Electrification (was Re: CPR D-10 from sunset)
- From: "Derek Boles" <derekboles@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:29:34 -0000
--- In cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "John Sutherland" <sutherail@...> wrote:
And in the long-ago era when the railways were enthusiastic about
hauling commuters themselves, Toronto was a comparatively small place.
Montreal was the business centre of Canada with a much larger
population.
That may have been true at the beginning of the railway era in the 1850s but by
the turn
of the 20th century, Montreal was only about 20% larger than Toronto. The
reasons why
commuter trains weren't as popular in Toronto as in Montreal are more complex
than
population size and include such factors as better roads in Toronto, and Mt.
Royal and
other geographical factors including the St. Lawrence River in Montreal.
North Toronto Station was a long way from the existing
small business district, and no executive would want to isolate
himself by being first to move "out of the city".
Actually North Toronto Station was very popular with businessmen and
politicians. In fact,
they were the bread and butter of the place throughout the 1920s and NTS was a
lot more
convenient for them than the old Union Station. CP Nos. 23 & 24, the overnight
train to
Ottawa and Montreal that departed NTS at about 9:30 PM was used by businessmen
who
were able to go home from the office to have dinner with their families before
departing
on their overnight trips. Similarly some of the summer weekend specials from
cottage
country terminated at NTS on Sunday night since many of the passengers lived
near the
station in Toronto's tonier neighbourhoods of Rosedale, Forest Hill and Deer
Park.
Unfortunately the other trains at NTS didn't do as well so the station was
closed in 1930.
Derek Boles
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