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The Toronto Suburban Railway

Location: The Toronto Suburban Railway, located within the periphery of the City of Toronto in South Central Ontario, was composed of two lines, one that extended north from Weston to Woodbridge, and from Lambton Mills to Woodbridge.

History: The Toronto and Suburban Railway Company was formed in 1894 with the merger of two earlier west-end streetcar companies, the City and Suburban Electric Railway Company (C&SER) and the Davenport Street Railway Company (DSR). The DSR had commenced operations in September 1892, serving the communities of Carleton, Davenport, Bracondale and Toronto Junction while the C&SER started in October 1892 serving the Toronto Junction area. The marriage was one of convenience and pooling of funds with control of the lines falling into the hands of the Allen H. Royce family. The Toronto Suburban was connected with the Toronto Railway Company street car tracks in 1894. In 1895, a line was constructed up the side of Weston Road to the village of Weston while in 1896, track was placed along Dundas Road to the company owned Lambton Mills Park. Further extensions were planned to Brampton, Hamilton, Guelph and Woodbridge, however, such did not immediately take place. Money was never plentiful and the line was continually battling with dissatisfied municipal councilors and riders.

Times changed in 1911 when the company was purchased by Sir William Mackenzie and company, owner of the Toronto Railway Company and the Canadian Northern Railway. Service was finally extended 18 km north of Weston to Woodbridge in 1912 while in April 1917, a 74 km high quality interurban line was built from Lambton Mills to Guelph. A new passenger terminal was constructed on Keele Street just north of Dundas Road while further line extensions and connections were proposed in order to allow Canadian Northern trains access into the city from the west. In 1918, with the bankruptcy of the Mackenzie group of companies, the Toronto Suburban became a part of the Canadian National Railway system. This resulted in the company's city streetcar routes being sold in 1923 to the new Toronto Transit Commission while other routes, including the Weston, Davenport and Lambton Mills street car lines were abandoned. The remainder (the Guelph branch) became a subsidiary of Canadian National Electric Railways (CNER). With running rights lost on Dundas, the company relocated its tracks to a private ROW from Lambton Mills to a proposed new terminal at St. Clair Avenue and Keele Street. Initial facilities consisted of an old car that was later replaced in 1929 by a temporary structure. In 1925, the company purchased Eldorado Park, an 125 acre amusement park on the Credit River just west of Brampton.

In spite of having the park as a summer attraction for city residents, the Guelph line continued to loose a substantial amount of money, being retained only because of public ownership. The Weston to Woodbridge line was abandoned in May 1926 while additional trackage owned by the company within Weston and York Township was purchased and operated as a streetcar route for the Township of York Railways. By July 1931, the CNER defaulted on its bond interest and fell into receivership, ceasing operations. To recoup losses, the line was immediately dismantled and sold for scrap. The final end of the company came in 1934 when the bondholders were paid off at 25% and the company passed out of existence. The following year, the line was dismantled.

Approximate Milage: The two branches amounted to a total of 56 miles divided into the following: Eight miles for the Weston Branch and 48 miles for the Guelph Branch.

Current Status: The Woodbridge route was abandoned as of May 1926 while the Guelph route survived until July 1931. Little survives of either line today although the right-of way is visible in many places. Portions of the line between Guelph and Toronto are used as a hiking trail and a power line corridor while a 1 km segment near Rockwood is presently in the hands of the Halton County Radial Museum for train operation.

Principle Stations: Weston Branch: Weston and Woodbridge. Guelph Branch: Lambton Mills, Streetsville, Georgetown, Acton and Guelph.

Remaining Stations: A total of three stations remain, all which once existed on the Guelph line. They are as follows:
1. Meadowvale: Moved to the property of the Halton County Radial Museum as a station.
2. Churchville: Moved to South Lake Simcoe property in Tottenham as a storage building.
3. Guelph: In original location on James Street as an apartment building (former power and station house).

Additional information on the Halton County Radial Railway, including pictures, schedules, special events, and resources can be had from the following site: Link

Last Updated: January 16, 1999

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