PCC Shape, CLRV Colours

PCC 4600 operating with PCC 4500 in a charter around the lighthouse at Fleet Loop. The date is October 13, 1991 and the photo was taken by Robert D McMann.

Text by James Bow

See Also

Red Rocket Renaissance: The A-15 PCC Cars

From 1938 to 1996, the TTC’s “Red Rocket” PCCs cars trundled Toronto’s streets, serving Torontonians and working their way into the city’s popular culture. Today, in 2007, the TTC retains two of these venerable streetcars, numbered 4500 and 4549, which have been restored to their original 1950s appearance. Operating in charters, these cars remind Torontonians of a time when their streetcars were curvy, and maroon (or red) and cream.

But railfans who are around twenty years and older may remember a time when at least two of Toronto’s PCC cars were painted in a different set of colours.

In 1984, the City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission looked into rebuilding a number of its PCC vehicles, to meet an increase in ridership and serve the planned Harbourfront LRT. As many as 30 PCCs were considered for rebuilding and the contract eventually fell to the Urban Transportation Development Corporation. Cars 4512 left Toronto for UTDC’s Millhaven plant (just outside Kingston) to be rebuilt from the bottom up. Car 4505 was rebuilt at the TTC’s own Hillcrest Shops to assess the economics of rebuilding in-house versus outsourcing the task. Peter C. Kohler describes the reconstruction as follows:

The body was essentially remanufactured with new side sills, bolsters, window posts, frame members and side skin replaced with new and in some cases heavier, steel. Only the roof was original. The underframe was slightly modified and certain areas reinforced. The trucks, motors and all electrical components were rebuilt and all wiring replaced. All the wiring between the front and middle of the car was relocated in a sealed conduit in the side sill instead of beneath the car floor. The new control rods featured Teflon spacer/guide blocks instead of rollers. Newly added features included the installation of side sill heaters, replacement of all fuses with circuit breakers and a new 32v. circuit and relays for the gang switch assembly. Inside, new CLRV style seating, paneling below the windows and flooring was installed.

The rebuilt cars were reclassified, reflecting their “good as new” status, and renumbered 4600 (from 4505) and 4601 (from 4512). They were also repainted in the TTC’s CLRV livery, with red body and letterboard, grey skirting, black windows and white across the rooftops and white striping. In September 1986, the distinctively coloured 4600 was unveiled Toronto’s Hillcrest Shops and put into service soon thereafter. Car 4601 followed suit in February 1987. The two cars operated successfully on the TTC for two years, leading the Commission to proceed with the rebuilding of three more PCCs in 1988. Eventually, 19 PCCs would be fully rebuilt.

But in February 1989, the TTC opted to paint the new rebuilt PCCs in the traditional maroon and cream paint scheme, to go with the two cars (4500 and 4549) that were being restored to their 1950s appearance. These cars operated alongside the CLRV painted 4600 and 4601 on the Harbourfront LRT and as rush hour extras throughout the system, before submitting to a maroon and cream repainting in late 1992.

Outside of various publicity shots, photos of the CLRV painted PCCs are rare, due to the fact that only two such cars ever operated, and only for five years. However, thanks to Brad O’Brien, who donated these photographs from his collection, we can recall those days when PCCs looked like CLRVs.

PCC Shape CLRV Colours Image Archive

	PCC 4600 in service on 502 Downtowner, heading westbound on Queen East, at King on October 7, 1986. Photo taken by Robert D. McMann.
	Car 4600 travelling eastbound on Queen Street East, passing King Street.
	Cars 4600 and 4601 turn from Queen onto Church on July 12, 1987. Photo taken by Robert D. McMann.
	TTC A-15 class rebuilt PCC #4600 meets up with CLRV #4085 at Russell Carhouse on August 6, 1987. Photo by Robert McMann, courtesy the Damian Baranowski Collection.
	TTC A15-class rebuilt PCC 4600, in CLRV colours, pauses at High Park loop on August 9, 1987. Photo by Robert McMann, courtesy the John Knight collection.
	PCC 4600 in service on 506 Carlton at High Park loop. Photo donated by Brad O'Brien
	TTC rebuilt A-15 class pulls out into the open at Hillcrest Shops displaying its CLRV colours on September 16, 1988. This official TTC photograph is courtesy the Richard Glaze collection.
	Car 4601 in service on 512 St. Clair, about to enter Gunns Loop at the west end of the line. Photo donated by Brad O'Brien.
	TTC A15-class rebuild PCC #4600 shows off its CLRV colours westbound on Queen Street passing Davies Avenue on April 26, 1989. The photo was taken by R. McMann and is courtesy the John Knight collection.
	PCC 4601 operates westbound on Queen, approaching Yonge Street, in this August 1989 shot. Photo by Ian Folkard, courtesy [New York City Subway Resources](http://world.nycsubway.org/).
	A closeup of rebuilt PCC 4601, in CLRV colours, operating eastbound on Queen's Quay at near Rees Street. This 1990 photograph is by Stephen Rees.
	PCC 4601 (ex PCC 4512), now at the Michigan Transit Museum. Tom Jankowski photo.
	Car 4600 in its present home and livery at the Halton County railway museum.