks, the yard shunters disappeared as the trailers fell into disuse. As the TTC found that various pieces of flanged-wheel equipment could be replaced by rubber tired equivalents, the TTC's work fleet diminished, until it stood at two: W-30 & W-31, a pair of old PCC cars converted to provide rail grinding. Rail grinders drag bricks or some other heavy, abrasive material overtop the rails to smooth out nicks and bumps in order to ensure a smoother ride for streetcar patrons
A Brief History of W30 and W31
After April 1976, work cars W30 and W31 provided all of the rail grinding services for the TTC streetcar network. They replaced car W28, a converted Toronto Civic Railway double-truck Preston, originally purchased in 1915. W28 was donated to the Halton County Radial Railway Museum. Cars W30 and W31 were converted from ex-Cleveland PCCs 4631 and 4668 respectively, purchased from Cleveland in 1952. These cars featured couplers for multiple-unit operation (which took place on the Bloor and Queen routes), and were thus the last two multiple-unit capable PCCs on the TTC system.
Among the modifications made to change these cars from passenger equipment to work equipment, the seats were removed, as was the rollsign (replaced with a single sign saying 'Rail Grinding Car'). The small standee windows located near the roof of the car were covered over, but this was a later modification, as a photograph in Larry Partidge's book, Mind the Doors, Please, shows these work cars with their standee windows visible. The rear car (W31) has a set of bricks placed between the wheels on each truck, weighed down in such a way that they scraped against the track. These bricks could be lifted up when the car isn't grinding. These bricks replaced W31's breaks, requiring W30, the front car, to pull the train and provide the bulk of the braking power. Some photographs show these two cars in operation with W31's trolley pole down, suggesting that W31 operated as a dummy that W30 dragged along the rails. W31 retained its pole, however.
In the 1980s and the early 1990s, these cars were called upon to break in new track after it was laid down, before other vehicles were brought in. It was seen soon after trackwork was relaid on McCaul Street and it was seen prior to the opening of the Harbourfront LRT and the Spadina Streetcar line.
The End of the Line
The last rail grinding project took place on March 1999. At the time, the cars were called out to perform work on Queen's Quay and the Bay Street tunnel after renovations had shut down this portion of the Spadina line for six months. Due to engine problems in W31, rail grinder W30 was separated from its longtime companion and sent out alone. Ironically, W31 was the car that contained the grinding bricks -- W30's duty was to provide braking power. So the trip was of little use -- the long line of CLRVs that followed W30 did most of the work in smoothing out the track.
After that, W30 and W31 were stored on the southern tracks in Hillcrest. The opening of the TTC's new track on Queen's Quay between Spadina and Bathurst occurred without a visit from these rail grinders. It was said that the grinding bricks on W-31 were only providing a light scraping, and the cars had to get up to some speed before the grinding became effective -- hard to do in mixed traffic. In addition, lighter machinery became available which could do the job of grinding.
In September 2002, the TTC removed the rail grinders from their property, donating them to the Halton County railway museum where they now reside. W31 remains in dead storage, while W30 retains its distinctive colours and provides passenger service. To carry passengers, new seating was installed on the vehicle.
W30-31 Image Archive
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TTC rail grinders W30 & W31 turn out of Queen's Quay loop onto southbound Spadina, making sure the tracks are smooth on June 21, 1990, the day before the opening of the Harbourfront LRT line. Photo by Robert McMann, from the John Knight collection. |
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Rail grinders W30 and W31 are seen here breaking in new track on McCaul Street after reconstruction in the summer of 1990. For more on that project, click here. |
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TTC W30 sits at Russell Carhouse on June 28, 1998. Photo by James Bow. |
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This is a shot of the rear of W31, showing the side of both cars at Russell Carhouse on June 28, 1998. Notice that the standee windows have been covered over; this modification occurred after the cars were pressed into service as rail-grinders. |
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A view of the interior of W-30, taken at Russell carhouse on June 28, 1998. Photo by James Bow. |
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George Davidson got inside W-31 for this 2002 shot. As you can see, the seats have been torn out, and equipment lies strewn about. If you look closely, you can see the standee windows that have been covered over. Other common PCC features remain in place, including the distinctive lamps. |
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The control panel and front end of W-31. Note the sign warning that this car can not be operated on the street alone. Photo taken in 2002 by George Davidson. |
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Here's a shot of the couplers holding W31 to W30. This photo was taken at Russell Carhouse on June 28, 1998 by James Bow. |
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Another shot of the two cars at Russell Carhouse on June 28, 1998, highlighting the distinctive paint scheme. In spite of the yellow and the sign, drivers stated that people still tried to board these car when they were in operation. Photo by James Bow. |
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George Davidson caught this shot of W-30 and W-31 in dead storage at Hillcrest on February 18, 2001, while they awaited their fate. |
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The front of rail grinder W31 at Hillcrest on February 18, 2001, unobscured by usual front-runner W30. Photo by George Davidson. |
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Another shot of W-31 and the pen it was stored in at the southern end of the TTC's Hillcrest Shops on February 18, 2001. Photo by George Davidson. |
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A final shot of TTC Rail Grinder W30 in dead storage at the southern end of Hillcrest, on February 18, 2001. Photo by George Davidson. |