Toronto Street Cars History Documentary

Sherway Academy of Music
Sherway Academy of Music
39,787
0
Published 2017-11-09
A tram (also tramcar; and in North America streetcar, trolley or trolley car) is a rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets, and also sometimes on a segregated right of way.[1] The lines or networks operated by tramcars are called tramways. Tramways powered by electricity, the most common type historically, were once called electric street railways (mainly in the United States) due to their being widely used in urban areas before the universal adoption of electrification.

Tram lines may also run between cities and towns (for example, interurbans, tram-train) or even countries (Basel, Strasbourg), or be partially grade-separated even in the cities (light rail). Very occasionally, trams also carry freight. Tram vehicles are usually lighter and shorter than conventional trains and rapid transit trains, but the size of trams (particularly light rail vehicles) is rapidly increasing. Some trams (for instance tram-trains) may also run on ordinary railway tracks, a tramway may be upgraded to a light rail or a rapid transit line, two urban tramways may be connected to an interurban, etc. For all these reasons, the differences between the various modes of rail transportation are often indistinct. In the United States, the term tram has sometimes been used for rubber-tired trackless trains, which are not related to the other vehicles covered in this article.

Today, most trams use electrical power, usually fed by an overhead pantograph; in some cases by a sliding shoe on a third rail, trolley pole or bow collector. If necessary, they may have dual power systems—electricity in city streets, and diesel in more rural environments. Trams are now commonly included in the wider term "light rail",[2] which also includes segregated systems. An eclectic video library of music, arts, education, TV, history, transportation, documentaries and special rare videos for enjoyment and perusal. www.sherwayacdemy.ca/
All Comments (21)
  • @Paranormalin416
    I love these videos, I am sixth generation Torontonian, my family actually helped create the city, going way back before it was even Toronto, when it was still called York (my uncle back 5 generations I believe, drafted the first charter for the new city of Toronto!). I was always so proud that my family truly helped create the city I now live in, and we had photographs dating back to the early 1800s, but tragically they were all destroyed in a fire about 50 years ago. So I’m so happy to see these videos, to remind me of my heritage, and what life must have been like for my ancestors. My grandmother, born in 1895 (died 1991) was mad at my dad when we moved from the beaches when I was 5, out to a much bigger home in west hill. I’ll never forget her yelling “why the hell are you moving so far out in the country for?”….she lived her entire life downtown, when Toronto ended at Yonge and Bloor!…to her, west hill was cottage country, she had no idea the city expanded that far out. I was born in women’s collage hospitality 1968, my kids at St Mike’s in 1990 and 1992….now they’re about to continue the family tradition at Toronto western…so proud of our city, and my family, I’m a very lucky man!
  • @andywood5699
    The Hoggs Hollow hill was something my father talked about. I think he was one of those kids yelling at the motorman.
  • @sagittaep
    Fun to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon with my hubby, the real train and streetcar fan, born and raised in Toronto. A trip down to memory lane (and before). I like trams too, so this is wonderful! So glad these films and images are preserved.
  • @imannonymous7707
    Im proud to say i grew up in toronto , i was a little late to the party growing up in the 70s but my grandparents would talk endlessly of those good old days of sunnyside park and growing up in parkdale before the gardiner was built
  • @christophergutierrez398
    Great video produced by the late Ray Neilson. The film taken by John Mills is pure gold, thank you for capturing this priceless Toronto history. Thanks for posting this.
  • @streetcarjay
    I miss the trolley bus. They were fun to ride. The back seat was the best seat.
  • @Firestone1
    The old WCB building that later on became the OPP building at 25:29.
  • @nateganz
    HOWDY YaLL, From: DETROIT, MICHIGAN! It is crazy to see because the way things were back then and how nowadays!!!,.. It would solve many issues, just the fact that everyone was like family people would work things out together!!! I CURRENTLY LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, in the STATE of MICHIGAN HERE IN THE DETROIT\MICHIGAN AREA SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GROWING ANGRY & some on the VERGE OF CIVIL WAR!!! Everyone would benefit from the effects on people from these bygone eras!!! A sense of belonging, family, structure, and would unify and Produce a strong sense of community and DEEP PRIDE in ONES COUNTRY!!! & GETTING to a place like people were SOCIALLY (In ways) back in the 1900’s-1950’s!!! Maybe that’s not the best way to DESCRIBE THAT BUT I JUST MEAN THE POSITIVE ASPECTs of BYGONE ERAs the SENCE OF BROTHERHOOD AND TREATING OTHERS LIKE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED!!! Maybe TRY allowing RELIGION IN SCHOOLS AGAIN?!. I don’t know!!!, but we need to do something!!! BEFORE ITS NOT EVEN POSSIBLE!!! ~FįN~
  • @cheesyrider6914
    Nice,St Clair W really hasn't changed much,still reconize a lot of buildings.
  • @James-nv1wf
    Where could one get the original footage of this?
  • @peatyxxjxxx1494
    I find it both sad and amusing that trollies served public transit for 80yrs before we started tearing them up in the 50’s. 50years later we were putting them back in.
  • @richardbrady3949
    Certainly a bye gone era when people used to dress up to go out. Unlike now a days.