| G-series | |
|---|---|
A G-Train heads south at Rosedale Station circa 1971 |
|
| In service | 1954–1990 |
| Manufacturer | Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company |
| Built at | Gloucester, England |
| Constructed | 1953–1959 |
| Scrapped | 1991 |
| Number built | 140 (Total) G1: 100 G2: 6 G3: 6 G4: 28 |
| Number in service | None |
| Number preserved | 2 (owned by private museum) [1] |
| Number scrapped | 136 |
| Fleet numbers | G1: 5000-5099 G2: 5100-5105 G3: 5110-5115 G4: 5200-5227 |
| Capacity | 62 seated |
| Operator | Toronto Transit Commission |
| Line(s) served | Yonge–University–Spadina line |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel (G1, G3, G4), Aluminum (G2) |
| Car length | 17 m (55 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Doors | 6 sets (3 sets per side) per car |
| Weight | 38,140 kg (84,000 lb) |
| Traction system | Crompton-Parkinson 68 hp (51 kW) motors (DC Traction Motors) |
| Auxiliaries | None (?) |
| Power supply | 600 V DC |
| Electric system(s) | Third rail |
| Current collection method | Contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co. digital electro-pneumatic braking and Electro-dynamic reheostatic service brake |
| Gauge | 1,495 mm (4 ft 10 7⁄8 in) - TTC Gauge |
The G-series rapid transit cars were a Toronto subway car model, built between 1953 and 1959.
The cars were built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company for the Toronto Transit Commission.
The cars are influenced by Gloucester's Q38 and R stocks built for the London Underground. Since the TTC's original concept for the subway system foresaw the use of rapid transit cars derived from the PCC streetcar, like the Chicago Transit Authority's 6000-series cars, they also bear some minor influences of these. These influences are visible in the use of bulls-eye incandescent lighting similar to that of a PCC car (one pair of cars later had fluorescent lighting installed),[2] and the small operator's cabin located in the front left corner of each car. The Chicago influence was felt through the work of DeLeuw, Cather & Co. of Chicago, whom the TTC contracted as a consultant for the rapid transit project.
The G-series cars were frequently described as "robust and reliable", despite being constructed overweight and energy-inefficient. The last cars in this series were retired from revenue service in 1990.[2]
The only surviving cars in original condition are 5098/5099, which reside at the Halton County Radial Railway in Milton, Ontario.[1]
Contents |
A total of 140 cars were built. Most were steel-bodied and had painted exteriors; however, six (G-2 series) experimental aluminum-bodied cars demonstrated the benefits of using aluminum for rapid transit car construction. The G-3 class cars were built as 'non-driving-motors' in that they were motorized but not equipped with driving controls.[3]
The G cars were originally designed in 2-car "married pair" formations, and were run in trains consisting of 2, 3 or 4 sets (4, 6 or 8 cars). When the G-3 class non-driving cars were introduced in 1956, 14 pairs of the G-3 class cars were inserted between G-1 class cars to form semi-permanently coupled 4-car trainsets, which could be coupled to the 2-car sets or operated on their own.
Upon retirement from revenue service several G-Series cars were rebuilt or refitted for duties as subway work cars.
Two 1/16 scale models of cars 5042 and 5043 were commissioned by Sir Leslie Boyce of GRC&W and constructed by Bassett & Lowke, and have been located at Hillcrest and Greenwood at various times.
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