Consolidation: The TTC in the Twenties – Divisional Carhouses and Hillcrest Yard
The divisional carhouses used by the Toronto Railway Company and taken over by the TTC were hopelessly antiquated, and insufficiently equipped to house and repair streetcars. With safety for workers paramount, the TTC immediately began to tackle the job of constructing new facilities. The oldest of the carhouses was the Yorkville barn, constructed in 1861 for the use of horse-cars. As it could not accommodate the new Peter Witt streetcars, it was closed in 1922. A site was chosen for the new facility, at the south-west corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, an area where empty fields stretched in every direction and a stream flowed through the property.
Montage of Eglinton Carhouse photographs taken on opening day. This was the first new carhouse constructed from scratch by the TTC. The carhouse building, and later adjacent bus garage, were used until 2002, and since 2004 have been part of the bus terminal at Eglinton Station. December 16, 1922 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 2125.
The other carhouses included the following: Roncesvalles (opened in 1895), Dundas (1897), Lansdowne (1911), St. Clair (1914), Danforth (1915), and Russell (1916). These were rehabilitated by the TTC in order to provide service for many more years. The Roncesvalles and Russell facilities are still in operation, while the St. Clair Carhouse has been reimagined as the Artscape Wychwood Barns.
Construction of trackage at the north-east corner of the Roncesvalles Carhouse. This was part of the reconstruction and expansion of the former TRC facility. September 24, 1923 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 2560.
Interior of the trainmen’s room at Russell Carhouse. Motormen and operators reported for duty in this room, and waited here between their assignments. April 8, 1924 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3111.
St. Clair Carhouse, looking north-west. Built by the Toronto Civic Railways just a decade earlier, this facility required relatively few changes to bring it up to TTC standards. It was an operating carhouse until 1978, and was used for other TTC purposes into the late 1990s. July 10, 1924 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3253.
Danforth Carhouse and Yards. A modern facility, Danforth served streetcars until the 1960s and was then converted to a bus garage, and used until 2002. TTC subway operators still report for duty at this facility, which is planned to be rebuilt into a new police station. October 16, 1925 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 4116.
The divisional carhouses provided local facilities for maintenance and storage, but a new car shop facility for heavy maintenance of streetcars was also required. In 1922, the TTC purchased a 22-acre site at the south-west corner of Bathurst Street and Davenport Road that had formerly been the Hillcrest Racetrack. The racetrack had been built by local sports entrepreneur Abram Orpen, and operated during the 1912 to 1916 seasons. To the north of the track, on the south side of Davenport Road were a small farm and market gardens.
Hillcrest Race Track March 14, 1914 Fonds 1231, Item 1473.
View from Davenport Hill, looking south-east, showing the farmhouse at the north end of the Hillcrest Racetrack January 16, 1914 Fonds 1231, Item 262.
Work on building Hillcrest commenced in January of 1923 and the facility was ready for occupation by March of 1924. All of the buildings, including general car shops, warehouses, and several small buildings for special purposes, were of the most modern construction, particularly with regard to fire suppression. The General Shops Building covered 5.04 acres and was designed so that the complete overhaul of a streetcar (required every 70,000 miles) could be completed in only six days. The 10 large buildings were all heated from a central coal-fired plant. An underground tunnel connected the powerhouse with all of the buildings. The seven-foot high tunnel conducted the heating pipes, gas and water pipes, compressed air pipes and electric cables. Hillcrest would later be expanded to include bus facilities.
General Shops Building – armature shop. Note the large windows providing natural light and the ventilation pipes for fresh air. April 1, 1924 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3067.
Standard coach and bus bodies in the course of construction. For some early TTC buses and Gray Coach vehicles, TTC forces built the bodies, and assembled the vehicles with chassis and drive trains from commercial manufacturers. By the 1930s, this practice ended and complete buses were supplied by manufacturers. May 12, 1925 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3755.
The spraying room paint shop was guarded from dust by a partition and powerful fans sucked the paint-impregnated air out of the room. It only took 30 minutes to apply one coat of enamel on a streetcar. April 17, 1926 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 4242.
General Shops Building – machine shop wheel press April 1, 1924 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3065.
Rail bender – TTC Hillcrest Shops. For minor curves, streetcar rails were bent on site, when installed. Tighter curves had to be pre-bent at Hillcrest using this machine before being transported to the field. The TTC still has a (modern) rail bender today at the Hillcrest complex for this work. April 9, 1928 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 5744.
Woodworking Shop – this photo gives a sense of the enormity of the General Shops Building. April 23, 1923 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 7567.
An operator is using the impressive 5-ton crane at the General Shops to load wheels on a service car. In the days before effective heavy-duty motor trucks, the TTC had a small fleet of specialized streetcars, or service cars, to transport parts and other supplies between Hillcrest and the carhouses, and to carry out track maintenance work. February 12, 1931 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 8334.
The Davenport Garage, located over two levels along the northern edge of the Hillcrest site, was used for Gray Coach Lines motor coaches, buses, and other TTC motor vehicles. Davenport was the first large purpose-built garage for motor buses, and was used until 1993. May 10, 1927 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 4884.
Davenport Garage lunch room March 3, 1926 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 4206.
Motor coach bodies being overhauled in the Davenport Garage April 30, 1928 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 5780.
Buffing Department at the Davenport Garage June 21, 1934 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 10440.
On the third floor of the Stores Building, there was a fully equipped School of Instruction for trainmen. This school officially opened in 1926. The photo shows a mock-up of a streetcar, providing operators and conductors with practice equipment before being unleashed on the real thing. Now renamed the Operational Training Centre, the same role is carried out at the same location today. March 23, 1927 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 4781.
Composite photograph and drawing showing an aerial view of the Hillcrest complex, looking north-west. All of these buildings remain in use. The complex was expanded to the west in the 1980s. January 19, 1928 Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 5642.