Toronto Street Railway horsecar #16
The renovated science and technology museum reopened in the later part of 2017. We've been meaning to go, but have always found an excuse not to. We made some time to visit over the Christmas holidays and were pleasantly surprised. I've known that they have a few massive steam locomotives on permanent display, but was surprised to find horsecar #16 from the old Toronto Street Railway* tucked away in a back corner as part of a special exhibit. Mike Filey, in his book Not A One-Horse Town: 125 Years of Toronto Streetcars that was published in 1986, notes that #16 was built in 1874 by the John Stephenson Company in New York City and was the only surviving horsecar of the 262 built for the TSR. He also mentions: In recent years, it was sent to the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. Hopefully it will return home someday. The hope remains unfulfilled 32 years later.
*The Toronto Street Railway was a ancestor of the Toronto Transit Commission that operated a horse-drawn streetcar system from 1861 to 1891.
I saw that horsecar when it was still in storage! It was hidden away for 50 years. I've been advocating for its return to Toronto for the TTC's centennial in 2021.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Torontian, I'd like to see it in Toronto for that event, and I don't know if it's possible given the gauge and all, but if could be run on some street track that would be great.
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