Toronto PCC Quest:

 

If you read my Arizona trip and my Washington/Cleveland trip reports, you’ll know that I am on a quest to visit the last 19 PCC streetcars operated by the TTC until 1995 when they were mothballed. This page shows all 19 cars in the fleet, and gives a brief history of each car. The 19 cars were rebuilt from an order of 50 cars built in 1951 originally numbered in the series 4500-4549. When the cars were rebuilt, the TTC renumbered them 4600-4618. What follows is a picture of each car, its former number and its disposition. I have included where possible the first time I got to ride it post 1996.

 

PCC 4600 was one of two prototype rebuilt cars. It was originally numbered 4505 and when it was first rebuilt, it was painted in the paint scheme worn by Toronto’s current streetcars. It was later repainted maroon and cream. The car is currently at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario and is used frequently. I first visited 4600 in 1996 and got to ride it in 1998. In 2023 at Member’s Night at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum which I attended because I’m a member, I actually got to operate 4600 as they were giving members who were not certified on various streetcars a chance to run the car.

 

 

 

PCC 4601 was the second of two prototype rebuilt cars and the only car not to be rebuilt by the TTC’s own shop forces. PCC 4601 was originally numbered 4512. Like 4600, it was painted in the paint scheme worn by Toronto’s current streetcars and was later repainted maroon and cream. 4601 is currently at the Michigan Transit Museum north of Detroit. I first visited the car in 2000 where I met my friend Karl. 4601 can’t run yet because it hasn’t been reguaged to standard gauge (the TTC runs on wide gauge.)

 

 

PCC 4602 was the first car to be outshopped in the TTC’s historic maroon and cream livery after it was rebuilt. 4602 was originally numbered 4537. PCC 4602 went to Trolleyville USA. I first visited the car in 1996 because I was under the impression that 4601 was also going to Trolleyville. I revisited the car in 2007 on my Washington-Cleveland trip. Once all the bugs were worked out, 4602 was used a lot at Trolleyville’s old location until it closed.

 

However in 2009, the Lake Shore Electric RR was forced to put most of its collection up for auction. 4602 was bought by the National Capital Trolley Museum where it joined its sister 4603. I first visited 4602 at NCTM on my Washington-Lancaster trip in 2010. I first rode 4602 at the National Capital Trolley Museum in 2013.

 

One more thing to note about 4602 was that when the car left for Trolleyville, a flatbed truck was driven to Hillcrest Shops with a set of standard gauge PCC trucks from a scrapped Shaker Heights PCC. The car was lifted off its TTC gauge trucks by two cranes and lowered onto the trucks from the Shaker Heights PCC. 4602’s original trucks went to the Halton County Radial Railway Museum where they were used underneath ex CTA El car #48 until its original trucks were regauged to the TTC gauge. I rode on CTA #48 in 1999 on the first day it was used at the museum when it was still on 4602’s TTC gauge trucks.

 

 

PCC 4603 was originally numbered 4548. The car was acquired by the National Capitol Trolley Museum near Washington DC straight from TTC. The car survived the 2003 car barn fire without a scratch. I first visited 4603 in 1999 and I revisited it on my Washington/Cleveland trip in 2007. I also rode 4603 first in 1999.

 

 

PCC 4604 kept its original number 4500. The car was rebuilt to its as delivered configuration and was used for charters and tour tram service. It is one of the two PCCs the TTC kept for charter services. I first saw it in 1996 on a charter. The photo of 4500 was taken on a charter I went on in 2005. However, I first rode 4500 back in 1999.

 

 

PCC 4605 kept its original number 4549. Like 4500, the car was rebuilt to its as delivered configuration and was used for charters and tour tram service. It is the other of PCC that the TTC kept for charter services. I first saw it in 1996 on a charter. The photo below shows the car operating on route 509 on a Holiday Monday in 2008. My first ride on 4549 was back in 2000.

 

 

PCC 4606 was originally numbered 4528. The car was one of five ex Toronto PCCs that currently run in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 4606 is currently painted in Chicago “Green Hornet” colours. I first visited 4606 in the summer of 2000. I would get to ride 4606 in 2008.

 

 

PCC 4607 was originally numbered 4536. The car is now on display at a bus terminal in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. I first visited the car in 2006 on my Arizona trip. In 2010, PCC 4607 was relocated to the Arizona Railway Museum. There is no trolley wire there so it hasn’t run. I visited #4607 at the Arizona Railway Museum in 2019 with the Electric Railroaders Association.

