Toronto streetcar system loops

Air-electric PCC 4226 at Earlscourt Loop in 1968

Turning loops of the Toronto streetcar system serve as termini and turnback points for streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The single-ended streetcars require track loops in order to reverse direction. Besides short off-street track loops these can also be larger interchange points, having shelters and driver facilities, or be part of a subway station structure for convenient passenger interchange.

Some loops include separate unloading and loading stops, some have a single stop, and some off-street loops have no stops and passengers are not allowed to ride around the loop. If streetcars loop clockwise, the track entering the loop must cross over the track exiting, and any loading or unloading platforms must be inside the loop; if anticlockwise, any platforms must be on the outside.

Almost all loops on the system have a minimum radius of curvature of less than 15 metres (49.2 ft).[1] The tightest curves are of 11.3 metres (37.1 ft) at Roncesvalles Carhouse and Russell Carhouse.[2] The streetcars themselves are designed for a minimum radius of 10.973 metres (36 ft).[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference TTC-2008-08-27 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference TRB-2016-01-12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TT-4503 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).