Text by James Bow Additional text by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos
See Also
- The CLRVs
- The ALRVs
- A Streetcar Named Toronto (CLRV #4178 Retirement Art Project)
- VIDEO: TTS Transportation Weekend Day 2 Charter: ALRV 4221, September 2, 2018, by Damian Baranowski
- VIDEO: ALRV Retirement Run Ride Along, September 2, 2019, by James Bow.
- VIDEO: TTS Farewell to the CLRVs Charter (September 22, 2019)
- VIDEO: CLRV - the Final Chapter, by Damian Baranowski (coverage of the last three days of CLRV operations in December 2019)
- Off Site Resource: Video of the ALRV Retirement run by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos
It was a long reprieve. The CLRVs and ALRVs days were numbered starting in July 2009, when Toronto City Council approved a decision to purchase 204 new low-floor streetcars from Bombardier. The oldest of these vehicles (CLRVs 4000-4005) had just turned 30, while the ALRVs were just over 20. These had been the workhorses of the fleet since the 1990s, and while there were briefly proposals around 2005 to rebuild these vehicles for more use, the TTC ended up recommending a new generation of streetcars, offering wheelchair accessibility and increased capacity, despite the reduction in overall numbers.
However, Bombardier ran into difficulty getting the new Flexity LRVs into production. A mockup was shown off to the public at Hillcrest on November 14, 2011, and prototypes 4400-4403 delivered in 2013-14. However, plans to launch the Flexities by completely converting the 510 SPADINA route to Flexity operation on August 31, 2014 fell through, with only cars 4400 and 4403 available for passengers, only 14 cars were delivered and in service. The TTC, it seems, would have to nurse the CLRVs and ALRVs for a little longer.
Another consideration was the significant increase in streetcar ridership and crowding, which led the TTC to briefly consider rebuilding the remaining CLRVs and ALRVs to maintain their operation until the end of 2024, when the Ontarians With Disabilities Act would make the non-wheelchair accessible vehicles illegal. However, an attempt to rebuild selected ALRVs showed that the electrical equipment was too antequated and expensive to replace. Problems with the pneumatics meant that the vehicles stopped working during extreme cold spells, disrupting service. CLRVs and ALRVs began to be retired and hauled off for scrap, and the rates of retirement sped up.
On January 20, 2019, an extreme cold snap again forced the TTC to pull the aging CLRVs and ALRVs from service. The last ALRV detected to be in service by the Transsee tracking website was car 4204 on January 19. While the CLRVs returned after the cold snap, the ALRVs stayed offline. Streetcar shortages led the TTC to replace streetcars with buses on routes 511 BATHURST, 505 DUNDAS and 502/503 KINGSTON ROAD. With 124 Flexities now delivered and in service (barring a few that had been sent back to Bombardier for repairs), and with Bombardier now on track to deliver most of its promised streetcars by the end of 2019, the TTC announced that the ALRVs and CLRVs would be completely removed from service by the end of the year.
The CLRVs had officially entered their twilight, with the ALRVs possibly permanently retired. The venerable CLRVs were now over 40 years old. Railfans had long and fond memories of how these vehicles were the backbone of the fleet through the nineties and the first decade of the new millennium. In these vehicles memory, transit photographers would, through 2019, log the last of these vehicles as they plied their remaining routes, until the rest of the Flexities arrived.
Finally, on September 2, 2019, the TTC officially retired cars 4207 and 4204 with a ceremonial retirement runs on the 501 QUEEN between Russell Carhouse and Wolesley Loop. Car 4207 was used earlier that day for the Labour Day Parade and car 4204, the first ALRV, was officially retired at 5:20 PM, thus ending the era of the ALRV cars. ALRV 4204 was transferred to the Halton County Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario, on October 23, 2019, where it made its way through the museum under its own power to its sheltered resting place. Then, on Monday, November 4, the TTC delivered CLRV 4010 to Halton County. It was joined the next day by CLRV #4003 and the day after that by CLRV #4039. On Thursday, November 14, the Illinois Railway Museum announced the arrival of CLRV #4034.
