Text by James Bow.
When the Second World War ended, the TTC were ready to consider running trolley coaches on the streets of Toronto again. Many North American cities were opting for trolley buses at this time. Most were using them to replace their aging streetcar fleets. With tracks desperately in need of repair along with the streetcars themselves, trolley buses were seen as a cheaper alternative, which might still offer the advantages of streetcar service.
The TTC did not consider using trolley buses to replace its entire streetcar fleet. Toronto's streetcars were generally in good enough condition, and were providing too useful a service to easily replace. However, certain lighter routes in the system needed repairing or expanding, and the trolley bus could be a good alternative for these routes. To inaugurate service on the Lansdowne, Annette and Ossington routes, the TTC turned to the Canadian Car & Foundry factory in Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay), Ontario. Between 1947 and 1948, they provided the TTC with 85 new vehicles. The initial T-44 models were 35'7" long and could seat 44 passengers.
In 1953 the TTC prepared to expand the trolley bus network, with new services set to start on the Nortown and Yonge routes in March 1954. As a result, the TTC ordered another 40 buses from CC&F. The T-48A model was longer than its older counterparts, at 38'9", and it could seat 48 passengers instead of 44. These were the last new trolley buses purchased by the TTC. Interest in trolley buses was fading throughout North America, and CC&F considered the market to be "saturated". The TTC purchased 15 TC48 model Marmon-Herrington trolley buses from Cincinnati. Until the Western Flyers, these were the longest buses in the system, at 39'3", and could seat 48 passengers. They were the second-lightest buses on the system as well, although externally they were similar to their CC&F cousins.
In 1959, the TTC would acquire 5 CC&F T-48A's from the abandoned eight-year-old system in Ottawa and, in 1963, the TTC purchased an additional 8 TC44 Marmon-Herringtons from Cleveland. These covered extensions to the Ossington and Annette trolley bus lines.
By the mid 1960s, the buses were nearing the end of their lifespans in some respects. With the opening of the Bloor-Danforth subway and the associated restructuring of the TTC's surface network, the TTC reviewed its position regarding the trolley buses. Deciding to maintain trolley bus service for the foreseeable future, the TTC set about on a rebuilding program that could extend the lives of its fleet. A deal with Western Flyer was set up. The CC&F coaches would be rebuilt. As for the 23 Marmon-Herringtons, the TTC and Western Flyer would rebuild these too, but the non-standard components would be replaced using parts salvaged from other CC&F vehicles. The TTC made its last purchase of Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coaches in the early 1970s when it obtained 23 T-44 and T-44A models from abandoned systems in Cornwall and Halifax. These 23 coaches were used as companion parts.
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Principal Specifications | |||||
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Fleet Class |
T1, T2 & T3 |
T4 |
T5 |
T6 |
T7 |
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Fleet Numbers |
9000-9049 |
9085-9124 |
9125-9139 |
9140-9144 |
9145-9152 |
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Builder |
Canadian Car & Foundry |
Canadian Car & Foundry |
Marmon - Herrington |
Canadian Car & Foundry |
Marmon - Herrington |
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Model |
T44 |
T48A |
TC48 |
T48A |
TC44 |
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Year Built (Leased) |
1947-8 |
1953 |
1948 (1953 Cincinnati) |
1951 (1959 Ottawa) |
1947 (1963 Cleveland) |
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Length |
35' 7" (10.85 m) |
38' 9.5" (11.82 m) |
39' 3" (11.96 m) |
38' 9.5" (11.82 m) |
36' 8" (11.18 m) |
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Width |
8' 6" (2.59 m) |
8' 6" (2.59 m) |
8' 6" (2.59 m) |
8' 6" (2.59 m) |
8' 6" (2.59 m) |
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Height |
9' 7" (2.92 m) |
9' 9.75" (2.99 m) |
9' 5" (2.87 m) |
9' 9.75" (2.99 m) |
9' 5" (2.87 m) |
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Wheelbase |
20' 9" (6.32 m) |
20' 7" (6.27 m) |
22' 0" (6.71 m) |
20' 7" (6.27 m) |
19' 7" (5.97 m) |
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Seating |
44 |
48 |
48 |
48 |
38 |
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Weights - Normal (W1) |
18510 lb (8400 kg) |
19500 lb (8850 kg) |
18000 lb (8160 kg) |
19500 lb (8850 kg) |
17700 lb (8030 kg) |
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Weights -- Normal (Service) (W4) |
29460 lb (13360 kg) |
31350 lb (14220 kg) |
31050 lb (14080 kg) |
31350 lb (14220 kg) |
29250 lb (13270 kg) |
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Weights -- Normal (Crush) (W5) |
31710 lb (14380 kg) |
33750 lb (15310 kg) |
32850 lb (14900 kg) |
33750 lb (15310 kg) |
32250 lb (14630 kg) |
The Second Generation Trolley Buses Image Archive
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In 1953, initial plans for the North Toronto trolley bus network to connect to the YONGE subway to open the following year initially called for separate ELGINTON and LAWRENCE trolley bus routes. Although trolley bus wires were strong on Lawrence from Yonge to Mount Pleasant, the LAWRENCE bus remained diesel, and NORTOWN, replacing EGLINTON, extended further north instead. Image courtesy Rob Pineault. |
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On November 20, 1946, a Canadian Car & Foundry demonstrator trolley bus was delivered to Lansdowne Garage for inspections. Dignitaries investigate while TTC double-ended streetcar #2148 looks on. This photo was taken for the Toronto Archives, but the photographer is unknown. |
