TTC: Other Items (catch all)

[CMQSD402F9011]

Question, didn’t TTC at least looked into starting a Transit museum in like let’s say the 1980s to the early 1990s(?) similar to what the MTA NYCTA has since 1976. For NYC’s transit museum, it was created after lobbying by transit historians. Had TTC created their own transit museum, we would’ve seen buses preserved like the GM New Looks, GM/MCI Classics, Flyer D901s, NFI D40HFs, Orion Vs, Orion IIIs, Novabus RTS and the D40LF. If only our city valued our history btw.

 

[McGillicuddy]

Question, didn’t TTC at least looked into starting a Transit museum in like let’s say the 1980s to the early 1990s(?) similar to what the MTA NYCTA has since 1976. For NYC’s transit museum, it was created after lobbying by transit historians. Had TTC created their own transit museum, we would’ve seen buses preserved like the GM New Looks, GM/MCI Classics, Flyer D901s, NFI D40HFs, Orion Vs, Orion IIIs, Novabus RTS and the D40LF. If only our city valued our history btw.

It comes up every few decades or so, but nothing has ever materialized.

Part of the problem is that there's no such thing as a "small" transit museum: you either have the space and the specialization necessary to accommodate streetcars and buses and subway cars, or you don't have much of a museum. This presents a real challenge, since usually you would start with a smaller facility (perhaps even run by volunteers) and seek to grow and professionalize it, while in this case you really need to be in a huge premises with a big and expensive collection from day 1.

That makes it difficult to get anything rolling without sustained public support, which has never been forthcoming. And given that there isn't much of an economic argument for the museum (the MTA and the London Underground are globally significant properties; the TTC, god love it, is not), I would not hold my breath about this changing.

 

[Jonny5]

Question, didn’t TTC at least looked into starting a Transit museum in like let’s say the 1980s to the early 1990s(?) similar to what the MTA NYCTA has since 1976. For NYC’s transit museum, it was created after lobbying by transit historians. Had TTC created their own transit museum, we would’ve seen buses preserved like the GM New Looks, GM/MCI Classics, Flyer D901s, NFI D40HFs, Orion Vs, Orion IIIs, Novabus RTS and the D40LF. If only our city valued our history btw.

I have a vague recollection somewhere around 2010 the TTC made plans to abandon the Davisville office and have a new tower constructed at, maybe Yonge and York Mills I think, and there were some roughly sketched out plans that made the provision for a museum there at ground level. But then someone said that was too much gravy for the TTC to have a new building, so they remain in the decrepit and crumbling office they have now.

 

[81-717]

the MTA and the London Underground are globally significant properties; the TTC, god love it, is not

This is likely sadly true, and quite backwards if you ask me. London doesn't necessarily deserve it more than the TTC, and the TTC had literally the most perfected subway car design platform in existence, such that it makes even MTA designs seem sloppy in comparison, not to mention the most unique & iconic design features on some (but not all) subway car types within this platform. Then again, I wouldn't necessarily expect anyone on the world stage to be able to find Toronto on a map, unlike NYC or Moscow.

I would not hold my breath about this changing.

At this point, it wouldn't be worthwhile anyway.