In late October 2019, the TTC’s Coupler magazine announced that the board period ending on December 21, 2019, would see as many CLRVs as possible scheduled to operate as a special service on weekends on 501 QUEEN, in celebration of their long history and passing before the end of the year. The TTC confirmed this with its announcement for the November-December 2019 board period, stating that CLRVs would operate on 511 BATHURST only throughout the weekn and special extras would operate on 501 QUEEN from Roncesvalles to Connaught. Finally, at the end of November, the TTC announced that Sunday, December 29, 2019 would be the official last day of operation for the CLRVs, holding a contest to select attendees who would ride the ceremonial last car.
The era of the CLRVs and ALRVs was officially over.
CLRV Twilight Image Archive
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TTC CLRV #4166 pulls out of Dufferin Loop and turns north onto Dufferin Street on June 19, 2016, the first day of 514 CHERRY service. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4113 pauses at Distillery Loop at the eastern end of 514 CHERRY service on June 19, 2016, the first day of service for this route. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC ALRV #4203 lays over at Humber Loop in 501 QUEEN service to Neville, early Sunday morning on June 19, 2016. Photo by James Bow. |
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The 514 CHERRY streetcar was initially conceived as a wheelchair accessible line providing additional service along the busiest section of King Street. However, when the line opened, there wasn't yet sufficient Flexities to offer fully accessible service. CLRVs filled the gap. While they weren't equpped with route-specific rollsigns on the front, TTC CLRV #4027 was able to use its 514 exposure on its back rollsign as it turned from eastbound King onto southbound Sumach on June 24, 2016. This photograph was taken by Andrej Feher. |
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CLRV #4019 leads a line of retired cars at Leslie Barns on September 4, 2016, almost a year after it last ran in service. Attendees of the Toronto Transportation Society's Transportation Weekend charter were treated to a tour of Leslie Barns and the opportunity to photograph various equipment in the yard. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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ALRV 4227 photographed at Leslie Barns on September 4, 2016, still intact. The car made its final run in service in March of that year, but remained on the active roster until January 2018, and was scrapped shortly after. |
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In the summer of 2017, construction along Queen Street saw to it that the entire 501 Queen streetcar line was replaced by buses. The displaced ALRVs from Queen Street found their way into service on routes 504 King and 511 Bathurst. 4226 and 4236 are seen here on Roncesvalles Avenue at The Queensway on September 2, 2017. |
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The spring of 2018 saw many of the remaining unrefurbished ALRVs pulled from service for good. On April 30, 2018, unit #4232 was in 501 Queen service and was photographed at University Avenue. Just over two weeks after this photo was taken, the car ran in service for the final time. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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By the spring of 2018, time was running out for legacy cars on the 512 ST CLAIR line, and the last of them would run on St. Clair Avenue just four months later. On a windy May 4, 2018, Andrej Feher photographed air-conditioned CLRV #4041 pulling out of St. Clair station, bound for Keele Street. The clock was ticking fast, too, for this unique oddity of Toronto transit. |
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In the later half of the summer of 2018, the ALRVs started to become an increasingly rare sight in service, often only one or two making it out at a time. Much of the time, it was unit 4221 that picked up the slack. This car was taken out of service in November 2016 to be refurbished, and was the final unit outshopped from that program in the summer of 2018. It was photographed on Fleet Street at Bastion Street on August 24 on 511 Bathurst service, a mere week after its return to service. |
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ALRV 4202 leads a line of sidelined cars at Russell yard on September 2, 2018. The car car, having last ran in May of that year, was in the early stages of parts salvage. |
