Rollsigns from Toronto, ON
Electric Trolley Buses
This side linen rollsign has 30 exposures. It is presumed
this all "three-colour" rollsign was from 1990. Its version
number on the sign is "T-14". The image if this sign was
enlarged to twice the size of other rollsigns to show detail.
Electric trolley bus use in Toronto dates back to June 18, 1922, when the Toronto Transportation Commission operated four
Packard Eds. Their service was short lived, and ended on August 31, 1925. Trolley bus service wasn't reintroduced until June 19,
1947. Its second incarnation at first used Canadian Car & Foundry built Brills, and ex Cincinnati Street Railway Marmon-Herrington
trolley buses. In the early 1970's, Flyer E700 trolley buses were introduced. The Flyers became the mainstay of the trolley coach
system until 1992. After rising expenses of the aged trolley coach infrastructure and the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas
Orion V buses, the entire trolley coach system was shut down. Flyer #9247 made the final run on the Bay 6 route on January 19,
1992. This wasn't the end however, as on September 4, 1992, the system was re-energized once again. Having scrapped a number
of the Flyers, the TTC turned to Edmonton, Alberta and its Edmonton Transit System, to lease several Brown Boveri trolley
coaches. These buses, with GMC New Look bodies, offset the requirements for the TTC, and the system was alive again. This
third and final revitalization however was a short one as, on July 16, 1993, the trolley coach system was once again shut down, this
time for good. This time, leased Edmonton trolley coach #9151 (ETS #151) was the final coach to operate on Toronto's system.
Over the next year the entire infrastructure was disassembled, leaving little remnants of the TTC's use of electric trolley buses.

Historically, the TTC operated several routes out of two garages, Eglinton Garage, and Lansdowne Garage. The trolley coaches had
different rollsigns than their diesel counterparts. One theory to the system's downfall was that the two garages that operated these
buses were not linked by trolley wire, and transfers of equipment between garages had to be done by towing the vehicles.
This front mylar rollsign was received in "mint condition", having
never been installed in a bus. It has 39 exposures. It is dated May
19, 1993. Unofficially, this sign is version "T-16". This type of sign
was designed for use in the leased Edmonton trolley buses since
there weren't enough linens available. Its sign tag is shown below.
OBI PARTS INC. TORONTO TRANSIT
P.O.S69534
FRONT
5/19/93 TRANSIGN
Toronto Transit Commission Flyer E700 trolley buses, #9207
(centre) #9346 (right) were two of about 15 buses stored in
retirement at the back of the TTC's Lakeshore (Wheel-Trans)
garage, seen in August of 1994. (Photo by Joseph Chemerys)
This front linen rollsign has 30 exposures. Its version
number on the sign is "T-14", and is a match to the
side linen rollsign to the left. This sign was donated to
Rollsign Gallery from private collector John McDonnell.
Toronto Transit Commission Flyer E700 trolley bus #9210, the
host vehicle for the front rollsign above, is seen exiting Dundas
West Station onto Dundas St. West on May 30, 1971.
(Photo courtesy of the Scalzo Collection. Used with permission.)
to go to the earliest
Toronto Transit Commission
electronic sign list page.