The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS or L&PSR) was a Canadian
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
located in southwestern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. It linked the city of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
with
Port Stanley
Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a populat ...
on the northern shore of
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
, a distance of approximately .
History
The L&PS was one of the first railways to be built in Ontario, with construction starting in 1856. It provided connections between London,
St. Thomas and
Port Stanley
Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a populat ...
. It was built primarily to facilitate trade with the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, particularly of wood and coal. As a result of its rail connection, a substantial investment was made in the port facilities of Port Stanley, which in turn attracted American and Canadian shipping. Until 1932, coal from
Conneaut, Ohio
Conneaut ( ) is a city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of Conneaut Creek northeast of Cleveland. The population was 12,841 at the 2010 Census. Conneaut is located at the far northeast ...
was transported via
railway car ferries to Port Stanley.
The railway also proved popular with local residents, particularly in the summer when many commuters utilized the system to travel to Port Stanley's beach and resort facilities. However, the railway's service was not always impeccable, as it also earned the nicknames ''Late & Poor Service'', ''Lost & Presumed Sunk'', and ''Lean, Push & Shove''.
Originally, the railway operated steam locomotives, with the first passenger train arriving in 1856. In 1914 the line was leased by the City of London, which proceeded to electrify it. The City bought the line outright in 1950, 36 years into its 99-year lease. During the 1950s passenger traffic suffered from automobile competition, and passenger operations were suspended in February 1957. The
Canadian National Railways
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...
purchased the line in 1965.
The
/narhf.org/?p=5976 London & Port Stanley Railwaywas
/narhf.org/?p=5976 inductedinto the
North America Railway Hall of Fame
North America Railway Hall of Fame (NARHF) is a not-for-profit organization housed in the recently restored Canada Southern Railway Station in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. It was founded to maintain, preserve and honor railway history with the in ...
/www.narhf.org (NARHF)in 2008 in the "Local" category for "Communities, Business, Governments and Groups" for those who have made significant contributions or achievements relating to the railway industry. The L&PS made good use of the
Canada Southern Railway Station
The Canada Southern Railway Station (CASO) is a former railway station in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. The station was built by the Canada Southern Railway (CSR) in 1873 as both a railway station and its corporate headquarters.Ontario Heritage T ...
in St. Thomas (home to
/www.narhf.org NARHF) helping to make it one of the busiest station in the country in the early 20th century.
The portion of the line from London to St. Thomas is now part of the CN Talbot Subdivision, while the St. Thomas to Port Stanley portion is operated by the
Port Stanley Terminal Rail
The Port Stanley Terminal Rail (PSTR) is a heritage railway that passes over the historic tracks of The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS) between Port Stanley, Ontario, Port Stanley and St. Thomas, Ontario, St. Thomas, Ontario. The tourist t ...
.
Rolling Stock
Boxcab electric locomotive L1, electric interurban 14 and the Port Stanley incline cars are preserved at the
Elgin County Railway Museum
The Elgin County Railway Museum is a rail transport museum in St. Thomas, Ontario.
The museum and most of the collections are housed in the former Michigan Central Railroad locomotive shops. Built in 1913, the shops were part of more extensi ...
in St. Thomas.
Trailer 3 and motor cars 4 and 8 are preserved at the
Halton County Radial Railway
The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, buses and trolleybuses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association (OERHA). It is focused primarily on the history of t ...
, near
Rockwood, Ontario. The latter is operational, while the former two are stored awaiting restoration.
A boxcar from circa 1929 is preserved in
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Ajax and west of Oshawa, on the north shore of Lake Ontario and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region. It had a population of 138,501 at the 2021 census. It ...
at
The Station Gallery.
Gallery
See also
*
List of Ontario railways
The following railways operate in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Common freight carriers
* Barrie Collingwood Railway (BCRY)
*Canadian National Railway (CN) including subsidiaries Algoma Central Railway (AC), Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW ...
London and Port Stanley Railway for MSTS ReviewLondon and Port Stanley Railway for MSTS Playthrough.
References
External links
Review of the London and Port Stanley Railwayfor
MSTS (Now OpenRails)
{{DEFAULTSORT:London Port Stanley Railway
Rail transport in London, Ontario
History of rail transport in Elgin County
Rail transport in St. Thomas, Ontario
Defunct Ontario railways
Canadian National Railway subsidiaries
Interurban railways in Ontario
Electric railways in Canada