See Also

• A Descriptive History of the Nortown Trolley Coach

61 – NORTOWN

March 7 1954

Trolley Coaches on the new NORTOWN route replace diesel buses on the old EGLINTON and LAWRENCE routes. Coaches run from Doncliffe Loop at Mt. Pleasant & Glen Echo south on Mt. Pleasant, west on Eglinton and north on Avenue Road to the new Roe Loop on the northwest corner of Avenue Road & Old Orchard. The next day, a rush hour short turn service is introduced on the Avenue Road section of the line between Otter Loop and the yet-to-be-opened Eglinton Subway Terminal (Bay 7).

March 30, 1954

At 1:30 p.m., operation through the newly opened Eglinton Subway Terminal begins. Eastbound coaches to Doncliffe serve Bay 4 and westbound coach to Roe and short turn coaches to Otter serve Bay 7.

April 2, 1956

Effective this date trolley coaches on the Otter-Subway short turn service are replaced by gasoline buses during the A.M. Rush Period only. This will enable heavily loaded trolley coaches to by-pass the short-turn buses when picking up short haul passengers at a stop south of Otter Loop. It is unknown how long this bus operation continued. Subway.

Autumn 1956

Route number 61 assigned to NORTOWN.

December 29, 1957

Westbound coaches now use Bay 8 at the Eglinton Subway Terminal.

October 28, 1961

“Due to throat widening and sidewalk installation at Old Orchard and Avenue Rd. buses were substituted over the entire route looping via east on Old Orchard, north on Elm, west on Roe and south on Avenue Rd.”

It is not known when the gasoline bus substitution ended; it is possible it ran right through to 1962. However, alongside the above announcement, there is a pencilled notation that says they were considering eliminating the gasoline buses on this route for good in 1961, but no note as to whether they followed through or not.

January 7, 1971

Rush hour short turn service extended north Otter to Roe.

April 20, 1985

Last day of service under the NORTOWN name. Service is split at Eglinton Station into the 61-NORTOWN WEST route and the 103-NORTOWN EAST route.

61 - NORTOWN WEST

April 21, 1985

Starting day for this route replacing the western section of the old 61-NORTOWN route.

January 5, 1992

Trolley coaches removed from service and replaced by diesel buses.

February 15, 1992

Last day of service under this name. Service renamed 61 AVENUE ROAD NORTH and combined with 1 ARMOUR HEIGHTS