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It was a glorious spring afternoon yesterday (Saturday) when I took this photo of another new TTC streetcar working the Harbourfront Line - Route 509. Westbound, she was about two minutes away from her terminus at Exhibition Place loop. If one could read the pixel board destination sign - the one thing I still do not like about the 'Flexitys' - this would have been obvious. Exhibition Place is a large mixed use park, convention and presentation site just to the west of Toronto's downtown core. It is named after and home to one of the longest running (since 1879) yearly fairs in North America - the Canadian National Exhibition. Also called the CNE or simply 'The X': The Exhibition (definitely not 'exposition') has a rather extensive and colourful history in Toronto but, due to space limitations, its story is for another day. However, the fair normally runs from mid-august until Labour Day and draws attendees, tourists and entertainers from all over Canada and the rest of the world. Most of whom arrive at the grounds via streetcar. It is something of a yearly civic binge if you take my meaning. I hope that I'll get to attend this season as I have not been able for some years. All of the new LFLRV streetcars were recently moved to service the Harbourfront Line. Their debut alignment on Spadina - Route 510 - is undergoing track replacement at the Spadina Avenue and College Street intersection until early May. I believe that the TTC is also taking advantage of this break to re-model the underground streetcar platform at Spadina Subway Station on the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line - Route 602. For the time being Spadina will be served by buses allowing us all the opportunity to relive those funky memories of the 'Spadina Bus' by the Shuffle Demons. Those guys are so cool that they did a show on the last run of 77B ten years later - at about 1:15am. What I love about their video is that it is so old (made when music videos were still fun) that not only do the buses still sport roll signs but the linens are the old (and much more awesomer) four colour layout. Alas, the Kensington Market bakery visited by the Demons is no longer there - great egg bread. The number of new 'Flexity' streetcars on Toronto streets is slowly increasing. I did catch sight of car 4406 - also in service on Harbourfront - but didn't get a good glamour shot like 4404. Alas, the pace of delivery is still no where what it should be. Two hundred (200) vehicles are supposed to be in service by 2019. At current levels it could be as long as 2030 before all of the order is rolling. Let's hope production picks up stiffly in the next few months though I am not holding my breath. By the way, the TTC is already talking about needing sixty (60) more cars. That aught to make Rob Ford's head explode. It's a busy month for the TTC. They are not only revitalizing two streetcar lines don't cha' know. They are moving their tunnel boring machines for the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT - more on that some other time too. They are also hard at work closing down subway segments for signal modernization. This will eventually allow the subways to operate twenty-four (24) hours a day while still permitting regular tribute to the great god Janitor (Yan-i-tor) deity of maintenance and good repair. May his blessing be upon their tunnels so they may not collapse or be graffitied as is unto the spans of their brother Fred. Here endeth the lesson. And if one is interested, my favourite LFLRV video is at the following YouTube link. The lady shot this traveling south on Bathurst Street from Bloor Street to Harbord Street some time in mid-July 2014. The new streetcars were still undergoing testing a month prior to the Flexitys officially going into service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9mX1462eD0 Notes: TTC - Toronto Transit Commission LFLRV - Low Floor Light Rail Vehicle (aka. 'Flexity')

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