H series (Toronto subway)

H series
An H6 train at St George station
In service	1965–2014 H1: 1965–1999 H2/H3: 1971–2001 H4: 1974–2012 H5: 1976–2013 H6: 1986–2014 (TTC) 1997–present (Ankara Metro)
Manufacturer	H1, H2, H4, H5: Hawker Siddeley H3: Hawker Siddeley, TTC H6: UTDC (TTC) Bombardier Transportation (Ankara Metro)
Built at	Thunder Bay, Ontario (H1–H6) Toronto, Ontario (H3 TTC modifications)
Constructed	H1: 1965–1966 H2/H3: 1971 H4: 1974–1975 H5: 1976–1979 H6: 1986–1989 (TTC) 1996–1998 (Ankara Metro)
Entered service	1966 (Toronto Subway) 1997–1998 Ankara Metro
Scrapped	H1: 1997–1999 H2/H3: 2001–2002 H4: 2001–2012 H5: 2012–2013 H6: 2013–2014 (TTC)
Number built	H1: 164 H2/H3: 76 H4: 88 H5: 138 H6: 126 (TTC) 108 (Ankara Metro)
Number in service	H6: 108 (Ankara Metro)
Number scrapped	H1: 161 H2/H3: 76 H4: 80 H5: 136 H6: 126 (TTC)
Fleet numbers	H1: 4501–4630 H2/H3: 4721–4750 , 5861-6300 H4: 7181–7210 H5: 8001–8500 H6: 9051–9850 (TTC)
Capacity	76 seated
Operators	Toronto Transit Commission (1965–2014) Ankara Metro (1997–present)
Depots	Greenwood, Davisville & Wilson
Lines served	Yonge–University (H1, H2, H5) Bloor–Danforth (H1, H2, H4, H6)
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminum
Car length	22.86 m (75 ft 0 in)
Width	3.14 m (10 ft 4 in)
Height	3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)
Floor height	1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)
Doors	8 sets (4 sets per side) per car
Maximum speed	88 km/h (55 mph)
Weight	H1: 25,630 kg (56,500 lb) H2: 25,590 kg (56,420 lb) H4: 26,180 kg (57,720 lb) H5: 30,440 kg (67,110 lb) H6: 32,660 kg (72,000 lb)
Power output	H1: 121 hp (90 kW) H2–H4: 116 hp (87 kW) H5: 126 hp (94 kW) H6: 123 hp (92 kW)
Auxiliaries	120/208 V AC Battery Auxiliary
Electric system(s)	600 V DC third rail (TTC) 750 V DC third rail (Ankara Metro)
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Track gauge	TTC: 4 ft 10+7⁄8 in (1,495 mm) Toronto gauge Ankara Metro: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The H series was the third series of rapid transit rolling stock used in the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were built in six production sets, named H1 to H6, from 1975 to 2000 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

The first five sets were manufactured by Hawker Siddeley Canada until 1987, when the company was purchased by the Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), which then took over production. They operated alongside their predecessor models, the M series, while the H6 trains replaced the last remaining G-series trains in 1998.

All H-series cars were manufactured in a facility Hawker Siddeley inherited from Canadian Car & Foundry, which had earlier produced PCC streetcars for the TTC's streetcar network. The facility was taken over by Bombardier Transportation in 1994, which has continued to produce all subsequent rolling stock for the subway. They include the successor of the H series, the T series, introduced in 1999 and which replaced earlier H-series (H1, H2, and the prototype H3) trains by 2003. The remaining H4, H5, and H6 trains were replaced between 2014 and 2016 by the newest model, the Toronto Rocket.

History

Interior of an H4 subway car. The H4s had an interior design similar to that of the H2 subway cars but had less seating to allow for more passengers. The H4s were the last H-series cars to have large padded bench seats. The H2 and H4 cars had beige doors, yellow panels, orange padded seats, dark brown walls and light brown floors. These were the last Toronto subway car models not equipped with air-conditioning systems.

Interior of an H6 subway car with individual vinyl orange covered seats.

Based on the 75 ft (22.86 m) M1, the early H-series cars improved on the design, notably by enlarging the operator's cab and using a single-handle controller. Revisions were made to the designs, and each production model in the H series improved on the last. The H5s were the first subway cars in the TTC fleet to use chopper controls and were also the first cars with regenerative braking and air-conditioning systems. They had a brighter and more modern passenger interior. Black vinyl seats were replaced by red fabric seats. Individual seats replaced the padded bench seats used on previous models. The interior colour scheme consisted of red floors, cream walls, yellow doors and panels, and brown simulated wood grain panels. The H6s replaced the original red G-class cars and were used almost exclusively on the Bloor-Danforth line, with no further H-Series orders made. The H6s were similar to the H5s, but had light brown floors, and orange doors and panels. A prototype T-series car was built by UTDC in 1990–1991, and evaluated by the TTC. By the time the TTC was ready to order new cars in 1992, UTDC had been sold to Bombardier. Bombardier added new technology such as AC propulsion to a platform based on the predecessor H-cars.

