London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company
Encyclopedia
The London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company is a defunct Canadian
Interurban
railway that operated in Ontario
from 1902 to 1918. Originally chartered as the South Western Traction Company, the line was renamed the London and Lake Erie Railway in 1909. Throughout its short life, the line was always referred to locally as "The Traction Line".
residents led by Thomas Purdom and Alfred E. Welch chartered an electric railway based in London. Unlike the municipally-owned London and Port Stanley Railway
, the South Western Traction Company was chartered primarily as a passenger hauling line. Lines were planned to several other municipalities in the area, but ultimately, the line was a 28-mile meandering route between London and Port Stanley
. The line began construction in 1903 southward from London to Lambeth
. Construction stopped in 1904 when the company ran out of funds. Additional capital was eventually secured from the Canadian Electric Traction Company of England and construction resumed. The generating equipment and rolling stock was supplied by Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.
of Edinburgh
, Scotland. The equipment on the South Western Traction Company was designed to use Three phase overhead designed by Ganz
of Budapest
, Hungary and was the only railway in North America to do so.
The route of the line continued southward towards St. Thomas
, passing through the villages of Scottsville, Tempo
and Lynhurst
. Tracks reached St. Thomas in July of 1906. The Traction Line used the tracks of the St. Thomas Municipal Railway to navigate through the city streets. The line entered town on the west end and exited southward on the east end, crossing over the London and Port Stanley Railway via the street railway on Talbot Street in the process. Continuing southward, the line passed through the village of Union
and entered Port Stanley via Colborne Street. The Traction Line station was on the east side of Port Stanley harbour, compared to the more extensive L&PS yards on the west side. The station was located directly off Colborne Street and still exists today. There was a spur line that ran behind the station down to the dock for loading fish and passengers. The line entered London via Baseline Road, and curved north towards downtown. A long trestle carried the line over the Thames River valley before terminating at the company's station on Horton Street.
There had been various issues with the Ganz A/C overhead system, and this prompted the line to switch to D/C operation in early 1907. The company ordered six D/C motor cars from the Ottawa Car Company
in Ottawa, Ontario
in March of 1907. The line was dealt a major blow on August 10, 1907, when a fire caused by crossed wires destroyed the company's car barns in London. The company's six British built cars were in the barns at the time, and five were destroyed. Four of the new Ottawa cars were in St. Thomas, but hadn't had their motors or equipment installed. The losses for the railway were pegged at over $160,000. The following year, six additional cars were purchased from Preston Car and Coach
in Preston, Ontario
. The first train arrived in Port Stanley in October of 1907. Plans for expansions to Delaware and Aylmer, Ontario were looked at in 1907 as well., but for several reasons, these extensions were never built. The year 1908 brought about receivership and with it, a change in ownership.
. The London and Lake Erie, operating as a provincial charter, was not exempt from the act. Sunday cars were viewed as strictly recreational, and as the line did not provide an essential link, was forced to discontinue Sunday service. This was not reinstated until 1913. S.W. Mower resigned as manager in 1912, and was replaced by William Nelson Warburton.
Warburton had worked with several other interurban railways in Ontario including the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
and the Chatham, Wallaceburg and Lake Erie Railway. Streamlining of the stops between London and Port Stanley was done shortly after Warburton assumed his position. Business was so good, the company also ordered two motor cars and two trailer cars from the Niles Car Company
. The company also experimented with generating more freight service during this period. Fish from the dock in Port Stanley was the main commodity hauled, but never panned out into the big revenue generator the company hoped for. The tight curves and steep grades of the London and Lake Erie Railway, while satisfactory for interurban cars, was not conducive to effective freight operations. An interchange was established in St. Thomas around 1913 with the Michigan Central Railroad
. In 1915, the Niles cars were sold to the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway. Talks were held in Aylmer in 1915 as well, the company seriously looking at extending the line. The plan was to extend to Port Burwell via Aylmer, but that never came to pass. The London and Lake Erie's lack of a rail connection in London was a major factor in this decision.
In July, 1915, the London and Port Stanley Railway was electrified. That, combined with the ever growing threat of the automobile, eventually spelled the end for the London and Lake Erie Railway.
did little to improve the line's fortunes. Traffic was up, but revenues were not. The beach area in Port Stanley was very developed as well, but the London and Lake Erie, being on the opposite side of the harbour, lost out on the majority of the tourist traffic. The London and Lake Erie retired its London generating station in 1915 in favour of purchasing power from Ontario Hydro
. Management was increasingly cutting power to cut costs, often stranding cars out on the line, much to the chagrin of passengers. A record 726,799 passengers were carried in the 1916-1917 fiscal year, but it was too little, too late. The equipment was under increasing pressure, but revenue wasn't available to perform the necessary repairs. The winter of 1917 was exceptionally harsh. Wartime demands had reduced the amount of coal available, and service had to be drastically cut back due to no heat being available for the cars. Beginning in 1916, management began looking at options to sell the railway.
