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TTC 9020 Western Flyer Trolley Coach Prototype Rebuild Charter, May 31, 1969

Text by James Bow

In 1966, the TTC started to consider proposals to rebuild their 1940s generation of trolley buses, taking and restoring the electrical components and fitting them into a new modern bus body. Two companies stepped forward and received equipment to build prototypes for the TTC to test. Car 9144 was sent to Robin-Nodwell in the United Kingdom, never to be seen again after the contract to rebuild the vehicle fell through. Western Flyer received trolley coach 9020, and packed the electronics into its first E-700A model body. The vehicle was returned to Hillcrest Shops on July 22, 1968, after which the TTC spent a year running the vehicle 27,500 miles around the system.

On May 31, 1969, railfans chartered prototype 9020 for a jaunt throughout the network served by Lansdowne Garage. Railfan Richard Glaze was in attendance to capture images from this charter.


Western Flyer Trolley Bus 9020 Charter Image Archive

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