Neville Park Loopis the eastern terminus of the301/501 Queenstreetcar line, the longest streetcar route of theToronto Transit Commission(TTC).[1]It is also the terminus of the 143 Beaches/Downtown express bus service.[2]It is located at the southwest corner ofQueen Street Eastand Nursewood Road inthe Beachesneighbourhood ofToronto.It is named after the street which is just west of the loop.
Neville Park Loop | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Queen Street East at Nursewood Road Toronto,Ontario Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°40′25.5″N79°16′53″W/ 43.673750°N 79.28139°W |
| Owned by | Toronto Transit Commission |
| History | |
| Opened | 1922 |
| Rebuilt | 1967 |
Streetcars enter eastbound and loop anticlockwise to exit at Nursewood Road and turn north to Queen Street where they return westbound.
History
editIn 1914, theToronto Railway Companybuilt awyeat the eastern end of the streetcar line along Queen Street East. The wye was between Nursewood Road and Neville Park Boulevard near the eastern boundary of theold City of Torontoat the western boundary ofScarborough,Ontario. Service began to Neville Park on December 24, 1914.[3][4]
In 1921, the newly createdToronto Transportation Commissiontook over and amalgamated existing streetcar systems within the old city limits.[5]As part of a modernization program, the TTC decided to replace wyes with turning loops to improve operational efficiency at the end of line. (The TTC's predecessor, the Toronto Railway Company preferred wyes at the end of line.)[6]
On July 2, 1922, the TTC opened the Neville Park Loop to replace the old TRC wye. However, the TTC retained a portion of the old wye as a tail track south of Queen Street on Neville Park Boulevard. An eastbound streetcar could access this track only by backing in. In May 1989, the tail track was severed from the rest of the system, the severed portion of which still remains visible.[3][7]
The original loop was located completely off-street at the north-west corner of Queen Street and Nursewood Road; that is, the loop did not touch Nursewood Road. However, in 1967, the TTC rebuilt the loop into Nursewood Road at a larger radius in order to accommodate two-car, multiple-unitPCCtrains which operated through the loop for 10 years. The rebuilt loop had a longer off-street area to hold an entire PCC-train.[3][6]
Services
editAlthough this is the terminus for 301/501 Queen streetcars, there is no passenger access to the loop. The first westbound stop is immediately opposite on the north side of Queen Street and the last stop eastbound is at Neville Park Boulevard. The 301/501 Queen streetcars then proceed westbound, following their route, usually towardsHumber LooporLong Branch Loop.
References
edit- ^Vanessa Farquharson (March 24, 2012)."Riding the 501: The longest streetcar route in North America".National Post.Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2013.
Neville Park loop, which is entirely unassuming. There is no sign declaring, "You've arrived at the end of the line!" or even a fence to protect it.
- ^"TTC description of 143 Downtown / Beach Express".Toronto Transit Commission.RetrievedAugust 1,2014.
During the afternoon peak period from Monday to Friday only, these buses operate from Richmond Street and Sherbourne Street via west on Richmond Street, south on Peter Street, east on Adelaide Street, east and northeast on Eastern Avenue, and east on Queen Street East to Neville Park Loop.
- ^abcBow, James (June 25, 2015)."The Great Neville Loop".Transit Toronto.RetrievedDecember 31,2018.
- ^Bow, James (September 6, 2017)."Route 501 - The Queen Streetcar".Transit Toronto.RetrievedJanuary 30,2018.
- ^"Looking Back".Toronto Transit Commission.RetrievedAugust 1,2014.
In 1920, a Provincial Act created the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) and, in 1921, the Commission took over and amalgamated nine existing fare systems within the city limits.
- ^abBromley, John F.; May, Jack (1978) [1973].Fifty Years of Progressive Transit: A History of the Toronto Transit Commission(2 ed.). New York: Electric Railroaders' Association. pp. 22, 115.LCCN73-84892.
- ^Todd Harrison (May 19, 2008)."Street Stories: Neville Park Boulevard".Spacing Toronto.RetrievedAugust 1,2014.
There used to be a wye at Queen and Neville Park, but it was removed in 1989 — leaving a length of orphan streetcar track behind.
External links
edit
Media related toNeville Park Loopat Wikimedia Commons
- The Great Neville Loop:article published by Transit Toronto