Only in Toronto could this happen.
Bob has officially won the Bob Camera Club History Award for his photos of the “new” Line 5 Crosstown trains…that were already 7 years old before the line even opened.
Yes.
Seven.
That’s not “brand new.”
That’s “has experience.”
Built… Then Waited
The trains were delivered years before passengers ever boarded.
They didn’t roll straight into daily service.
They sat.
They waited.
They watched construction continue.
By the time Line 5 finally opened in 2026, these “new” cars were already seven years into their lifespan.
In transit years, that’s not fresh out of the factory — that’s “ready for a midlife review.”
The Photo That Became History
When I stepped inside with my old faithful Sony NEX-3 — the same camera I bought back in 2011 when they first started digging up Eglinton — I thought I was photographing something brand new.
The clean symmetry.
The bright yellow poles.
The untouched blue seats.
The quiet, empty car before the crowds arrived.
It looked like the future.
But technically?
It was already seven years in the making.
Toronto’s Unique Timeline
Most cities:
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Build the line.
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Deliver the trains.
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Open the service.
Toronto:
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Deliver the trains.
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Wait.
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Wait some more.
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Then open the line with trains that have already had birthdays.
The Crosstown cars aged in the background while the city argued, paved, repaved, and redirected buses.
And now, somehow, my photos of those “new” trains have already qualified for the History Award.
Why It Actually Matters
Street photography — and transit photography — isn’t just about shiny objects.
It’s about documenting the strange in-between moments.
A train that was new… but not new.
A line that opened… long after it was ready.
A city that waited.
That empty interior shot isn’t just about clean design and perspective lines.
It’s about patience.
It’s about infrastructure living in limbo.
It’s about Toronto time.
Bob’s Acceptance Speech
I’d like to thank:
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Construction timelines.
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Storage yards.
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And my refusal to upgrade cameras every two years.
Because sometimes the story isn’t just about what’s new.
Sometimes it’s about how long something had to wait before it was allowed to be new.
Seven years old before its first rush hour.
Only in Toronto.
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