Both London and St. Thomas expressed interest in purchasing portions of the line, but neither were willing to pay the full $600,000 asking price. Sir Adam Beck
, Ontario Hydro visionary and former mayor of London, suggested that the City counter with just over $300,000, but this was declined by management. London was only interested in the portion southward to Talbotville and intended to operate it as commuter railway extension of the London Street Railway. The actual physical appraisal of the line in 1918 was $360,000. A buyer could not be found however, and the decision was made to scrap the line.
On October 28, 1918, a statement was issued by manager Warburton that the London and Lake Erie Railway had ceased operations. Service was first cut back from Port Stanley to St. Thomas, with the remaining service discontinued shortly thereafter. Over the next few years, the assets of the company were liquidated. Most of the company's rolling stock went to the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
, with four cars going to the Oshawa Railway.
The right of way inside the London city limits was sold to the municipality. Belgrave Avenue south of Tecumseh Street follows the old traction line grade. The bridge over the Thames River remained until it was moved to the west to carry Richmond Street over the river. The London station building was sold to the Salvation Army and was demolished in the early 1950s when it was replaced. The remaining station buildings were dismantled over the years, save for Port Stanley. The grade can also be seen in various places, mainly south of St. Thomas.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railway that operated in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
from 1902 to 1918. Originally chartered as the South Western Traction Company, the line was renamed the London and Lake Erie Railway in 1909. Throughout its short life, the line was always referred to locally as "The Traction Line".
The South Western Traction Company
In 1902, a group of London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
residents led by Thomas Purdom and Alfred E. Welch chartered an electric railway based in London. Unlike the municipally-owned London and Port Stanley Railway
London and Port Stanley Railway
The London and Port Stanley Railway is a historic Canadian railway located in southwestern Ontario.The L&PS linked the city of London with Port Stanley on the northern shore of Lake Erie, a distance of approximately ....
, the South Western Traction Company was chartered primarily as a passenger hauling line. Lines were planned to several other municipalities in the area, but ultimately, the line was a 28-mile meandering route between London and Port Stanley
Port Stanley, Ontario
Port Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, Elgin County, located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek.-History:...
. The line began construction in 1903 southward from London to Lambeth
Lambeth, Middlesex County, Ontario
Lambeth is a neighbourhood in the City of London, Ontario, Canada.Lambeth was formerly a population centre in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada...
. Construction stopped in 1904 when the company ran out of funds. Additional capital was eventually secured from the Canadian Electric Traction Company of England and construction resumed. The generating equipment and rolling stock was supplied by Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.
Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.
Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. was an Edinburgh industrial electrical engineering company founded as D. Bruce Peebles & Co. by Scottish engineer David Bruce Peebles in Edinburgh in 1866...
of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland. The equipment on the South Western Traction Company was designed to use Three phase overhead designed by Ganz
Ganz
The Ganz electric works in Budapest is probably best known for the manufacture of tramcars, but was also a pioneer in the application of three-phase alternating current to electric railways. Ganz also made / makes: ships , bridge steel structures , high voltage equipment...
of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary and was the only railway in North America to do so.
The route of the line continued southward towards St. Thomas
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
, passing through the villages of Scottsville, Tempo
Tempo, Ontario
Tempo, Ontario is a former neighbourhood in London, Ontario, just South of Lambeth. Tempo no longer goes by Tempo, just London. Its residents usually call the area "South of the 401 overpass"....
and Lynhurst
Central Elgin, Ontario
Central Elgin is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada in Elgin County on Lake Erie. It was formed in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Township of Yarmouth with the Villages of Belmont and Port Stanley.-Communities:...
. Tracks reached St. Thomas in July of 1906. The Traction Line used the tracks of the St. Thomas Municipal Railway to navigate through the city streets. The line entered town on the west end and exited southward on the east end, crossing over the London and Port Stanley Railway via the street railway on Talbot Street in the process. Continuing southward, the line passed through the village of Union
Central Elgin, Ontario
Central Elgin is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada in Elgin County on Lake Erie. It was formed in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Township of Yarmouth with the Villages of Belmont and Port Stanley.-Communities:...
and entered Port Stanley via Colborne Street. The Traction Line station was on the east side of Port Stanley harbour, compared to the more extensive L&PS yards on the west side. The station was located directly off Colborne Street and still exists today. There was a spur line that ran behind the station down to the dock for loading fish and passengers. The line entered London via Baseline Road, and curved north towards downtown. A long trestle carried the line over the Thames River valley before terminating at the company's station on Horton Street.
There had been various issues with the Ganz A/C overhead system, and this prompted the line to switch to D/C operation in early 1907. The company ordered six D/C motor cars from the Ottawa Car Company
Ottawa Car Company
Ottawa Car Company was a builder of streetcars for the Canadian market and was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1891. The plant was located at Kent and Slater Streets, a short distance from Parliament Hill...
in Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in March of 1907. The line was dealt a major blow on August 10, 1907, when a fire caused by crossed wires destroyed the company's car barns in London. The company's six British built cars were in the barns at the time, and five were destroyed. Four of the new Ottawa cars were in St. Thomas, but hadn't had their motors or equipment installed. The losses for the railway were pegged at over $160,000. The following year, six additional cars were purchased from Preston Car and Coach
Preston Car Company
The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario...
in Preston, Ontario
Preston, Ontario
Preston is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Prior to its amalgamation with the city of Galt, the town of Hespeler and the village of Blair to form the new city in 1973, it was an independent town. It is located near the confluence of the Grand River and Speed River...
