Port Stanley Terminal Rail
Encyclopedia
The Port Stanley Terminal Rail is a heritage railway
that passes over the historic tracks of The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS) between Port Stanley
and St. Thomas
, Ontario
. The tourist trains began operating in 1983, after volunteers started maintaining the abandoned L&PS train corridor.
Afterwards, the rail 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 rail buffs 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.
Currently, the railway has four historic diesel electric locomotives from the '40s and '50s and nine passenger cars. Trains leave the Port Stanley railway station on most weekends (and daily during July and August) 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.
The PSTR railway is classed as a tourist railway and all passenger boarding is done in Port Stanley.
The line is run and maintained through a volunteer effort.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
that passes over the historic tracks of The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS) between 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:...
and 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:...
, 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....
. 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 rail 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 rail buffs 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.
Present day
The PSTR railway is classed as a tourist railway and all passenger boarding is done in Port Stanley.
The line is run and maintained through a volunteer effort.