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The Beginning
The London & Lake Erie Railway's beginnings can be traced back to 1900 and the The London Railway Company. A group of London, Ontario residents petitioned the provice for an extensive electric interurban railway system based in London. The City of London fought against this proposal, fearing competition for the municipally owned London & Port Stanley Railway. The L&PS at this time was primarily a freight line, the beach facilities at Port Stanley not yet fully developed. The City assumed that such a system would remove potential freight revenue from the L&PS.
Undaunted, the proposal was reworked, and in 1902, the South Western Traction Company was chartered to build from London to Port Stanley. Unlike the initial proposal, passenger traffic was the backbone of the revenue in this version. Headed by four prominent London residents; former mayor and local business owner Frederick George Rumball, Solicitor Thomas H Purdom, AE Welch and Thomas Luscombe. Three other men from the area composed the remainder of the Board of Directors. Construction began in 1903 from London southward to Lambeth. By 1904, rails had reached Lambeth and there construction came to a halt. The line was frequently plagued by issues with operating and construction capital, and cars had yet to turn a wheel. In 1905, funding was secured from the Canadian Electric Traction Company of England and construction began again. The contract was awarded to Bruce Peebles and Company of Edinburgh, Scotland, which had just received a license from Ganz of Hungary to market their electric railway equipment.
The South Western Traction Company was unique in the fact it utilized the Ganz Three-phase overhead. This 630 volt alternating current system utilized two wires as oposed to the usual one. Ten double truck combines built by Peebles and using Ganz equipment were delivered in late 1905, early 1906. These cars had convertible seats, meaning they could be flipped over when the cars reversed direction, and could seat up to 48 people. The company built its power station in the Chelsea Green area of London, but the exact location is unknown at this time. Chelsea Green was bounded by Wellington Road on the west and Adelaide street on the east and was bisected by the L&PS.
The Route
While the equipment was being delivered, the line continued to extend southward and northward. Grading from Lambeth to St. Thomas was done throughout 1905 and 1906 and tracks continued to push south. Track was laid along the east side of Highway 4 after curving south from Highway 2 at Lambeth. Just south of Lambeth, land was purchased and a small picnic park was built on the site. Intended for private functions and local picnics, Alexandra Park opened with much fanfare on July 14, 1906. The park got ists name from a contest that was run in the London Advertiser. Many readers suggested names, but it was Miss Madeline Simson of Waterloo Street in London was the first of 17 people to suggest this name.
The line continued through the village of Scottville to Tempo. South of Tempo, the tracks crossed to the west side of the road due to the residents on the eastern side being "too tough" in the words of management. Curving eastward at Talbotville, the line ran cross country to the village of Lynhurst. Here, the Traction line passed underneath the Great Western Air Line Railway in a deep cut and continued southward towards St. Thomas. A long curved wooden trestle was built across the Kettle Creek Valley south of Lynhurst. The Traction tracks crossed over Talbot Street and climbed out of the valley along the edge of the embankment. This grade has been described as the worst on the line. The tracks met up with the St. Thomas Street Railway tracks at the top of the hill. The line had its main car barns at the top of the embankment located in the St. Thomas Metal Signs building.
Northward from Lambeth, the line stayed on the south side of Highway 2 to Glendale, now the corner of Wharncliffe and Southdale Roads. Continuing down the hill on Wharncliffe road, the line curved east onto Baseline road and curved north between Ridout and High Street. A city bylaw allowing construction of this track was passed in August of 1906, indicating this is approximately when construction occurred. Continuing north, the Traction Company had its London barns near Chester Street. From here, the line ran along private right of way to Carfrae Crescent, and crossed the Thames River flats on a low wooden trestle, an iron truss bridge spanned the river proper. From here, the line continued into downtown London, terminating at a small station building at 183 Horton Street. In the beginning, this terminal was a single track, but later was expanded to two. A grand 2 story station building was proposed and was to house the waiting rooms on the lower level and the company offices on the second floor. It's unclear at this time if this station was actually built.
On June 1, 1906, the first train arrived in Talbotville, with service to St. Thomas being initiated shortly thereafter. Construction continued southward towards Port Stanley. In St. Thomas, the Traction's cars utilized the St. Thomas Municipal Railway's tracks through downtown to First Ave, where they turned south and passed under the Canada Southern line. The main station in St. Thomas was located on the ground floor of the Roe Insurance building across the street from City Hall. Traction cars also used the STMR tracks to reach the Wabash depot on Kains Avenue, primarily for mail service. The Traction Line ran along Elm Street for a short distance before turning south towards Union and Port Stanley. The line from St. Thomas followed a meandering route of fence and property lines before turning west onto what is now Fruit Ridge Road for a short way and then turning southward again.
