Caption: The last cars to feature the classic profiled top endcaps dating from the first H1's in the mid-60's, at this point in November 2011 new subway car deliveries from Bombardier meant the old Hawker Siddeley Canada H4 subway cars on the Bloor-Danforth line were running out of time fast. In his daily travels, the photographer was making a few short side-trips in order to nab what remained of them at different stations while they could still be found out and about.
Here, after a quick ride eastbound from Dufferin station, H4 5649 trails a 6-pack of H4's out in afternoon service (not common by then, but not too rare either), pausing to load/unload at Christie station. Roughly scrawn pen in the notepad indicate the consist of the day was 5633/32-5581/80-5648/49. A few of those cars would last another two months until enough newer T1's were moved from the YUS to BD line, and the plug was finally pulled in January 2012.
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I spent those final few months staking out GM and H4 rides. I remember multiple times seeing H4 sets out in weekends into 2011. One trip I did in early 2011 had two sets out on a Saturday evening at the same time. Weekdays typically had 3-4 H4 sets as late as 7pm, and they usually all went back to Greenwood Yard afterwards shortly after then.
I still find it amazing how quiet they were. A had a high pitched whooshing sound almost like a very muffled turbine engine. The best memory I have was the random jolt they’d sometimes get during acceleration, producing an eerie loud “clack” sound.