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Another view of the demonstrator trolley bus at Lansdowne Garage on November 20, 1946. This photo was taken for the Toronto Archives. The photographer is unknown. |
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Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach loses its pole while in service. Photo by R. Hill; donated by Kenneth Josephson. |
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Two Marmon-Harrington coaches prepare to loop at the top of the Weston Road route. Photo by R. Hill; donated from the collection of Kenneth Josephson. |
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Trolley coach 9000 rests with comrades and a PCC in Lansdowne Carhouse. This photograph was taken by Bill Volkmer and was originally printed on Dave's Railpix Site. |
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An interior shot of Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9000 during a charter. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9000 pauses westbound on Lanark, just past Oakwood Avenue, likely on a charter. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9001 turns from Crawford Street onto King Street at the south end of the 63 OSSINGTON route. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa 1969. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9002 meets up with an all-electric PCC at Jane loop at the end of the BLOOR streetcar and ANNETTE trolley bus lines on August 22, 1953. Photo by L. Swanson, courtesy the Bill Nixon collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9004 pauses at Jane Loop on May 3, 1968, about a week before the opening of the BLOOR-DANFORTH subway extension to Islington, in service on the 4 ANNETE route. This photograph was taken by Robert McMann and is courtesy John F. Bromley's Flickr Stream. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9030 prepares to leave Doncliffe Loop at the north end of Mount Pleasant Road, in service on the 61 NORTOWN route in this October 1966 shot. Image is courtesy the Gregory J. Sommers collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry coach #9038 poses with Marmon-Harrington coach #9151 and GM "New Look" bus #3932 at Lansdowne Garage circa October 1970. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9044 heads southbound on Lansdowne Avenue, crossing Dundas Street West while passing northbound CC&F coach #9042, both in 47 LANSDOWNE service. Richard Glaze caught this shot circa July 1970.Gla |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9045 pulls out of Eglinton Station in eastbound 61 NORTOWN service circa October 1970. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC T2-class Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9050 has just crossed Duplex Avenue eastbound on Eglinton and is about to turn into Eglinton's subway terminal. This photo was taken in August 1969. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T2-class trolley bus #9056 heads westbound on Eglinton Avenue, approaching Yonge Street in this April 1969 photograph. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9057 departs Eglinton station's bus terminal, in service on the 61 NORTOWN route on August 23, 1969. This photo was taken by Robert McMann and is courtesy the Rob Hutchinson collection. |
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TTC CC&F coaches 9062 and 9090 rest at Eglinton garage on the day of the subway's opening, March 30, 1954. Both are bearing roll signs for the YONGE COACH route. Photo by Bill Hood, courtesy the John Knight Collection. |
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TTC T2-class Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9062 short turns through Otter Loop in service on the 61 NORTOWN bus on December 5, 1971. The photographer is Robert McMann and the image is courtesy the John Knight collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9067 pulls into Eglinton station's bus terminal in 61 NORTOWN service circa May 1971. Richard Glaze took this photograph. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9068 follows coach #9073 into Eglinton station's bus terminal from Eglinton Avenue in 61 NORTOWN service. This shot was taken circa May 1971 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9070 in 61 NORTOWN service passes TTC GM "Old Look" bus #2104 in 59D NORTH YONGE (Steeles via Senlac) service while GM "New Look" bus #7123 pulls out eastbound. Richard Glaze took this photo circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9072 pulls out of Eglinton station's bus terminal and onto Eglinton Avenue in service on 61 NORTOWN. Photo by Robert McMann, courtesy the Rob Hutchinson collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9079 pulls out of its bay at Eglinton station, likely to head east on Eglinton Avenue in 61 NORTOWN service. Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9101 and a TTC GM New Look prepare for runs north on Yonge Street. This photo was taken circa May 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9083 pulls out of Eglinton Station's Platform 1 in YONGE trolley bus service on July 5, 1954. Photo courtesy Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9084 heads northbound on Yonge Street, passing Alexander Muir park south of Lawrence Avenue. Richard Glaze caught this shot circa october 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9085 pauses northbound on Duplex, preparing to turn onto Eglinton in 61 NORTOWN service. Richard Glaze caught this image circa May 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9086 heads southbound on Yonge, passing Alexandria Avenue in 97 YONGE service. Richard Glaze took this shot circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9088 prepares to turn from westbound Eglinton to northbound Avenue Road in 61 NORTOWN service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley