Vintage TTC Toronto Bus Route 107 Keele North Dest

Updated September 18, 2026

This auction ended on October 4, 2026. See upcoming auctions from Oakwood Auctions.
Lot number240
Estimate25.00 - 50.00 USD
AuctionOctober Art & Collectibles- 2-DAY Auction
DateOctober 4, 2026 at 11:00 PM EDT
Auction houseOakwood Auctions
LocationStouffville

An evocative original Toronto Transit Commission bus destination rollsign assembly for the former 107 Keele North route, retaining its black destination curtain, white hand-rendered-style typography, internal rollers, geared mechanism, electrical components, viewing panel and painted metal exterior housing. Measuring approximately 29 inches long, this substantial piece of Toronto transportation history displays multiple period route readings, including “Keele North 107 - North Rd. C.N.R. - Wilson Stn,” “Keele North via Chesswood 107A - North Rd. C.N.R. - Wilson Stn,” and “Short Turn - Keele North 107S.”<br><br>The TTC inaugurated the 107 Keele North route on January 28, 1978, following the opening of the Spadina subway extension, separating the northern portion of service from the long-established 41 Keele route and connecting passengers with Wilson Station. Rush-hour service via Chesswood Avenue was introduced in February 1979, providing a documented historical context for the 107A exposure preserved on this curtain. The route remained part of Toronto’s transit network until 2017, although the typography, mechanical construction and manually operated rollsign format place this assembly within an earlier era of TTC surface transportation, before electronic destination displays became standard.<br><br>Far more compelling than a detached section of destination cloth, the lot preserves the sign as a complete display assembly, allowing collectors to appreciate the practical engineering through which operators selected and illuminated route information aboard a working TTC vehicle. The boldly scaled route numerals, Toronto street and station references, mechanically wound curtain and honest service wear give the object exceptional visual presence as industrial design, urban folk typography and authentic Canadian transportation memorabilia. The inclusion of three related Route 107 readings - standard Keele North service, the 107A Chesswood branch and the less commonly encountered 107S short-turn exposure - considerably strengthens its historical and interpretive interest.<br><br>The assembly exhibits expected evidence of extended transit use, including accumulated dust, surface marks, abrasions, age-related wear and losses to the painted metal housing, together with creasing, edge wear and general handling wear to the destination curtain. The internal mechanism, rollers, wiring and components appear substantially present; electrical and mechanical operation have not been tested and no representation is made regarding functionality. The green-tinted viewing panel shows surface wear and soiling consistent with age and service. These untouched operational characteristics contribute materially to the authenticity and industrial character valued by collectors of TTC memorabilia, vintage bus signs, Toronto history, public transportation artifacts and Canadian transit ephemera.<br><br>An unusually complete and visually commanding survivor from Toronto’s pre-d

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