Can you identify which of the following streetcars loops here?
UPDATE:
Ready to see how well you know your routes?
The loop pictured is the Queen-Coxwell Loop, which – as identified by the popular vote – is used as a loop by short-turning 506 Carlton streetcars. The loop was originally built to serve the now-deceased Coxwell Streetcar, which Transit Toronto offers some backstory on.
Check after the jump for some background on our bonus question!
The building below is Village by the Grange on McCaul Street, which encloses the McCaul loop that serves as the Western terminus of the 502 Downtowner streetcar. In their profile on McCaul Loop, Transit Toronto touches upon one of the most interesting points in its history: in the past, it’s also played host to a variety of restaurants run in the shells of former streetcars. Last year’s November 9 instalment of Torontoist‘s Vintage Toronto Ads elaborated on the various establishments operated out of McCaul Loop over the years, and dug up The Star food critic Jim White’s humorous critique that the site’s original restaurant – The Trolley – had “gone off the tracks.” Interestingly, of the two streetcars used in the restaurant setup, only one was actually a TTC streetcar – the other was a retired Ottawa vehicle. Various commenters on Steve Munro’s post of his Jane’s Walk on “The Early Days of the Streetcar System” have gotten into detailed discussions about the history of these streetcars, and shared some of their own reflections on the restaurants that they once contained.
Thanks for voting, and check back next week for another instalment of Spacing Satellite!
6 comments
The loop is at Queen and Coxwell, of the routes listed only the 502 passes by it and I suppose sometimes uses it.
The building is on McCaul St above the McCaul loop.
Village by the Grange – it contains McCaul Loop.
It’s the Village on the Grange that covers up the McCaul St. Streetcar loop! The 501 uses it to short-turn and the 502 ends there.
I give up on the first question, though.
“Which Toronto streetcar route loops here AS A SHORT TURN?”
Yes, Ed – I left out some necessary fine print that might have made things trickier. I’ve added your clarification – thanks!
Queen and Coxwell loop is only used by 506 streetcars – it actually does not connect to the tracks on Queen Street. It uses a “gauntlet” track on Queen to turn back north onto Coxwell.