Updated January 29, 2025 at 7:35am: I have just received a note from the TTC stating that the historic fleet will return to Toronto following completion of reconstruction at Hillcrest. Good news, eventually.
From time to time, readers ask when or if the TTC will retrofit its historic streetcar fleet with pantographs so that cars can operate on the new pan-only overhead. That question is now answered with the move of these cars to the streetcar museum at Rockwood, the Halton County Radial Railway.
Peter Witt 2766 and PCC 4500 are already at the museum as of January 28. 4549 will move on January 29, and the CLRVs will move on February 3 & 4.
Here is car 4549 sitting at Hillcrest ready to leave.
Here is a gallery of photos from the 2014 Beaches Easter Parade with a mix of old and new vehicles.
Steve Munro 
Such a shame.
Nothing against Halton but they already have their hands full with some projects left unattended.
It would have been nice to have these cars professionally restored and maintained on TTC property.
Now they will just be left to sit in the boonies where few ever get to.
I sincerely hope they are well maintained. They did good work with the G series car but they are not exactly the London Transport Museum.
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Sad, but inevitable when budgets are so tight. Better to send Rover to the farm than have him die unable to move and breath.
I feel a bit sick having written that, but there’s far worse fates than being retired to Halton.
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Damn. That’s an unwelcome surprise. Incredibly short-sighted imo. Riding the PCCs and such during past excursions was pretty fun.
I guess “fun” things like a historic fleet are unnecessary when your state of good repair really isn’t all that good…
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It’s a shame indeed, but the fact that the TTC remained on trolley poles for as long as it did is an even bigger shame.
Wonder why they couldn’t find a way to tow them around for the special occasions. Not with a Flexity but something else like an old airport tug.
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I wish these historic vehicles would’ve remained in Toronto where they belong, in addition to getting TTC trolley bus 9240 back and restoring some double wiring and have at least exhibition rides. I still say the trolley buses should never have left a d should return.
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Is this permanent or temporary due to Hillcrest being expanded to store Flexities?
Steve: I am quite sure that once gone, those cars will not return.
Updated: The TTC advises that this move is temporary during reconstruction at Hillcrest.
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Hi Steve.
I remember back in the 90s or 00s, yourself and a group of us streetcar fans attended a Commission meeting to urge the TTC to keep these cars in Toronto. It worked and they were even given a new coat of paint and small rebuild. It’s sad now they just quietly sneak them away without any public input. Although I understand this is only meant to be temporary until Hillcrest modifications are complete, we all know what temporary can mean in this industry.
I often read but don’t comment. Thank you for all the work you do. It’s very much appreciated.
Steve: You’re very welcome!
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Does HCRR have plans to save anymore bus/subway equipment in the future?
Steve: Why don’t you ask them?
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Any word on the ALRV?
Steve: I am waiting to hear what is happening with that car.
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Good news for the interim. Does anyone want to volunteer to go up there and stick on pantographs! 🙂
I’m concerned about where they store them up there. I haven’t been up their since before Covid – but it already seemed that they were short on storage space, with some stuff sitting outside that I think should be inside.
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Hmm, I wonder what the differences in power consumption were from the old PCCs to the newer behemoths.
Steve: The PCCs did not have chopper controls, nor did they regenerate into the line. However, they were designed as lightweight vehicles. The Flexitys weigh just over 100,000 pounds compared to just under 40k for the PCCs. They have solid state controls and regenerative braking, but also have extra loads for air conditioning not found on older cars.
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Shh. Don’t tell anyone. They jerry-rigged either trolley poles and/or pantographs on top of the subway cars at the Halton County Radial Railway (HCRR).
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I think the historic streetcar fleet should’ve remain in Toronto and I think the TTC should get trolley bus 8240 back and string some double wire and have it, along with the streetcars, in an historic exhibition someplace in the city, and have an actual TTC Museum. My view since 1992 has been that the trolley bus system should never have been dismantled.
Steve: 8240? No such trolleybus in the TTC fleet.
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Well that’s welcome news. I gotta wonder though, does HCRR even have space for these? Seems like it’s getting pretty packed…
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tghillhill6: I think the historic streetcar fleet should’ve remain in Toronto and I think the TTC should get trolley bus 8240 back and string some double wire and have it, along with the streetcars, in an historic exhibition someplace in the city, and have an actual TTC Museum.
Well, former mayor David Miller hired his buddy Steve Munro to build a TTC museum but it never materialised and neither Mr Miller nor Mr Munro have ever revealed what happened to the taxpayers’ dollars Mr Miller had given to Mr Munro for the TTC museum that never materialised.
Steve: FACT CHECK: I was not hired. I was part of an advisory committee. We got free coffee and cookies.
The process was initiated by Adam Giambrone, then TTC Chair. Any taxpayers’ dollars went to the consultant(s) he retained, not to me. The proposal was to include a museum on the ground floor of a proposed new TTC headquarters building near York Mills Station. This development never took place. Frankly, the scheme was badly thought out both as a development and as a museum.
You are, despite the many aliases under which you post, and I frequently delete, still full of crap.
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