The Port Stanley Terminal Rail (PSTR) is a

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

that passes over the historic tracks of

The London and Port Stanley Railway The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS or L&PSR) was a Canadian railway located in southwestern Ontario. It linked the city of London with Port Stanley on the northern shore of Lake Erie, a distance of approximately . History The L&PS was on ...

(L&PS) between

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 ...

and St. Thomas,

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 ...

. The tourist trains began operating in 1983, after volunteers started maintaining the abandoned L&PS train corridor.

History

The first passenger train reached Port Stanley on July 5, 1856. Use of the line increased until 1943, when the end of gas rationing and the increased use of automobiles caused a slow decline in passenger traffic. On February 1, 1957, passenger service ended on the L&PS line. Afterwards, the railway continued to carry freight traffic, especially between St. Thomas and London, Ontario. The rail section between St. Thomas and Port Stanley fell into disrepair and was finally abandoned in 1982 after a washout. When the line was officially abandoned, a group of railway preservationists created the Port Stanley Terminal Rail Inc. and purchased the rail to be used as a heritage railway. After rebuilding the tracks, the group finally received a Provincial railway charter to operate trains between the cities of St. Thomas and Port Stanley in 1987. This was the first charter issued in Ontario in several decades.

Recognition

In 2012, the Port Stanley Terminal Rail was inducted to the North America Railway Hall of Fame. The PSTR was recognized for its contribution to railroading as a "Community, Business, Government or Organization" in the "Local" category (pertaining specifically to the area in and around St. Thomas, Ontario.)

Present day

Currently, the railway has five historic

diesel electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

s from the 1940s and 1950s and nine passenger cars.:About Port Stanley Terminal Rail
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General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

25T locomotive - ex-Consolidated Sand and Gravel *

Canadian Locomotive Company The Canadian Locomotive Company, commonly referred to as CLC, was a Canadian manufacturer of railway locomotives located in Kingston, Ontario. Its works were located on the south side of Ontario Street between William and Gore streets on Kingston' ...

Whitcomb Whitcombe or Whitcomb may refer to: People * Whitcombe (surname) * George Faunce Whitcomb *Ian Whitcomb (1941-2020) Places ;United Kingdom * Whitcombe, Dorset, England * Whitcombe, Somerset, England ;United States * Whitcomb, Indiana * Whitcomb, ...

50 ton switcher locomotive - ex-Consolidated Sand and Gravel *General Electric 44T locomotive - ex-Greater Winnipeg Water District #103 *General Electric 45T locomotive - ext-Zalev Brothers Company *Canadian Locomotive Company/Whitcomb 25 ton switcher locomotive - ex-Consolidated Sand and Gravel Trains leave the Port Stanley railway station on most weekends (and daily during July and August except Monday and Tuesday) for an hour-long ride that ends up just south of St. Thomas. Additionally, a number of special train rides are scheduled throughout the year, like the Santa Express which runs in December and the Murder Mystery series. It runs seasonally as it does't run between mid-December and mid-April. The PSTR railway is classified as a tourist railway with all passenger boarding done in Port Stanley. The line is run and maintained through volunteer effort.

References

External links

Port Stanley Terminal Rail's official websiteNorth America Railway Hall of Fame: Port Stanley Terminal Rail
{{Canadianmetros Heritage railways in Ontario Rail transport in Elgin County Rail transport in St. Thomas, Ontario

History

Recognition

Present day

See also

References

External links