 

 

PCC 4608 was originally numbered 4544. The car is owned by Old Pueblo Trolley in Tucson, Arizona. The car can’t run just yet because the line only has a wye at one end of the route. However, on one day, it was powered up and operated. Since then, it’s been stored off the main line. I first visited 4608 in 2006 on my Arizona trip.

 

 

PCC 4609 is also in service in Kenosha Wisconsin. The car was originally numbered 4526. The car is currently in Pittsburgh colours. Originally, the car was to be painted in Louisville colours, but the people in Kenosha thought the scheme was ugly. I first visited 4609 in 2003 on my way home from SAIT because it wasn’t delivered when I first went to Kenosha in 2000. 4609 is one of the few good things that came out of my time at SAIT, though I revisited it in 2008 on my Chicago trip. I would ride 4609 for the first time in 2013.

 

 

PCC 4610 is also in service in Kenosha Wisconsin. The car was originally numbered 4541. The car retained its Toronto livery. I first visited 4610 in 2000 and rode it then.

 

 

When PCC #4611 pulled into the yard on the night of December 8, 1995, it was the last PCC in regular service in Toronto. 4611 was originally numbered 4540 and is currently at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario. For awhile, 4611 had two burnt out motors and other minor mechanical problems. I first visited 4611 in 1996. 4611 finally operated under its own power in museum service in fall of 2007 and I got to ride it then.

 

 

PCC #4612 was originally numbered 4543. The car is currently owned by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society and runs at Fort Edmonton Park. I first visited 4612 in 1998 but the photos I took then weren’t good. Despite visiting Edmonton in 2002, 2003, and 2007, the park was closed. It wasn’t until 2013 that I got to revisit it and get better photographs of the car. I also rode it then.

 

For some reason, PCC 4612 had turn signals that none of the other cars in the series got. I don’t know what that was the case.

 

 

PCC 4613 was originally numbered 4503. The car is currently owned by the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority in Dallas Texas. I first visited 4613 in 2009 on my Dallas trip. Both this car and 4614 are in storage as the McKinney Avenue line only has a loop at one end of their line.

 

 

PCC 4614 was originally numbered 4509. Car 4614 was assigned to run on route 507 on March 25, 1995 the day before it was absorbed into the 501 streetcar line. Car 4614 is owned by the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority in Dallas Texas. I first visited 4614 on my Dallas trip. In 2011, PCC 4614 was moved to the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority’s main carbarn where restoration work began. The car ran in 2019 and I got to ride it in 2020. PCC #4614 has been named “Margaret”.

 

 

PCC 4615 was originally numbered 4518. The car is running in Kenosha Wisconsin and painted in “Kenosha” colours. However, some people may like to think it is in the livery of Johnstown Traction which is practically identical. I first visited 4615 in 2000. It had been delivered only a week earlier at the time. I also got to ride 4615 in 2000.

 

 

PCC 4616 was originally numbered 4515. The car is currently in service in Kenosha and painted in Cincinnati colours. I first visited 4616 in 2000. The photo was taken when I went back to Kenosha in 2003. I would get to ride PCC 4616 for the first time in 2012.

 

 

PCC 4617 was originally numbered 4539. The car is currently at the East Troy Electric Railway in East Troy Wisconsin. The car was used occasionally because there are no loops or wyes on East Troy’s main line. I first visited 4617 in 2000.

 

In 2011, PCC 4617 was acquired by Kenosha and entered service. I got to ride 4617 in 2012 while it was still in its TTC livery. However, in 2015, PCC 4617 was repainted into San Francisco colours.

 

 

Lastly, PCC 4618 was originally numbered 4501. The car was not used prior to retirement of the PCCs because it suffered a minor underbody fire and had a few parts stripped off it for the other PCCs. PCC 4618 is currently at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario. I first visited 4618 in 1996. In the spring of 2007, the car was converted to use as an ice cream stand.

 

 

There were originally to be four more PCCs rebuilt. However, due to budget cuts the TTC just stored the last four cars until 1996 when they were sold. One of the cars became a diner in Perkinsfield, Ontario. Kenosha bought at least one of the other cars for parts for the five PCCs in their fleet.

 

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