Caption: Brand new TTC H2 subway cars 5506 and 5507 sit on CP 313000-series flatcars (cut down heavyweight sleepers specifically for transporting new subway cars) at CP's West Toronto Yard near the erecting shop (backshop), awaiting the chance to go inside to get their new Dofasco trucks installed before delivery.

The H2 subway carbodies were built by Hawker Siddeley Canada at their Can-Car plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and shipped to Toronto via CP by rail. As per information in an old UCRS newsletter, the TTC wanted the cars delivered as "ready to roll" units, but the trucks (made by Dofasco down in Hamilton) could not be mated to the bodies at Greenwood Shops like the previous H1 order had. Instead, HSC leased space in CP's West Toronto erecting shop building where they would install the trucks underneath the cars one truck at a time using the shop's overhead crane. The car would then be interchange with CN at Parkdale Yard for final delivery to the TTC's Greenwood Yard.

The 76-car (5500-5575) H2 subway car deliveries continued in this fashion from May to November 1971. The new 76-car order was slow in entering service, as they were purchased as expansion units for the North Yonge subway extension (Eglinton to Finch) and not needed until the extensions opened in 1973 (to York Mills) and 1974 (to Finch). The cars would serve the TTC until replacement by new Bombardier T1 subway cars in the early 2000's.

C.R. Scholes photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.