Looking south down Bartlett Ave from just north of Geary Ave towards the railway tracks and Dupont St in the Davenport neighbourhood of Toronto.
The streetscape has undergone minimal changes over the decades; however, one notable exception is the railroad watchman’s shanty (the tower) visible in the left distance of the archive photo. A gate tender was perched high in the shanty where railway tracks intersected with the city street. When a train approached, the watchman climbed down from the shanty to lower the gates manually, preventing vehicles and pedestrians from crossing the tracks and raising the gates after the train passed. The shanty has been removed for some time, as the gates now function under an automated system.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: Toronto Public Library
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
