Birney

In 1920, the Toronto Civic Railways (TCR) acquired 25 single-truck, double-ended Birney streetcars from the J. G. Brill Company. In 1921, the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) acquired all assets of the TCR including the 25 Birney cars. In 1927, the TTC sold 3 of the Birney cars to Cornwall, Ontario and 8 to Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1941, the remaining 14 Birney cars were sold, again going to Halifax. The Birney cars were the TCR's first cars that could be operated by a single person. Normally, they could seat 28 passengers with a provision for 32 using folding seats. History Starting in mid-1920, the TCR operated the Birney cars on three of its routes: Gerard Bloor Danforth Under the TTC, the Birney cars operated on various routes such as: Bloor West: Formerly the TCR Bloor route, it was replaced in August 1925 by an extension of the Bloor streetcar line, which used single-ended cars. Parliament: Birney cars served this route from July 1923 to May 1940 when they were replaced by single-ended cars. Coxwell: Birney cars began service on this route in October 1921. They were replaced by single-ended cars in June 1940 after the construction of a loop at Coxwell Avenue and Queen Street. Davenport: In November 1923, Birney cars started service along a route that was part of the Toronto Suburban Railway's Davenport route. The line was replaced by buses in December 1940.