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On September 4, 2016, TTC CLRV #4196 was photographed at Leslie Barns, having been retired that past July. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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TTC ALRV #4217 hides behind some retired ALRVs at Russell yard on September 26, 2018. Although the car would be briefly reactivated later that fall, it later disappeared from service again. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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On September 26, 2018, TTC #ALRVs 4204 and 4224 were photographed at Russell yard. 4204 would later be repaired and as of March 2019 was the last ALRV to operate in service to date, but 4224 was only waiting for its turn to be towed to Leslie Barns for decommissioning. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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TTC CLRV #4178 was photographed on King Street West near Simcoe Street on October 15, 2018. After the 504 KING route was split into two that month, CLRVs became an increasingly rare sight on King Street. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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On a blue afternoon on October 15, 2018, TTC CLRV #4154 was photographed at Russell yard. It had just recently completed its final run in passenger service and would soon be moved to Leslie Barns for decommissioning. Andrej Feher photographer. |
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CLRV 4011 was out of service for much of 2018 due to a badly leaking roof, but was repaired and returned to service in the fall of 2018. It is seen here on one of its first days back in service on October 23, 2018 at Howard Park Avenue and Roncevalles Avenue, while working a 506 Carlton service. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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CLRV #4027, having been retired in August 2018, sits in Leslie Barns on October 27, 2018 during an open house, awaiting a turn with its maker. |
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TTC ALRV #4218, stripped and awaiting scrapping, was shown to visitors to Leslie Barns during an open house on October 27, 2018. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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CLRVs 4096 and 4126 photographed on the west side of Russell yard on December 30, 2018. These cars were retired in the late fall/early winter of that year, and were awaiting removal from property. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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TTC CLRV #4123 passes under the Gardiner Expressway in 511 BATHURST service on the last days of CLRV service. This photo was taken by Andre Truffi. |
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On the evening of February 3, 2019, Andrej Feher stopped by the Russell carhouse and photographed 4041, 4051, and 4096 parked on the west side of the yard. 4051 would later return to service, but the other two had carried their final passengers by this point, and 4041, famous for being the only air-conditioned CLRV in the Toronto fleet, was in the early stages of stripping. |
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A trio of refurbished ALRVs is seen at Russell yard on February 4, 2019. Unfortunately, the refurbishment that 20 ALRVs underwent was not successful, as reliability failed to improve, and by the time this photo was taken, 4210 was already in the early stages of parts salvage. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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In March 2019, the one routes which was still seeing significant CLRV traffic was 506 CARLTON. Here, wrapped CLRV 4127 lines up behind two other CLRVs in 506 CARLTON service at Main Street station. This photograph was taken on March 14, 2019 by James Bow. |
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Chartered TTC CLRV 4145 makes a rare appearance on Spadina Avenue on March 14, 2019, wrapped in an advertisement for jewellry. Flexity LRV #4488 follows in service on 510 Spadina. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4145 heads southbound on Spadina towards Adelaide in the morning of March 14, 2019. This chartered car was observed later that day decorated on the inside for what may have been a wedding. Photo by James Bow. |
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CLRVs 4075 and 4080 sit on the west side of Russell yard on March 21, 2019. By this time, 4080 was already being salvaged for parts. |
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CLRV 4014 is seen at Russell carhouse, stripped and awaiting the scrapheap, on March 21, 2019. This car last ran in service in November 2018. Photo by Andrej Feher |
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In October 2018, TTC CLRV #4177 was involved in a collision on The Queensway, and would never be repaired. On March 21, 2019, it was sitting on one of the yard tracks at Russell yard, awaiting scrapping. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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On March 24, 2019, a forlorn CLRV 4041 was definitively stripped and awaiting its final journey to the scrapyard. The ghost of its last short turn was still rolled up on its headsign. |
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Of the three CLRVs that went to Boston in 1980 (4027, 4029, and 4031), 4029 was the one that survived the longest. However, by mid-February 2019, its time, too, had come, and was photographed, stripped, in Russell yard on March 24, 2019. Photo by Andrej Feher. |
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TTC CLRV #4004 gets a celebrity welcome as it meets attendees of a TTC GM bus charter (#2252) on Saturday, June 8, 2019. The car happened to pull up eastbound to a photo shoot on Howard Park Drive, just past Roncesvalles. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4171 heads westbound on Howard Park Drive, towards Roncesvalles, in service on 506 CARLTON. It's happened upon a photo stop for an enthusiast's charter of TTC GM New Look bus #2252. This photo was taken by James Bow on June 8, 2019. |