48 cars based on the H1 model were built and used for the Expo Express in Montreal, for Expo 67. 108 modified H6 cars were produced for the Ankara Metro by Bombardier in 1996–1997.

Retirement and future

The H7 and H8 cars were replaced by the T1-class cars. The last 12 remaining H1 cars were retired on February 20, 2003. All of the H2 cars were retired by February 27, 2009. Nearly all H1 and H2 cars were scrapped, although several H1 cars are used as subway work vehicles. Some H4 cars were retired when T1-series cars were delivered.

In 2010, the TTC placed an order with Bombardier Transportation for the first 68 articulated Toronto Rocket (TR) trains to be operated on the Yonge–University-Spadina (YUS) line. This allowed the TTC to retire the remaining H4 and H5 cars.

A contract option was exercised in 2014, when the TTC ordered 64 additional new TR trains making 140 trains in total. This allowed for the retirement of the H6 subway cars on the Bloor–Danforth line and to have enough new TR trains available for the opening of the YUS line extension to Vaughan.

With the arrival of the articulated TR trains in 2014, many T1-series trains were transferred from the YUS line to the Bloor–Danforth line. This allowed for the retirement of the H4 cars, between the fall of 2013 until June 27, 2014, when the last H4 train made its last run during the morning rush on the Bloor-Danforth line. The H4s were expected to be scrapped at Future Enterprises in Hamilton, Ontario, although some H4 cars were retained for use as maintenance trains.

The H5 trains were replaced shortly thereafter by the arrival of more TR-series trains. The last H5 train made its final service run on June 26, 2015, with a round-trip on the YUS line. That trip began at Wilson station en route to Finch station. On the return trip, the train encountered technical difficulties at Eglinton West station, meaning the train had to go out of service. While many H5 subway cars were scrapped, some cars were sent to the United States for refurbishing and were expected to be shipped to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority of Nigeria for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit project.

The H6s were the only version of the H series still in service until August 26, 2016, the last H6 train took its final run on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The round-trip began at Greenwood station, and headed eastbound to Kennedy station, then westbound to Kipling station and back to Kennedy station where the train was decommissioned. This marked the end of all remaining H-series subway trains which had been in service with the TTC after 50 years. (The H6s were replaced by more T1s which had been transferred from the YUS line to the Bloor-Danforth line following the arrival of more TR trains) It was reported that some H6 cars were to be sold to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority for use on a new Lagos Light Rail project (along with some of the already-retired H5 cars). However, TTC officials later announced that the deal had been cancelled. Only 300 H5 cars were shipped to Lagos following their retirement in 2015 and all of the H6s were scrapped after retirement in 2016. However, the 300 H5 cars sent to the United States were scrapped in August 2015 after Eko Rail decided to purchase newly made cars from the Chinese rolling stock company CRRC Dalian.

• H1: 4501–4630
• H2: 4721–4750
• H3: 5861–6300 (experimental/modified versions of the H2 that led to development of the H5)
• H4: 7181–7210
• H5: 8001–8500
• H6: 9051–9850

Work cars

Only a few H1- and H4-series cars were refurbished and converted to work cars with the TTC:

• Four H1 cars (4567–4570) were destroyed by fire at the Bethany station in July 1984. Car 4570 was salvaged and converted to subway work car MB47 in 1986.
• H1 4501–02 now MB 11–12
• H1 4511–12 now MB 15–16
• H1 4591–92 now MB 21–22
• H1 4609–10 now MB 25–26
• H1 4625–26 now MB 37–38
• H4 7185 now MB 48
• H4 7189–90 now MB 57–58
• H4 7195–96 now MB 69–70
• H4 7203–04 now MB 75–76

Other notes

H2- and H3-series cars were not converted into work cars and were scrapped in 2009–2010 along with several H4 cars in 2011–2012:

• One H5 car (8319) was retired and scrapped after a switching accident at the Greenwood Subway Yard in September 1990, and one H5 car (8225) was retired after the subway collision in July 1997.
• H5 cars 8226 and 8320 were mated together and renumbered as 8319–8320 in 2017.
• H5 car 8334 became a mockup T1 car between 1990–1991; it was retired in October 2015.
• H6 car 8338 was cut in half in Hamilton and sent back to Toronto to promote the movie Godzilla at Yonge and Elm street in July 2016.
• H5 car 8254 was converted to a set for the television series Defiance, which was shot in Toronto. It is likely scrapped as it is no longer seen at St. Clair and Danforth.
• H5 car 8419 was sold to Digital Canaries in Hamilton with undercar equipment removed.

External links

• H1–4 series cars
• H5–6 series cars