Port Stanley Terminal Rail
| Port Stanley Terminal Rail | |
|---|---|
 Passengers on the PSTR | |
| Locale | Ontario |
| Terminus | Port Stanley St. Thomas |
 Port Stanley, St. Thomas and London, the stations on the London and Port Stanley Terminal Rail. | |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | London and Port Stanley Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Original electrification | 1913 |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Port Stanley Terminal Rail Inc. |
| Operated by | Port Stanley Terminal Rail |
| Stations | 2 |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved electrification | None |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1856 |
| Closed to passengers | 1957 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1983 | Tourist trains started operating |
| 1987 | Receipt of a provincial charter to operate passenger trains after track repairs were completed. |
| Hauptsitz | Port Stanley |
| Website | |
| http://www.pstr.on.ca | |
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 and St. Thomas, Ontario. 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.[1]
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.
Recognition
In 2012, the Port Stanley Terminal Rail was inducted to the North America Railway Hall of Fame.[2] 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 four historic diesel electric locomotives from the '40s and '50s and nine passenger cars.[3] 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.
See also
- List of heritage railways in Canada
- London and Port Stanley Railway
- North America Railway Hall of Fame