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TTC CLRV #4180 heasd southbound on Bathurst, crossing King in 511 BATHURST service. This photo was taken by James Bow on the morning of June 28, 2019. |
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A driver rewires CLRV #4081 northbound on the intersection of Bathurst and King on the morning of June 28, 2019. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRVs 4160 and 4052 pass each other, crossing King Street in 511 BATHURST service on the morning of June 28, 2019. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4094 heads northbound on Bathurst at King in 511 BATHURST service on the morning of June 28, 2019. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4091 prepares to cross King Street, southbound on Bathurst in 511 BATHURST service on June 28, 2019. Photo by James Bow. |
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TTC CLRV #4091 lays over at Exhibition Loop in service on 511 BATHURST. This photo was taken by James Bow on the afternoon of July 10, 2019. |
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TTC CLRV #4146 lays over at Bathurst station, in service on 511 BATHURST. This photograph was taken by James Bow on the afternoon of July 10, 2019. |
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Trevor Parkins-Sciberras caught ALRV 4207 on a out-of-service run outside of Roncesvalles Carhouse on August 4, 2019. At the time, no ALRVs were operating in scheduled service. |
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TTC ALRV #4204 turns from Bathurst onto eastbound Queen as it launches one of its ceremonial last runs on Labour Day, 2019. Photo by Edward Brain. |
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TTC ALRV #4204 heads eastbound on Queen, having turned off of Bathurst on one of its ceremonial last runs on Labour Day, 2019. Photo by Edward Brain. |
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TTC CLRV #4117 heads eastbound on Queen Street, following ALRV #4204 in support of its last runs on Labour Day, 2019. Photo by Edward Brain. |
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In the early morning hours of November 14, 2019, Robert Lubisnki caught this image of CLRV #4155 heading into 511 BATHURST service from Russell on King Street, approaching University Avenue. |
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A rearview of CLRV #4155 as it heads towards University Avenue on King. This photo was taken by Robert Lubinski on the morning of November 14, 2019. |
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TTC CLRV #4039 settles into its new life at the Halton County Railway Museum, rounding the loop at the west side and heading back towards Rockwood station during one of the museum's Christmas weekend. This photograph was taken by Damian Baranowski on December 7, 2019. |
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As the days click down, Robert Lubisnski caught TTC CLRV #4104 entering 511 BATHURST service on King Street, having just crossed University Avenue on December 19, 2019. |
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Andre Truffi captured this image of CLRV #4069 pausing eastbound on Fleet Street, just past Jannuzzi on the last days of CLRV service on 511 BATHURST and the TTC, December 28, 2019. |
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Andre Truffi caught this image of the back end of CLRV #4085 and the CN Tower. The car is on 511 BATHURST service on the last days of CLRV operation, December 28, 2019. |
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TTC CLRV #4123 heads northbound on Bathurst in 511 BATHURST service, having crossed College. Andre Truffi took this photograph on December 28, 2019, the last day of CLRV operation on the TTC. |
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TTC CLRV #4069 heads northbound on the Bathurst Street Bridge heading towards Front Street in 511 BATHURST service. This photo was taken by Andre Truffi on the last day of revenue service for the CLRVs. |
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TTC CLRV #4069 heads north on Bathurst, towards Fort York Boulevard, in service on 511 BATHURST on Saturday, December 28, 2019, the last day of revenue service.. Photo by Andre Truffi. |
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TTC CLRV #4042 heads southbound on Bathurst approaching Carr in 511 BATHURST service. This photo was taken by Andre Truffi during the last day of CLRV revenue service, Saturday, December 28, 2019. |
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TTC CLRV #4085 heads southbound on Bathurst in 511 BATHURST service, having crossed Dundas. This photo was taken by Andre Truffi on December 28, 2019. |
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Last remaining CLRVs are stored in Russell Carhouse. Photo taken on January 25th, 2020 by R.Fomin |
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A dozen of CLRV are seen in Russel Carhouse in this winter shot taken by R.Fomin on January 26th, 2020. |
