504-King

King is a U-shaped route that runs from Broadview Station to Dundas West Station via Broadview, Queen, King, Roncesvalles and Dundas. A trip is scheduled for 116 minutes at peak and 90 minutes at night. Even though the route is well used, it runs at a decent pace most times. The exception is the part on King between Church and Spadina. This is the heart of the central business district and in rush hours there are both heavy loads and heavy traffic.

King is a good route for railfans. From Broadview Station to Gerrard, the tracks twist and turn every couple hundred feet on the edge of the Don Valley. A magnificent view of the city skyline can be seen as the 504 and 505 cars pass alongside a park. As Gerrard approaches, so does Chinatown east. The Gerrard/Broadview intersection is always busy with streetcars and pedestrians and is a major transfer point between the 504/505 cars and the 506. Turning onto Queen, the 504 joins the 501, 502, and 503 cars. Two stops after Queen, the cars cross the Don River, and then turn on to King Street. King east is mostly old industrial and not too great for ridership. Short turns are frequently made at Church and Parliament to bypass the eastern part of the route. At Yonge Street, the financial sector starts, with King and Bay recognized as the Wall St. of Canada. West of University, theatres, pubs and trendy restaurants abound. At Spadina, 510 cars come out of Charlotte loop and on to King for one short block. King cars use this loop once in a while as well.

From Spadina to Dufferin, the neighborhood is fast becoming a high tech Mecca - with lots of lofts and condos springing up. When the streetcar crosses Dufferin, railfans should look north along the non-revenue tracks, for a glimpse of the TTC's only example of a streetcar track used for two-way travel with a crossover connecting the two tracks.

A few blocks later King St. turns north and runs along side Lake Ontario - providing another great view. After crossing Queen, the 504 car runs up Roncesvalles - another great place to ride a streetcar. The stops are far enough apart to allow for some speed and the street is very lively and full of character. Just before Bloor St., Roncesvalles turns into Dundas St. and the 505 car shares the tracks into Dundas West Station.