Text by James Bow

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When the Toronto Transit Commission announced the coming rollout of its new generation of streetcars, Torontonians could hardly wait. For months, the long testing period of the new streetcars built up interest as people saw the sleek new vehicles striking out across the city. There were media previews, fan videos on YouTube, and an increasing buzz of excitement. When the TTC committed to launching the new cars in revenue service on the 510 SPADINA route, they knew that it would be a spectacular event, and they worked extremely hard to meet expectations.

But the best laid schemes of mice and men, the saying goes, often go awry. Complications beyond the TTC’s control, including production delays, and a strike at the Bombardier plant, scrubbed the TTC’s initial plans for a massive rollout of service, re-opening the 510 SPADINA route entirely with new vehicles. However, through many hours of hard work, the TTC and Bombardier did manage to get “production” cars 4400 and 4403 onto the TTC property, and ready for the launch of service. (Cars 4401 and 4402 were also on TTC property, but these are experimental “prototype” models, used for testing, and were thus not yet suitable for passenger use)

The TTC invited the public and the media to a launch event for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 31, 2014 at the streetcar loading bay of Spadina subway station. Everyone was welcome, the TTC said, and news of the event travelled quickly through the media and on the Internet. As you can see from the pictures below, the crowds turned out in force.

LRV Launch Day Image Archive

All the major media were in attendance at Spadina station to cover the LRV launch. There were cameras and microphones galore to capture the action. This photo was taken on Sunday, August 31, 2014 by James Bow. Through it all, the TTC had the unenviable task of maintaining streetcar service through the platform area. Crowds were ably controlled, however, and CLRV streetcars kept things moving. Photo by James Bow. As the 10:00 a.m. ceremony approached, crowds gathered at Spadina station. There was some confusion as some passengers just wanted to board streetcars to head south, but TTC personnel were on hand to direct people accordingly. The mood remained festive throughout, as everyone seemed to appreciate the changes afoot. Photo by James Bow. A barbershop quartet hired by the TTC struggles to make themselves heard over the crowd din, but their appearance brought smiles to riders. Photo by James Bow. A sound system was set up to ensure that speeches would be heard. Good move. Photo by James Bow. Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow was on hand to meet and greet. She noted that she lived in the area and was excited to see "her ride" being upgraded. Here, she and TTC CEO Andy Byford speak to separate reporters. Photo by James Bow. A banner showing a picture of a classic TTC PCC was stretched across the entrance portal to the Spadina streetcar platform. The music intensified as TTC LRV 4403 prepared to smash through. Photo by James Bow. And TTC LRV 4403 bursts through the banner and pulls into the platform, to the clatter of many flashbulbs. Photo by James Bow. TTC LRV 4403 pulls up, looking very shiny! Photo by James Bow. New LRVs are fully accessible: here, a kneeling ramp of 4400 is in action. The boarding took approximately 10-15 seconds. Photo by Roman Fomin. LRV 4400 is ready to go - from Spadina station to Queen's Quay Loop - packed with passengers and transit fans. Photo by Roman Fomin. TTC LRV 4403 exits Spadina tunnel during its first day in revenue service. Photo by Roman Fomin. TTC LRV 4400 enters Spadina Crescent heading south to Queen's Quay. Photo by Roman Fomin. Existing streetcar platforms along Spadina Ave can accomodate one streetcar only as opposed to 2 CLRVs. This photograph was taken at Dundas West stop by Roman Fomin. TTC LRV 4400 meets its counterpart 4403 (one of the first encounters of its kind) at Sullivan Street on Spadina Avenue. Photo by Roman Fomin. TTC LRV 4403 was supposed to be the car for media and local dignitaries, with LRV 4400 riding in behind to pick up the slack, but many wanted the honour to ride on the first new LRV in revenue service, and so a good number of people got on board. It was a crush load heading out, but it was all smiles on board. Photo by James Bow. TTC LRV 4400 heads away from King Street West stop on its way to Spadina Station. Photo by Roman Fomin. TTC LRV 4403 headed south on Spadina, picking up and dropping off passengers, all the way to Queen's Quay, where it turned through Queen's Quay loop, to return to Spadina station. Photo by James Bow. TTC LRV 4400 was similarly packed as it pulled through Queen's Quay Loop for the return journey to the subway. Photo by James Bow. TTC LRV 4400 prepars to leave newly-opened Queen's Quay loop followed by CLRV 4088. Improved streetcar service is coming, apparently, right in time for Waterfront area with its booming condo development. Photo by Roman Fomin. Back at Spadina station, TTC LRV 4400 continues to generate excitement as it settles in for what's supposed to be a regular service day -- the first of many. Photo by James Bow. Here we see one of the fare collection machines on board TTC LRV 4400. These will be on all the new vehicles, as well as outside at busy stops, for people to pay their fares under the TTC's newly expanded Proof of Payment system. The system will be upgraded to handle Presto cards by the end of this year. Photo by James Bow. This fare collection station is installed on streetcar platform at King and Spadina so that passengers could obtain tickets before boarding. Photo by Roman Fomin.

Personal Reflection

Earlier in the weekend, I attended a charter organized by the Toronto Transportation Society. The bus we chartered was an Orion V, a workhorse vehicle and one of the TTC’s first wheelchair accessible standard buses, now in its last days. A TTS member turned to me and said that he remembered when those buses were new, and how old does one have to be to look at such a bus and remember the buzz when it was launched for the first time. Today, I reflected how old one has to be to remember the last time a new class of streetcars were launched. On the day of the LRV launch, I remembered the days when the TTC first launched its CLRVs and its ALRVs to the system. I was in high school, and I trekked out to Long Branch after class just so I could ride one of the first ALRVs in service. That was twenty-six years ago. There were people in attendance at the LRV launch who could remember the first PCCs.

But there were also a great number of children, from toddlers to pre-teens on up, who were out with families and chattering excitedly at the new ride, how long it was, how many doors it had, the big windows and bright interior, and how fast and quietly it moved. This is a day that these children will remember well into the future. When the time comes for the current fleet of LRVs to retire, and a new model to hit the streets, many of them will show up at the launch, saying ‘hey, remember when.”

Toronto is a streetcar city. These vehicles carry on the line that was established over a hundred and fifty years beforehand and which has been incorporated into our culture ever since. Despite the streetcars’ critics, most Torontonians could never imagine Toronto without its streetcars, and the new LRVs will make sure this sentiment lasts for the next generation, at least.