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SNAPSHOTS OF THE 1950'S

LONDON AND PORT STANLEY RR at ST. THOMAS
Built in the mid 1850's just as London was connected to Windsor and Niagara Falls by the Great Western RR to the broad guage of 5 foot 6 inches. Electrified in 1915.

LONDON AND PORT STANLEY RR at ST. THOMAS

CNR 6402 at SPADINA ROUNDHOUSE TORONTO 1955
This engine was one of 5 streamlined Northerns built for the CNR in June 1936 and met the scrapper's torch April 1960. Drive wheels 77 inches in diameter vs. the 73 inch standard made them 100 MPH machines. 6400 pulled the Royal train of 1939 (so did one of CPR's Royal Hudsons) and is preserved at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa.

CNR 6402 at SPADINA ROUNDHOUSE TORONTO 1955

CNR 5607 at SPADINA ROUNDHOUSE TORONTO 1955
According to Canadian National Steam Power by Anthony Clegg and Ray Corley, this engine, photographed here in 1955, was built for the Grand Trunk Railway in 1910 and scrapped in March of 1959. The 4-6-2 wheel arrangement evident here was known as the "Pacific" type and 73 inch drive wheels gave it the higher speeds for passenger trains. The arrival of steam-powered stokers about 1925 allowed larger fireboxes supported by 4 trailing wheels. The 4-6-4 became the Hudson and the New York Central System owned 275 of them. The 4-8-4 was known as the "Northern" and CNR acquired 200 of them. The 4-8-2 became known as the "Mountain" type and CNR had 78.

CNR 2827 at INGERSOLL
Built in 1908 for the Canadian Northern Railway as a Consolidation type (2-8-0) with 57 inch drive wheels for freight service and scrapped in May 1957.

CNR 6069 at LONDON 1950
One of the last 20 steam engines built for Canadian National in 1944, this engine now stands on display in Sarnia, Ontario just south of the Blue Water Bridge.

CNR 6261 at LONDON 1950
A Northern type with 73 inch drive wheels built for CNR in 1944 and scrapped in 1961.

New York Central RR ST.THOMAS

New York Central RR ST.THOMAS
The once famous face of a New York Central "Hudson". 79 inch drive wheels and the ability to scoop up water from pans between the rails at speed, made 18 car passenger trains between Chicago and New York City routine at close to 100 MPH. Using a tunnel at Detroit/Windsor and a bridge at Niagara Falls, the Canadian side of Lake Erie saved 35 miles on each trip. Much of this once first class railway has now been abandoned. The magnificent St.Thomas station from the 1872 era, lies derelict while a dedicated few try to restore it to some sort of usefulness. This railroad employed 2400 in its shops at St. Thomas during WWII and was often still referred to as "the Michigan" by the locals in the mid 1950's. Airlines now move most of its passengers and much of the freight travels by truck.

New York Central RR ST.THOMAS

NYC switcher ST.THOMAS

CPR ST. THOMAS

WABASH RR ST. THOMAS

CNR/WABASH RR crosses CPR at ST. THOMAS
Built by the Great Western RR in 1872 to compete with the Canada Southern RR. Shown on many old maps as the Canada Airline RR, subsequently Grand Trunk, then Canadian National. Wabash RR acquired running rights to connect Detroit to Buffalo early in the 20th century. Jumbo met his doom about 1/2 mile behind the camera. The rods just right of and parallel to the track were a once common feature of railroads and were the means of changing semaphore signals and track switches, especially where railroads crossed each other.

CHESAPEAKE & OHIO RR at ST. THOMAS

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