Glass top Brill.. only 5 ever built

[Miningman]

Gray Coach Lines 651 glass top sightseeing bus in front of Queen's Park. 

TTC glass top sightseeing bus. Royal York 1960's 

TTC 1952 Brill sightseeing bus signed for Casa Loma Tour. Only 5 were built. Interior view below. 

 

[Flintlock76]

What a great idea!  Take a sight-seeing tour and get a tan as well!

[NDG]

 

TTC Observation Buses.

 

Around 1970 myself and another Forum Member were residing in Toranna and Foamed around on TTC  looking for various locomotive and such, I Laid Off as not enough Miles in Pool.

 

One of our Prey was CP 8921 which had been replaced in Montreal by CP 8901 and others, Train Masters.

 

https://www.westonlangford.com/media/photos/110564.jpg

 

S/G GMD1 on Freight.

 

https://www.westonlangford.com/media/photos/110570.jpg

 

And ' As Built ' GO Service.

 

https://www.westonlangford.com/media/photos/110572.jpg

 

If not looking at Railway Operations we would search out older PCC Cars still in service.

 

We were looking for TTC 4199, the Lowest Numbered and Oldest Air PCC Car still in Service.

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny/tramstop/pccair.html

 

Well, we found it on Queen Route and rode it West.

 

During the ride I waxed loquacious that AFAIK Internal Combustion Brill Can Car buses were extinct, in TO the Good, but, DOZENS of Brill Trolley Buses still in service, many of which were the End of the War Sliding Window Type, they too long in the tooth and soon to be replaced.

 

https://transit.toronto.on.ca/photos/images/ttc-9004-jane-loop-19680503-mcmann.jpg

 

In later years the Green front Clearance lights became Yellow. Ditto on Trucks.

 

We were also looking for TTC Macks, but never found one.

 

https://transit.toronto.on.ca/photos/images/ttc-1198-davenport-garage-1970.jpg

 

Anyway, we were near Spadina, streetcar track still in from Thirties, but abandoned c 1948 and we were diagonalling across Clarence Square Park, the area once home to Canada's First VC ( Victoria Cross ) 

 

http://torontoplaques.com/Graphics/Canadas_First_Victoria_Cross_Plaque.jpg

 

when I noticed a row of Brillish Coaches facing North on Spadina. No Trolley Wire, so they HAD to be Internal Combustion unless towed there by Truck.

 

Once on board we noticed the Observation Windows and Foamed even more. Poor Driver.

 

Back when simple things were FUN!

 

Yes, Fifty years Ago, almost.

 

Toranna now changed as have so many other places  Canyons of Glass and WIND and Shadows and Sterile.

 

Wonder if he remembers??

 

Two wins in one day. Last In Service Air PCC and a thought to be extinct Brill Can Car.

 

Thank You.

[Miningman]

Wow, great story. So cool you found those skytops! 

For our American cousins Toranna is slang for Toronto. Also called T.O., or The Big Smoke, used by outsiders but if you were from there they used HogTown, a reference to its past origins.  

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I've visited Toronto several times and it feels a lot like home except that the Lake is in the wrong place and throws off my sense of direction.