buc #9089 heads southbound on Yonge, passing Wanless (one block north of Lawrence) in 97 YONGE service. This photo was taken circa October 1970 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9090 pulls out of Eglinton station onto northbound Yonge Street in 97 YONGE service. The second phase of Canada Square is under construction in the background. Richard Glaze caught this image circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley bus #9091 boards passengers arriving from a GM New Look bus at Glen Echo loop at the north end of the 97 YONGE route in this November 1967 photograph. Image courtesy the Gregory J. Sommers collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley bus #9092 pulls out of Glen Echo loop at the north end of 97 YONGE service in this October 1970 shot by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9094 approaches Eglinton Avenue southbound on Yonge in 97 YONGE service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9096 heads southbound on Yonge Street, approaching Fairlawn, passing the Odeon Fairlawn movie theatre in this June 1969 shot. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9098 prepares to run on the 97 YONGE route in this shot taken at Eglinton station by Richard Glaze circa May 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley coach #9100 departs Glen Echo loop at the north end of the 97 YONGE route. Richard Glaze took this shot circa October 1970. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley bus #9101 enters Glen Echo loop at the north end of the 97 YONGE line. Photo courtesy the Gregory J. Sommers collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley bus #9102 heads southbound on Yonge at Glengrove in 97 YONGE service on September 2, 1971. Robert McMann took this photograph, which comes courtesy the John Knight collection. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9103 pulls off of Yonge Street in 97 YONGE service into Eglinton station's bus terminal circa May 1971. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9104 heads westbound on Davneport, approaching Oakwood in 63 OSSINGTON service on April 25, 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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CC&F trolley coach 9107 leads the pack in Wade Yard, just off of Lansdowne Avenue. Photo donated from the collection of Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry T4-class trolley bus #9108 sits at Hillcrest Shops ahead of its planned rebuild in this January 1972. The photographer is unknown and the image is courtesy the John Knight collection. |
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CC&F trolley coach 9109 prepares to enter Dundas West Station in service on 40 JUNCTION in this September 1969 shot. Photo donated from the collection of Brad O'Brien. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9110 crosses Bloor Street, southbound on Ossington in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa June 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9113 prepares to turn into Eglinton station's bus terminal in 61 NORTOWN service circa May 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9114 takes on passengers northbound on Ossington at College Street in this June 1971 shot. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9115 picks up passengers at Dundas West station while in 40 JUNCTION service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze on April 25, 1971. |
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TTC T48A-class Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9116 heads southbound on Ossington, crossing Dundas Street West in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa June 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9117 heads northbound on Weston Road, passing Central United Church at the southeast corner of King Street and Weston Road in this June 1971 shot by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9119 pulls into Eglinton station in 61 NORTOWN service circa May 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9120 turns from eastbound Eglinton to northbound Mount Pleasant in 61 NORTOWN service, passing an A14-class ex-Kansas City PCC streetcar southbound in ST. CLAIR service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa May 1971. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry bus #9120 heads westbound on Eglinton Avenue, passing Dunfield in 61 NORTOWN service. This shot was taken circa May 1971 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach 9122 heads southbound on Oakwood Avenue, approaching St. Clair in 63 OSSINGTON service. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1971. |
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CC&F trolley coach 9123 heads southbound down the big hill of Lansdowne south of St. Clair. Photo donated from the collection of Brad O'Brien. |
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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 Marmon Harrington trolley coach 9125 sits at Lansdowne Garage, circa 1955. Its rollsign proves the TTC, at one point, considered installing a trolley coach service on 32 EGLINTON WEST between the subway and Oakwood Avenue. Photo donated by Jim Blair. |
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TTC T5-class Marmon Harrington trolley bus #9125 prepares to leave Dundas West station on the 40 JUNCTION route on October 18, 1970. The photographer is Robert McMann. |
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A rear view of TTC TC48-class Marmon-Harrington trolley coach #9126 northbound on Oakwood, having just passed Oakwood Loop in this October 1971 shot. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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Coach 9127 is an example of the TTC's collection of Marmon-Herringtons. This one was imported from Cincinnati and is currently resting at Lansdowne Carhouse. Picture courtesy Alan Gryfe. |
