Text by Godfrey Mallion
Revised by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos
Ray Corley reports that “Vehicles for the new Birchmount Garage were moved to the facility at Birchmount Avenue and Danforth Road, from the Woodbine Garage (originally the Hollinger Bus Lines Garage - O’Connor Drive and Woodbine Avenue) on May 31, 1956. Buses operated from the Birchmount Garage starting on June 1, 1956. An official opening was held on August 2 1956.”
The 89,500 square foot garage has 2 wash racks, 2 fueling stations, a UWE heating system for buses stored outdoors, 10 40-foot hoists, and 4 insection pit stations.
OBI - ORION VII DSL (S50EGR) and OBI - ORION VII DSL (ISL) vehicles form the current 209 bus fleet.
Originally the KENNEDY, BRIMLEY, PHARMACY, CLIFFSIDE, DAWES, and SCARBORO routes operated from this garage.
As of September 1, 2010, Birchmount Division operates the following routes: BELLAMY, BLOOR-DANFORTH (NIGHT), BROADVIEW, CLIFFSIDE, COSBURN, COXWELL, COXWELL (NIGHT), DANFORTH ROAD-McCOWAN (NIGHT), DANFORTH, DAWES, DOWNTOWN/BEACH EXPRESS, GERRARD, GREENWOOD, JONES, KINGSTON ROAD, MAIN, MARKHAM ROAD, McCOWAN, MIDLAND, MORTIMER, PARLIAMENT, PHARMACY NORTH, THORNCLIFFE PARK, VICTORIA PARK, VICTORIA PARK (NIGHT), WARDEN SOUTH, WOODBINE, and WOODBINE SOUTH.
Birchmount Garage Image Archive
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The south side of the main Birchmount garage building. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop. |
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Another view of the south side of Birchmount garage, focusing on the westward bays. Photo taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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A closer view of the main building, showing the entrance to the repair bays and the pit. Photo taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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Birchmount garage repair bays. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop |
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Birchmount garage staging area, on the west side of the property. This photograph is looking south. Photo courtesy Mike's Transit Shop. |
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The staging area at Birchmount Garage. This photograph was taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
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The public face of Birchmount Garage, as seen from Danforth Road. This photo was taken on May 4, 2011 by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos. |
References:
- Boutilier, Robert, Bus Maintenance and Shops - 1999 Insider’s Guide
- Corley, Ray, Superintendent of Design and Development (Ret.), TTC.
- The Coupler, TTC Employee Magazine, various issues
