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50 Years of Public Operations at the Streetcar Museum

Our museum, the Halton County Radial Railway, has entered it’s 50th year of public service!

On June 25th, 1972, the Official Opening ceremonies were held at the west end of the property with crane car C-1 being used as a podium. Early arrivals to the event saw the last adjustments being made to the overhead wire in front of Rockwood Station, after which M-5 pulled line car #45 back down the mainline towards Barn #1. Two hours later at the time of the opening ceremonies, the first car to arrive was C-1, moving under its own power for the first time in 5 years. L&PS #8 then arrived over at Rockwood Station, with TCR #55, and #327 behind it.

Speakers for the event stood on the deck of Ex-Toronto Railway Company crane car C-1. This photo was taken by Brian MacDonald.

Standing on C-1 was R.H. Johns, President of the OERHA, E.E. MacPhail, TTC representative, J.N. Lowe, CNR representative, R. Whitting, Member of Parliament, N. MacGuiness, area candidate for Parliament in next election, Mrs. McArthur, Reeve, Nasaagaweya Township, and John Mills, Author and one of the founding members of our museum.

John Mills speaking in front of the rest of the official party. Gord McOuat photo.

London & Port Stanley Railway (L&PS) interurban #8 out front of Rockwood Station. This photo is from the Dick Vincent Collection, which is now in our museum’s archives.

This photo is from the Dick Vincent Collection, which is now in our museum’s archives.

Gord McOuat photo.

The TTC’s 1934 replica of 1893 Toronto Railway Company streetcar #327 was out for the event. This photo was taken by Brian MacDonald, who still volunteers for our museum to this day!

Another photo of #327 on opening day by Brian MacDonald.

Keep scrolling to see more photos of our museum over the decades since it opened to the public!

1970s

West end of our mainline in 1970. Richard Glaze photo.

Rockwood Station arriving to the west end of our property in 1971. Photo by David Johns.

L&PS #8 arriving at Barn #1 in the east end of our museum in 1971. Richard Glaze photo.

Facing east towards our Barn #1 in 1973. Photo by Richard Glaze.

Barn #2 under construction, 1976. This photo is from the Lorne Hymers Collection.

Gord McOuat’s photo of our museum in 1978.

1979 from the roof of Barn #2 in 1979. Gord McOuat photo.

1980s

Richard Glaze shot of the inside of Barn #2 in 1980.

Museum gift shop under construction in 1980. Richard Glaze photo.

M&SC #107 at Rockwood Station on December 5th, 1982. Photo by Richard Glaze.

West loop under construction in 1983. Lorne Hymers Collection.

The east loop under construction in 1982. Richard Glaze shot.

Another Richard Glaze shot of our east loop under construction on July 21st, 1984.

Barn #3 under construction in 1984. This photo is from the Lorne Hymers Collection.

1980s photo of the new addition being built onto the side of barn #2. Photo by David Johns.

1990s

416 in 1991. Lorne Hymers photo.

#416 in the yard out front of Barn #2 in 1991. Photo by Lorne Hymers.

Lorne Hymers photo of TTC G car #5098 unloading at our museum in 1991.

Ted Wickson photo, September 10th, 1994.

2000 to Present

LSR #23 in 2006.

Facing west to the back of Barn # 3 in August 2008. Construction had begun on the new Barn #4.

Barn #4 under construction on October 1st, 2008.

David John’s photo of Barn #4 on Sept. 10th, 2010.

David John’s photo of Barn #4 on Sept. 10th, 2010.

One of the horse-drawn omnibuses was donated from the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa to our museum in April of 2019.

ALRV #4204 at our museum on November 16th, 2019. Photo by Trevor Parkins-Sciberras.

The first “Christmas on the Rails” event to feature a CLRV at our museum. December 7th, 2019.

L&PS #8 with our artsy streetcar CLRV #4178 and CNR caboose on September 12th, 2021.

May 22nd, 2022.

Inside Barn #2 on May 7th, 2022.

Please follow our museum on Facebook and Instagram where photographs like this are posted daily!

50 Years of Public Operations at the Streetcar Museum2022-06-27T00:07:02-04:00

Transit Exhibit at the Ex – 1978

In 1978 the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as Toronto’s Exhibition (the Ex), turned 100 years old! That same year the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) had unveiled it’s new streetcar, the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV), and GO Transit rolled out it’s new bi-level train coaches to replace the older single-deck cars. To celebrate these new vehicles and the C.N.E.’s centennial, the 3 organizations put on a large display of buses, streetcars, and trains. 2 old streetcars from our museum’s collection were at the event as well. Below you’ll find many great images of this exhibit.

CLICK THE PHOTOS FOR A CLOSER LOOK!

EXHIBIT SET-UP

Ex-Toronto Railway Company (TRCo) streetcar #1326 arriving at the CNE. This streetcar was built by the TRCo in 1910, acquired by the TTC in 1921, was their last wood streetcar when it was retired in 1951, and was the first artifact in our museum’s collection when we received it in 1954. This Kodachrome photo was taken by Transit Photographer Richard Glaze and donated along with many other slides to our archives.

Peter Witt streetcar #2894 arriving at the CNE. Witt #2894 wouldn’t be donated to our museum until 1986. Photo by Richard Glaze.

Peter Witt streetcar #2894 being unloaded in this photo taken by the late Transit Photographer Rob McMann.

The brand new CLRV arriving at the CNE. Photo by Rob McMann.

CLRV #4000 and part of Mike Filey’s replica of the Industrial Exhibition Electrical Railway, which ran through the exhibition grounds in 1885. Photo by Rob McMann.

The operator’s car for the Industrial Exhibition Electrical Railway replica photographed by Rob McMann.

The exhibit set-up was nearing completion in this photo by Alan Gryfe.

PUBLIC DISPLAY

Photo taken by L. Swanson.

CLRV #4000 photographed by Kevin Nicol.

The TTC’s first bus, a double-decker from 1921, was preserved as a historic relic and donated to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in 1968. This shot was taken by Kevin Nicol.

The rear of TTC bus #1. This photo was taken by an unknown photographer and is now in the collection of HCRR volunteer Trevor Parkins-Sciberras.

Photo of PCC #4456 by Kevin Nicol.

Mike Filey’s replica of the Industrial Exhibition Electrical Railway from 1885. Photo by L. Swanson.

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Transit Exhibit at the Ex – 19782022-02-09T01:41:16-05:00

HCRR 60th Anniversary Celebration

HCRR-Logo-60thThe museum celebrated its 60th Anniversary on July 19, 2014. And what a day it was! Festivities included a Community Fair and Silent Auction, featuring vendors from the area and booths included items from tasty treats to clothing and a reptile show. It was a busy day with the streetcars making many trips up and down the mainline.
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HCRR 60th Anniversary Celebration2017-09-01T11:25:41-04:00

Our Mission

To collect, preserve, restore, operate and display electric railway-related objects, and interpret their historical significance through the operation of the Halton County Radial Railway.

Come ride the streetcars! The Halton County Radial Railway (HCRR) is a full-size operating electric railway and museum, featuring historic electric railcars operating on two kilometers of scenic track. The HCRR is owned and operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association (OERHA), a non-profit, educational organization. The HCRR is proud to be Ontario’s first and largest electric railway museum.

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