TTC Lansdowne Carhouse

[@careyleroux3784]

I worked at Lansdowne garage from 1981 to 1990 and it was a great place to work. I made a lot of great friends there and my memories I will have for ever. Now it is just an empty field and God Bless all the people that worked there.

[@fares-please]

Hello there. I was a good friend of Ray’s. Thank you for posting this video and letting everyone see the work he did. We were lucky to have him capture the city back in the 1980s and 1990s through video. He was a good person and kind soul. May he Rest In Peace. It’s really a shame what happened to his video business. I wish someone would get ahold of his stock video footage and edit and upload it, believe a gentleman named Ted Wickson has it. It’s a shame that it would be sitting in storage somewhere, when people could be enjoying it.

[@DungeonStudio]

You're more than welcome Chad. As far as I know, GPS video still has many of his titles on DVD for sale. Their online ordering I found really difficult, but is possible. Or, some maybe available at hobby stores like Georges Trains. Also, the Halton County Radial Museum is another good source to maybe find some of his titles.

[@fares-please]

Thanks friend! I actually used to help him work on some of the productions . I’ll take a look for them next time I stop by the museum. Please post more when you can. Hopefully someone can track down his stock materials and get them posted too 🙂

[@DungeonStudio]

Would certainly be great if you could uncover more material! I hope to salvage a problem disc on the farewell run of the Glocesters which I'll put up if successful. But too, I don't want to infringe on GPS Video sales too much as they are fairly good product. The best is History Of The Yonge Line; From Trailer Trains To Subways. Dare I say that is Ray's masterpiece of the TTC!

[@robpineault5354]

The streetcar that hit the lansdowne carhouse in 1947 and knocked part of it down took an open track switch at 40mph.i

[@robpineault5354]

Did my ttc school bus traing at lansdowne div in 1973 with an old look 1500 series gm bus.

[@POUNCEMAN1]

This was truly a Wonderful Video, ,,, I learned so much more ,,, being a trolley and streetcar fan ,,, I thought i knew a lot,,, Terrific and Cheer's to you

[@eve-marie6751]

Oh Winter in Toronto, a season most foul! (and totally yucky, is there any place you'd rather be?). It's very instructive on how most of the drivers and others commuted to work here in private cars:- they actually closed Lansdowne because there wasn't enough parking space for the employee's cars!

[@brentfoster9138]

Man, anyone who even started the day landsdowne closed is now 3 years from retirement. I started 2004, and I’m halfway through

[@PopShoppekid]

Thanks for this interesting info. I used to ride on many streetcar lines with my Mom in the 1960's.

[@transitbricks8920]

That was amazing! I loved seeing the shots of Keele and Dundas Stations! I've been trying to find copies of the other DVDs in the series.

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

This is so amazing about the TTC Streetcar/tram

[@waltyberg]

back in the eighties I tore the lines off an electric bus one time coming down on Lansdowne Avenue right in front of the garage. I was driving my big truck, the supervisor came out and just shrugged and told me to get lost. Those electric arms were swinging all over the place!

[@eve-marie6751]

You think that's bad?:- at about the same time a guy hauling a big (but empty) grain trailer turned south onto Weston from Junction Rd and his box suddenly elevated spontaneously tearing out all the trolley wires and then his box hit the CPR bridge which certainly stopped him and nearly pulled the trailer off his tractor. He was stuck in his cab for awhile because of all the stray electricity zipping about until they could cut the 550v DC power to that section. There's still a dent in the bridge there where his trailer hit it:- who needs all those overhead wires anyway?:- good riddance!

[@72defender]

Great video! So many memories! I lived with my grandmother for a short time as a child on Westlodge by Queen and Landsdowne. I have many fond memories of this area growing up. Loved taking the Landsdowne 47 trolley and always ran to the back seats so I could look at the flashes from the poles as they ran under the various crisscrossed section of trolley and streetcar wires at Queen, Dundas, College, the garage at Paton Rd. Dupont and St.Clair. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@sda9995]

My God Toronto has changes a lot almost 2020!!

[@DungeonStudio]

Indeed! Especially at Yonge/Bloor.

[@Superbaldyboy]

I was in this building a few times as a kid. My Dad worked out of these barns. God, I remember the signup boards. Thanks so much for the video and bringing back the memories.

[@argopunk]

Thanks for posting. At the northeast tip of the Lansdowne Carhouse property, you can still see a patch of track and brick setts. I used to buy some of Ray's videos in the VHS days. And I met him at the "new" Spadina streetcar line where he gave me a couple of antique transfers. He could recognize that I was a streetcar geek.

[@eve-marie6751]

Btw, they forgot to mention the old Dovercourt route which also operated out of Lansdowne until 1948 and was almost as wonky as the old Harbord route.

[@timmcneill5617]

Two of my Uncles worked at Lansdowne Division for many years. Every so often, I would catch one of them driving a streetcar into the shops at the end of their shift. Several times, they took me into the ticket office where I got to meet the staff. After seeing me a few times, I was offered a job after I finished high school. For a 15 year old, I was thrilled.

[@robertsanders6463]

So sad a close down party, been through and few myself. It hurts. Hope all employees who moved on went well for you.

[@georgehenry76]

I finally know why there are track remnants at the Wallace Landsdowne intersection

[@detroitdieselseries5071]

Do you have the TTC buses part 2 one?

[@PatFrenchLeafsFan1]

Do you have the Ontario Buses DVD including some more involving railway like Muskoka area that kind of thing?

[@DungeonStudio]

Sadly no. 😭

[@transitbricks8920]

Do you have the Roncesvalles division DVD? If so can you upload that one?

[@DungeonStudio]

I don't think there was a DVD on Roncesvalles? If there is, that's one I don't have. Getting all changed over for the flexibility jobs and their pantographs now I see.

[@jayvonnoelsmith8445]

I was in death building a few times as a kid. My dad jk

[@transitbricks8920]

Do you have the other titles?

[@DungeonStudio]

I think I have all the ones dealing with TTC. My next one I may try to re-edit and clean is Yonge St. From Trailer Trains To Subways. It's very good as well, but Ray's recording environments were somewhat noisy. If you're at the GPS site, make sure you click on the Traction tab, and be sure to click Next Page at the bottom to see the full array.

[@transitbricks8920]

@@DungeonStudio The GPS website doesn't seem to be working properly. I'm having a hard time contacting the owner of the site.

[@DungeonStudio]

They aren't the fastest in this day of age, but keep trying - they are there. They could really use a upgrade of their website and customer service I'll give you that. ;-)

[@transitbricks8920]

@@DungeonStudio Yes I've been trying. I want to see the original uncut footage of Keele Station when it opened in 1966. I saw the clips in this video you posted.

[@DungeonStudio]

They have a good DVD of Bloor/Danforth from streetcars to subways I think you'd enjoy. Technically, one of the best produced DVD's in the TTC series. I'll try to upload it here when I can get a chance.