edition and is listed as scrapped in 1987 on Colin Churcher’s website of in- dustrial locomotives in Quebec, by all accounts a service life of around 80 or so years–truly impressive! Even with all of the changes, the lo- comotive was still recognizable as the original Metropolitan Railways No. 1. It is too bad no one was around to save “the little electric locomotive that could,” as I am certain it would have made a fine addition to any of the rail- way museums that dot the continent. Let’s hope that, given a similar oppor- tunity in the future, we act decisively and not have a precious piece of history end up being scrapped. Of course, mod- elers have the ability to redress this, albeit in miniature form.
Acknowledgements COLLECTION OF DON EVANS: RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO; CIRCA 1900
This wonderful, turn-of-the-century winter scene (above) from the collection of Don Evans shows the No. 1 in service early in its career. Having just finished plowing snow, the locomo- tive and plow pose with a well-dressed group of onlookers. That’s Don’s grandfather, George Farnon, at the controls. Note the large, original headlight, the dual trolley poles and the Van Dorn coupler. When the TTC photographed the No. 1 in 1928 (below) the loco had a single, centered trolley pole, two new headlights (note the slightly different housings), a narrow running board along the side, side handrails, new pilots and knuckle couplers.
snow spreader blades and a snow plow. It served at least until the 1970’s and possibly longer. The 1987 Canadi-
an Trackside Guide shows the locomo- tive on the Noranda Mines roster. However, it is absent from the 1988
I would like to extend a note of thanks to Joseph Strapac, Don Evans, Bill Fornshell and James Bow, and to various e-mail list members for their help in preparing this article.
References Bromley, John F (1968), TTC ’28 The Electric Railway Services of the Toronto Transportation Commission in 1928, Toronto: Upper Canada Railway Society Strapac, Joseph A (2005), Interurban Electric Locomotives from Baldwin- Westinghouse, Boulder City:
Shade
Tree Books Wyatt, David A, All-Time List of Cana-
CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES; TTC FONDS, SERIES 71, ITEM 6354R (LOCOMOTIVE NO. 1, INTERURBAN SERVICE, ROLLING STOCK DEPARTMENT): HILLCREST SHOPS, TORONTO, ON; OCT. 25, 1928
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