The London Street Railway (LSR) provided public transit to residents of
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, Canada, using streetcars from 1875 to 1940.
[
Established in 1873, LSR (which later became ]London Transit
The London Transit Commission (LTC) is responsible for the operation of the public transit system on behalf of the City of London, Ontario, Canada. It operates transit bus service and para-transit service. In 2014, annual ridership totaled 24.1 ...
) began operation in 1875 using horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, w ...
s, basic and small passenger wagons pulled by horses.[ Like many street railway operators in Canada electrified routes began operation in closing years of the 19th century. LSR began electrification in 1895 using small cars similar to horsecars and gradually enlarged to full-size railcars.
After years of problems operating in winter, LSR switched over to diesel buses in 1940.
The city was also connected to ]Port Stanley, Ontario
Port Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Elgin County in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek. In 2016, it had a population of 2,148.
History
The site of Port Stanl ...
, via a series of luxury and larger interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
streetcars.[
]
See also
* 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 ...
References
External links
*{{commonscat-inline, Streetcars in London, Ontario
Public transport in London, Ontario
Rail transport in London, Ontario
Defunct Ontario railways
Street railways in Ontario