Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company was established in August 1892 to provide street railway service to the Upper Beaches district within the City of Toronto, Ontario and to the neighbouring Township of Scarborough. Except for two branches, the line ran as a radial along Kingston Road.
In 1904, the TSERLPC became the Scarboro Division of the Toronto and York Radial Railway, a subsidiary of the Toronto Railway Company. In 1922, the radial line was acquired by the City of Toronto which contracted the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario operate the line as the Hydro-Electric Railways: Toronto and York Division. After 1927, the radial service was operated by the Toronto Transportation Commission but with city streetcar service being extended to the Birchmount Loop. Beyond Birchmount, radial service ceased by 1936.
This article is more about the Scarboro radial than about the company that originally created it.
Timeline
Pre-T&YRR era (1885-1904) Events prior to the merger creating the T&YRR in 1904
On August 18, 1892 the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company was incorporated to provide electric streetcar service along Kingston Road, and to produce and sell electricity to customers in the vicinity. Henry Pellatt (of Casa Loma fame) was the chairman of the board of directors.
On July 1, 1893, the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company started electric, radial operations with a route on the north side of Kingston Road from Queen Street to Blantyre Avenue.
In early July 1893, the railway created a branch for summer service on the west side of Blantyre Avenue south to Victoria Park, a lakeside recreation area roughly at the location of today's R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant.
In 1894, the railway opened a branch running from Kingston Road and Walter Street north via Lyall Avenue and Kimberley Street to Gerrard and Main Streets in the then Village of East York.
On March 6, 1895, the Toronto Railway Company acquired controlling interest in the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company. The Scarboro line's carhouse at Walter Avenue was closed, and operations were moved to the TRC's King Carhouse at King Street East and St. Lawrence Street.
During the winters of 1895 and 1896, the Blantyre branch did not operate and all radial cars proceeded to East York at Gerrard and Main streets.
In 1897, the railway ripped up its track on Blantyre Avenue and relaid them along Kingston Road to Toronto Hunt Club near Warden Avenue. Winter service was provided to Warden Avenue. Normally, two cars operated every 30 minutes, one to East York and the other to Warden Avenue.
On July 12, 1901, service was expanded along Kingston Road from Warden Avenue to Half Way House at Midland Avenue. The expansion was triggered by threats by township to cancel the railway's franchise. The railway was reluctant to expand as Scarborough then was very rural with only a small population. Sunday service started on September 22, 1901.
Mackenzie & Mann era (1904-1921) Events when the T&YRR was under the control of William Mackenzie and Donald Mann On August 1, 1904, the Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company was merged into the Toronto and York Radial Railway becoming its Scarboro Division. The Walter Avenue carhouse was reopened, and operation of the Scarboro line became completely separate from the TRC system.
On January 23, 1905, service reached Mason's near Bellamy Road.
On December 24, 1905, service reached Scarborough Post Office at Markham Road.
On August 31, 1906, service reached West Hill (near today's Fairwood Crescent) where a station was built.
In 1912, the railway opened Scarborough Heights Park (also called Scarborough Park), a 60-acre tract extending from Kingston Road to the lake between Midland Avenue and Bellamy Road.
In 1913, the branch from Kingston Road to Gerrard and Main Streets closed due to competition from the new Gerrard line of the Toronto Civic Railways, which opened on December 18, 1912. Riders found that the Gerrard route was a more direct route to get downtown.