Text by James Bow
In the late 1960s, subway expansion and the TTC's streetcar abandonment policy had rendered a number of Toronto's streetcars surplus. Most of the venerable Peter Witt cars had been retired and scrapped after the opening of the UNIVERSITY subway in February 1963. With the opening of the BLOOR-DANFORTH subway, the TTC's oldest PCCs, the air-electric classes, were next on the chopping block. A number of cars were lucky enough to be sold off to Alexandra, Egypt, and some were considered for Tampico, Mexico. Two lucky models were saved for preservation (4000 and 4138), but only one exists today (4000). The full history of the air-electric PCCs can be found here.
The fate of the rest of the fleet was more grim, however. With no buyers, most air-electric PCCs were bound for the scrapheap. For many, that heap was located in a scrap yard in Oshawa. In May 1969, Richard Glaze paid a visit to this yard and caught these images of these PCCs in their final resting place.
Air Electric Final Resting Place Image Archive
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Air-electric PCCs 4125 and 4150 are among a set that have had their roofs removed. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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The remains of a number of air-electric PCCs are strewn across the scrap yard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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The burnt remains of A10-class ex-Cincinnati air-electric PCC #4594 rests alongside a TTC air-electric comrade at the Oshawa scrapyard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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Mostly intact air-electric PCCs, including #4171, rest at the Oshawa scrapyard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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TTC air-electric PCC #4206 sits with its roof cut off and upended. This photo was taken in a scrapyard in Oshawa circa May 1969 by Richard Glaze. |
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A long line of scrapped air-electric PCCs at the Oshawa yard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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Air-electric PCCs #4057 and 4259 rest with their tops off at the Oshawa scrapyard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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Air-electric PCCs 4119 and 4219 along with A13-class ex-Birmingham #4743 rest at the Oshawa scrapyard. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
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TTC air-electric PCC #4177 sits in its final resting place at a scrapyard in Oshawa. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1969. |
