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So You Want To Go To Sutton

In the midst of the discussion of the Richmond Hill extension of the subway, I thought it was time for a bit of historical perspective.

The TTC ran “radial” streetcar service from Glen Echo Loop to Richmond Hill until 1948.  Remnants of this operation were still visible when I was young, and Glen Echo was served from the south by trolley buses.

However, in a much earlier time, the line ran from just north of the CPR tracks at North Toronto Station to Sutton.

Here’s a map of the line, split into two sections so that it will fit in my scanner.

North half

South half

Those of you who know the area around Lake Simcoe will know a “Metro Road”.  This is named after the Metropolitan Division, and it follows the alignment of the old radial line.

Down in the city, the carhouse was west of Yonge south of St. Clair, and this building survived until fairly recently when it was replaced by, of course, condos.

If you want to plan a trip, here is the June 1928 timetable for the line.

Northbound

Southbound

For comparison, you can look at the GO Bus schedule.

Back in 1928, the first car left Sutton at 0550 and got to Newmarket at 0700.  From Newmarket to Richmond Hill took another 40 minutes, and then a further 35 down to Toronto (at the equivalent of Summerhill Station) at 0815.

The first bus of the day leaves Sutton at 0605 and gets to Newmarket at 0715.  The Newmarket GO bus leaving at 0720 gets to Finch at 0820.  Including the transfer to the subway, it would take roughly another 22 minutes to reach Summerhill Station getting you there at 0842 or so.

Such is progress.

5 thoughts on “So You Want To Go To Sutton”

  1. Except that the population in 1928 would have been lower for the service area. But there could be more delays due to cattle on the tracks.

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  2. It might be faster to change at the Newmarket GO Station (7:10 am) to a train to Union (7:17 am, arrives 8:15 am), and then take the subway back up to Summerhill. With good connections, I’d think you can get to Summerhill by about 8:32 am.

    It’s still a couple of minutes slower to Summerhill than the 1928 schedule, but having washrooms aboard the GO Train is definitely an improvement.

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  3. Steve, I have some pics of a double track diversion being built a little west of Yonge st. around Woodlawn Ave. I understand it was never used and there seems to be no trace of it now. What do you know of it? I believe it was before 1920 and certainly would not have been in the days of TTC ownership.

    Steve: This is way, way before my time. Does anyone out there know what this could be?

    John F. Bromley has replied with considerable information that is in a new post.

    On another note, I think I have an almost unique distinction of being able to say that the first TTC vehicle I ever saw was a Richmond Hill Car stopped for passengers at Hwy 7 and Yonge. It gave two blasts of the whistle and then scooted north through what I seem to remember as relatively long grass.

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  4. To Matt L: Your proposal would only work if the Newmarket GO bus and rail stations we adjacent, which they are not (at least 3km apart). There is a YRT service to connect them, or one could walk(!), but either way I don’t think you could count on those options for your proposed connection!

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  5. In reply to Scott R.: GO’s Sutton bus schedule says the bus makes a stop outside the Newmarket GO train station before reaching the Newmarket GO bus terminal seven minutes later. Sorry if describing it generically as the “Newmarket GO Station” was confusing.

    (And yes, I realize it’s a minor point — though since this page is now Google’s #3 result for “transit sutton to summerhill”, I suppose someone may eventually come here looking for directions.)

    Steve: I get a lot of hits here of people looking for a subway map, but they get the special one for the St. George diversion that was never actually implemented.

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