. The first train arrived in Port Stanley in October of 1907. Plans for expansions to Delaware and Aylmer, Ontario were looked at in 1907 as well., but for several reasons, these extensions were never built. The year 1908 brought about receivership and with it, a change in ownership.
The London and Lake Erie Railway and Transportation Company
In 1908, the South Western Traction Company was in receivership and was purchased at auction by J. MacDougall of London. A consortium of businessmen led by G.B Woods of Toronto purchased the line from Mr. MacDougall and formed the London and Lake Erie Railway and Navigation Company. The first manager of the company was Mr. S.W. Mower. The company prospered, with both freight and passenger revenues up. In 1911, the company was dealt another blow when Sunday service was suspended by the Province under the Lord's Day ActBlue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
. The London and Lake Erie, operating as a provincial charter, was not exempt from the act. Sunday cars were viewed as strictly recreational, and as the line did not provide an essential link, was forced to discontinue Sunday service. This was not reinstated until 1913. S.W. Mower resigned as manager in 1912, and was replaced by William Nelson Warburton.
Warburton had worked with several other interurban railways in Ontario including the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
The Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in southern Ontario from 1899 to 1959.The NS&T was an interurban electric railway located in the Niagara Peninsula. It was based in St...
and the Chatham, Wallaceburg and Lake Erie Railway. Streamlining of the stops between London and Port Stanley was done shortly after Warburton assumed his position. Business was so good, the company also ordered two motor cars and two trailer cars from the Niles Car Company
Niles Car and Manufacturing Company
The Niles Car and Manufacturing Company was a United States manufacturer of railroad equipment, including many streetcar and interurban cars. It was founded in 1901 in Niles, Ohio, and ceased producing railroad cars in 1917; the plant and equipment were purchased by the Engel Aircraft Company to...
. The company also experimented with generating more freight service during this period. Fish from the dock in Port Stanley was the main commodity hauled, but never panned out into the big revenue generator the company hoped for. The tight curves and steep grades of the London and Lake Erie Railway, while satisfactory for interurban cars, was not conducive to effective freight operations. An interchange was established in St. Thomas around 1913 with the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
. In 1915, the Niles cars were sold to the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway. Talks were held in Aylmer in 1915 as well, the company seriously looking at extending the line. The plan was to extend to Port Burwell via Aylmer, but that never came to pass. The London and Lake Erie's lack of a rail connection in London was a major factor in this decision.
In July, 1915, the London and Port Stanley Railway was electrified. That, combined with the ever growing threat of the automobile, eventually spelled the end for the London and Lake Erie Railway.
Decline and Sale
Throughout the next few years, the London and Lake Erie struggled for survival. The outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
did little to improve the line's fortunes. Traffic was up, but revenues were not. The beach area in Port Stanley was very developed as well, but the London and Lake Erie, being on the opposite side of the harbour, lost out on the majority of the tourist traffic. The London and Lake Erie retired its London generating station in 1915 in favour of purchasing power from Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
. Management was increasingly cutting power to cut costs, often stranding cars out on the line, much to the chagrin of passengers. A record 726,799 passengers were carried in the 1916-1917 fiscal year, but it was too little, too late. The equipment was under increasing pressure, but revenue wasn't available to perform the necessary repairs. The winter of 1917 was exceptionally harsh. Wartime demands had reduced the amount of coal available, and service had to be drastically cut back due to no heat being available for the cars. Beginning in 1916, management began looking at options to sell the railway.
Both London and St. Thomas expressed interest in purchasing portions of the line, but neither were willing to pay the full $600,000 asking price. Sir Adam Beck
Adam Beck
Sir Adam Beck was a politician and hydroelectricity advocate who founded the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.-Biography:...
, Ontario Hydro visionary and former mayor of London, suggested that the City counter with just over $300,000, but this was declined by management. London was only interested in the portion southward to Talbotville and intended to operate it as commuter railway extension of the London Street Railway. The actual physical appraisal of the line in 1918 was $360,000. A buyer could not be found however, and the decision was made to scrap the line.
On October 28, 1918, a statement was issued by manager Warburton that the London and Lake Erie Railway had ceased operations. Service was first cut back from Port Stanley to St. Thomas, with the remaining service discontinued shortly thereafter. Over the next few years, the assets of the company were liquidated. Most of the company's rolling stock went to the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway
The Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in southern Ontario from 1899 to 1959.The NS&T was an interurban electric railway located in the Niagara Peninsula. It was based in St...
, with four cars going to the Oshawa Railway.
The right of way inside the London city limits was sold to the municipality. Belgrave Avenue south of Tecumseh Street follows the old traction line grade. The bridge over the Thames River remained until it was moved to the west to carry Richmond Street over the river. The London station building was sold to the Salvation Army and was demolished in the early 1950s when it was replaced. The remaining station buildings were dismantled over the years, save for Port Stanley. The grade can also be seen in various places, mainly south of St. Thomas.