Toronto and York Radial Railway
Locale | Toronto |
---|---|
Dates of operation | 1898โ1927 |
Successor | inter-urban buses routes by TTC |
Track gauge | 4 ft 10 7โ8 in (1,495 mm) |
Headquarters | Toronto |
The Toronto and York Radial Railway was a transit operator providing services to the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. Service began in 1904 with the merger of several operators:
- Metropolitan Street Railway (1885)
- Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company (1893)
- Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway and Light Company (1892)
- Toronto and York Radial Railway (1898)
- Schomberg and Aurora Railway (1902)
It was a subsidiary of the Toronto Railway Company.[1]
The railway's routes provided links to:
- Mimico - 1890-1928 and replaced by TTC Mimico bus route and Lakeshore streetcar route
- Richmond Hill - 1904-1927 (TTC re-establish route 1930-1948)
- Scarborough 1904-1927 (TTC runs route until 1936 and replaced by bus service)
- Schomberg 1902-1927
- Aurora 1902-1927
- Newmarket 1909-1927 (TTC runs route until 1930)
- Sutton West 1906-1930
Unlike the city systems, the radial (interurban) operators used larger rail cars. Like the Toronto Suburban Railway, the TYRR was taken over first by Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario as the Hydro Electric Railways: Toronto and York Division in 1922 and then by the Toronto Transportation Commission in 1927. A similar service was re-created through North Yonge Railways from 1930 to 1948. The Scarborough service ended in 1936.
Radial routes ceased due to introduction of inter-urban buses and new highways that allowed for better access to many areas served by rail service.
Rail service returned to some of the communities served by the TYRR by regional rail service of GO Transit in the 1970s.
Preservation Status
The rails of the Radial Railway have been removed. The Sutton radial station (shown in the image gallery below) still exists. It is listed as a protected structure by the Town of Georgina, protected since 2009 under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The station was built in 1908.[2]
Image gallery
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The first radial car to Jackson's Point, 1907
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Keswick station, ca. 1910
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Sutton station, ca. 1920
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Radial car at Bond Lake, ca. 1910
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Bridge abutment of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, located in Aurora. 2014
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Metropolitan division route map, 1914
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Daily schedule, Sutton to Toronto, summer 1916
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Toronto and York Radial car on the Thornhill route, circa 1921.
External links
- Wyatt, David A. "History of Regional Transit in Toronto, Ontario". Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- "Waiting for the Streetcar in Georgina". Virtual Museum Canada. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
- โ History of Regional Transit at Toronto, Ontario
- โ GEORGINA HERITAGE COMMITTEE (July 21, 2015). HERITAGE COMMITTEE AGENDA (PDF) (Report). Town of Georgina. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
Built 1908, โThe Metropolitan Radial Railway Stationโ
Preceded by None |
Public Transit in Toronto - interurban street car 1904-1927 |
Succeeded by Toronto Transportation Commission |