521 Exhibition East

Last updated
521 Exhibition East
Two streetcars parked at Exhibition Loop on August 27, 2013.jpg
Streetcars at Exhibition Loop during
the 2013 Canadian National Exhibition
Overview
Locale Toronto, Ontario
Termini
Stations BSicon CLRV.svg Exhibition Loop
TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg St. Andrew
TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg King
Service
TypeStreetcar Route
Route number521
Operator(s) Toronto Transit Commission
Rolling stock CLRV
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 10+78 in (1,495 mm) Toronto gauge
Electrification 600 VDC Overhead
Route map

Contents

BSicon uCONTg.svg
Church Street
BSicon uHST(R).svg
Victoria Street
BSicon uBHF.svg
King Station
BSicon BUS1.svg  97  TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Bay Street
BSicon BUS1.svg  6 
BSicon uHST.svg
York Street
BSicon uBHF.svg
St. Andrew Station
BSicon BUS1.svg  142  TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg
BSicon uHST.svg
Simcoe Street
BSicon uHST.svg
John Street
BSicon uHST.svg
↑Peter Street/Blue Jays Way↓
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon uBHFq.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
Spadina Avenue
BSicon CLRV.svg   510  
BSicon uHST.svg
Brant Street
BSicon uHST.svg
Portland Street
BSicon lGRZaq.svg
BSicon uSTR+GRZq.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon lGRZeq.svg
King Street West
BSicon CLRV.svg   504    508  
BSicon uHST.svg
Wellington Street West
BSicon uHST.svg
Front Street West
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon uhSTRae.svg
BSicon umKRZo.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
CN Oakville sub. & CP MacTier sub.
BSicon uHST.svg
Fort York Boulevard
BSicon uABZg+l.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
BSicon lGRZaq.svg
BSicon uSTR+GRZq.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon lGRZeq.svg
Fleet & Bathurst
Bathurst Street
Fleet Street
BSicon uHST.svg
Bastion Road
BSicon uWSLgl.svg
Fleet Loop
BSicon uHST.svg
Fort York Boulevard
BSicon uHST.svg
Strachan Avenue
BSicon uSTR+GRZq.svg
Fleet Street
Private Right-of-Way
BSicon uWSLr.svg
Exhibition Loop
BSicon BUS1.svg  29  BSicon CLRV.svg   509   511  GO Transit logo.svg Lakeshore West logo.png

521 Exhibition East was a streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission from the 1960s to 1986 and briefly again in 1995 and 2013. [1]

History

The 521 Exhibition East is the last surviving streetcar route to serve the Canadian National Exhibition. In April 1980, the name "Exhibition East" was finally made official, from the former streetcar route name, "King Exhibition." This streetcar route operated on special occasions and events that took place at Exhibition Place, such as the Canadian National Exhibition, and the Molson Indy. [2]

521 operated from Richmond, Victoria, and Queen, then west to Church Street. It would then go west on King Street, then south on Bathurst Street, and then west on Fleet Street, where it would go directly to the Exhibition Loop.

On the other hand, another streetcar route named 522 Exhibition West operated alongside 521. This route operated from Dundas West Station, where it would run south on Roncesvalles, east on King Street, south on Dufferin, straight to the Dufferin Gates at Exhibition Place. This streetcar route also only operated on special occasions, like route 521. Labour Day of 1986, marked the final operation day of this route, which would later be replaced by the 93 Exhibition West bus, but reinstated for one year in 1995 during the CNE.

Resurrection

In August 2013, the 521 Exhibition East route was temporarily reinstated because of ongoing construction affecting the 509 Harbourfront line, which ran from Union Station to the Exhibition Loop. On the other hand, the 522 Exhibition West route was reinstated as route 193 Exhibition Rocket, which ran from Dundas West station to Exhibition Loop, though that service was discontinued in 2018. Later that year, the 929 Dufferin express started operating from Dufferin gate loop to Dufferin station before continuing north.

In 2016, the 514 Cherry started operations and ran from Dufferin gate to Distillery loop, effectively an extension of the 521 except it terminates at the loop to the west of the CNE rather than the east. Later in 2018, the 514 was merged into the 504 King, creating the 504B From Dufferin gate loop to Broadview station.

Route

The route of the 521 started at Exhibition Loop, and ran east on Fleet Street, north on Bathurst Street, then east on King Street West, passing by both St. Andrew Station and King Station, then terminating at Church Street. The route shared its tracks with the 504 King on King Street, the 509 Harbourfront on Fleet Street, and the 511 Bathurst on Fleet Street and Bathurst Street.

See also

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References

  1. "521 Exhibition East: Route Description". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  2. "STREETCARS TO THE EXHIBITION (ROUTES 521, 522 AND MORE)". Transit Toronto. Retrieved 2014-06-15.