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Marmon-Harrington coach 9128 sits at Lansdowne Carhouse after a day of service on the Weston Road route. Photo by R. Hill; donated from the collection of Kenneth Josephson. |
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TTC Marmon-Harrington trolley coach #9128 operates in service on 63 OSSINGTON in this April 1969 shot. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC T5-class Marmon Harrington trolley bus #9130 turns from northbound Concord to eastbound Northumberland in service on 63 OSSINGTON in this January 1972 shot. The photographer is T. Shepherd. |
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TTC Marmon-Harrington trolley coach #9131 heads southbound on Oakwood, approaching Rosemount Avenue in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1970. |
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TTC TC48-class Marmon-Harrington trolley bus #9132 heads southbound on Oakwood, crossing St. Clair Avenue West in 63 OSSINGTON service. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze circa October 1971. |
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TTC TC48-class Marmon-Harrington trolley coach #9133 pauses northbound on Oakwood behind a Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach near Oakwood Loop. Richard Glaze snapped this picture circa October 1971. |
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TTC ex-Cincinnati Marmon-Harrington trolley bus #9134 pulls out of Ossington station, heading southbound in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken circa May 1971 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC T5-class ex-Cincinnati Marmon-Harrington trolley coach heads southbound on Ossington Avenue, approaching Churchill between College and Dundas in 63 OSSINGTON service. Richard Glaze caught ths image circa October 1971. |
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TTC Marmon Harrington ex-Cincinnati trolley coach #9137 picks up passengers on the south side of Ossington station's bus terminal. This shot was taken facing east from Concord Avenue circa June 1971 from Richard Glaze. |
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TTC TC48-class Marmon-Harrington trolley bus #9138 heads southbound on Oakwood, approaching Rosemount in 63 OSSINGTON service. Richard took this photograph circa October 1971. |
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TTC ex-Ottawa Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9140 turns from southbound Oakwood to eastbound Davenport in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze on April 25, 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC ex-Ottawa Canadian Car & Foundry trolley coach #9141 lays over on Crawford Street at King beside the Massey Ferguson plant at the south end of the 63 OSSINGTON route on March 16, 1969. This photo is by Robert McMann, courtesy the Rob Hutchinson collection. |
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TTC ex-Ottawa Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9142 waits at Dundas West station in service on 40 JUNCTION on July 4, 1968. Photo by Gerald Landau, from the Rob Hutchinson collection. |
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TTC T6-class Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9143 operates on Bronson Avenue in its previous life in Ottawa as OTC coach #2009. The car was one of five that were purchased by the TTC in 1959 when Ottawa abandoned its trolley bus service. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC ex-Ottawa Canadian Car & Foundry trolley bus #9143 pulls up for photographs at Lansdowne Garage on April 25, 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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Ex-Ottawa coach 9144 was the first trolley bus after 1950 to disappear from Toronto. Shipped Robin-Nodwell in England in 1967 for a test rebuild, the project fell through. The bus was scrapped in the United Kingdom and the electrical components returned to the TTC. This picture was donated from the collection of William Miller. |
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TTC Marmon Harrington ex-Cleveland trolley coach #9146 pulls out of Ossington station while ex-Ottawa Canadian Car & Foundry coach #9141 waits on Concord Avenue in this June 1971 shot. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Marmon Harrington trolley coach #9147 heads northbound on Keele Street, approaching Humberside in 89 WESTON. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa July 1970. |
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TTC T7-class ex-Cleveland Marmon-Harrington trolley coach #9149 sits among comrades GM New Look bus #3931, and Western Flyer rebuilt coaches 9256 and 9214 at Lansdowne Garage circa October 1971. Photo by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC Marmon-Harrington T7-class trolley coach #9149 heads southbound on Oakwood, near Rosemount, in 63 OSSINGTON service. This shot was taken circa October 1971 by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC TC44-class Marmon-Harrington trolley bus #9151 passes A6-class PCC #4386 at Dundas West station in this 1971 shot taken by Richard Glaze. |
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TTC TC44-class Marmon-Harrington trolley buc #9151 pauses at Royce Loop at Dupont and Lansdowne, likely in a fan trip in this April 1971 shot by Richard Glaze. |
References
- Filey, Mike, The TTC Story: The First Seventy-Five Years, Dundurn Press, Toronto (Ontario) 1996.
- Scrimgeour, Pat and Scott Haskill., 'Toronto Trolley Coaches Stored', Rail and Transit, January 1992, p3-4, The Upper Canada Railway Society, Toronto (Ontario).
- Corley, Ray F., Trolley Coach CC&F and Flyer Coaches, The Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto (Ontario), January 1987.