Unlike the London & Port Stanley, which bypassed Union to the west, the South Western Traction Company ran right through downtown. The station was a small cinder block building in the heart of the village. The line had to cross the eastern end of Union pond on a small culvert which can still be seen today. South of Union, the line crossed over to the west side of Highway 4 (Sunset Road), before entering Port Stanley along Colborne Street. The line ran along the west side of Colborne and terminated at Kettle Creek, just south of Bridge Street. The line's station was if similar cinder block construction to the other stations along the line, and is the only one still in existance. A spur line curved off before the station and ran behind it to the wharf. Here, Lake Erie fishing boats and small pleasure craft docked, providing the Traction line with most of its traffic.
The London & Port Stanley's large yards on the other side of the creek were a sharp contrast to the Traction Line's modest facilities. The two lines paralelled each other a short distance apart for a stretch north of town. The beach area at Port Stanley was slowly developing by 1900, but the larger attractions hadn't been built. Service commenced from London to Port Stanley in October of 1907, and cars were running hourly.
The Fire and Receivership
The fact the line was up and running in October was no mean feat. August 10, 1907 saw the next turning point in the Traction Line's short history. A short circut in the car barns at Chester Street caused a fire on th emorning of August 10, 1907. One of the line's Peebles cars was saved, but the remaining five cars in the barn as well as the machine shop were completely destroyed. The remaining 4 British cars were stabled at the barn in St. Thomas, but hadn't had their motors or electrical equipment installed yet. The main line track next to the barns was warped and damaged and cars couldn't reach the Horton Street Station. The losses for the small line were penned at over $160,000. Due to the track damage, cars were only able to operate north as far as Baseline Road. This situation lasted for nearly 3 months.
The costs of repairs were a huge blow to the small line. Losing half its rolling stock seriously hampered operations, but the line held on. After the fire, six new cars were purcashed from the Ottawa Car Company. These cars were fifty feet long, and rode on Brill trucks. Purchase of these cars prompted the conversion of the line to standard DC overhead from the dual-wire Ganz system. The original wire remained in place however, later adding to the scrap value of the line. Six additional cars were purchased from Preston Car and Coach in 1908. The London Advertiser from November 5, 1907, included a quote from F.G. Rumball stating that the line was considering extensions to Aylmer and Delaware. The extension to Aylmer was looked at extensively, but recession and bankruptcy aborted any plans for expansion.
The costs incurred by the fire, the conversion and the new cars, coupled with 1907 being a recession year, forced the South Western Traction Company into receivership in 1908. Several proposals were put forth to purchase the line, but the one that won out was from a group of Toronto businessmen headed by Mr. George B. Woods. The newly formed London & Lake Erie Railway & Navigation Company was incorporated in 1909. Several extensions were proposed at this time, including rejuvinating the link to Aylmer, extending the line to Port Burwell, and a spur line from Union to Sparta.
The 'Navigation' part of the name was intended for a Cleveland-Port Stanley ferry service. It's believed a sidewheeler steamer was leased for a few years, but no actual vessels are known to have been purchased by the L&LE.
The Mower Years - 1909-1912
The London & Lake Erie was managed by Mr. S.W. Mower. Under his management, the line prospered... to a point. Passenger revenues were up, as was freight. It's believed there was an interchange with the Michigan Central Railway by this time, but freight was never the L&LE's strong point. Unlike the London & Port Stanley, which interchanged with four railroads (Grand Trunk, Wabash, Pere Marquette and Michigan Central), the London & Lake Erie interchanged with one. The steep grades and sharp curves also hindered the small line, and as a result, passengers formed the bulk of the line's revenues.
In 1911, the line was dealt another blow by a group called The Lord's Day Alliance. As the L&LE was a provincial, not federal charter, it was subject to the Lord's Day Act. As the London & Lake Erie was mainly a passenger carrier, and used mainly for recreational use, Sunday service was not required. Sunday cars stopped running in 1911 and would not resume until 1913. Passenger service by 1911 was high enough however to warrant the purchase of new cars. Contracts were let in late 1911 for new equipment, the two bids coming in from the Preston Car and Coach company, the second comig from the Niles Car Company of Ohio. Niles offered two passenger motors and two trailers for $14,842. Preston's bid was lower, and being a Canadian company, had no duty charges. Niles however guaranteed 90 day delivery of their equipment, Preston would take longer. as a result, the contract was awarded to Niles. The contract also included provisions for an express motor, but the decision on this was delayed. Company records indicate this was acted upon in December of 1912, the body coming from Niles and the electrical equipment and trucks being supplied in-house.
The new Niles cars were numbered in the 90 series, 97 and 99 for the motors, 93 and 95 for the trailers. These cars rode on Baldwin trucks and used Westinghouse equipment. While the cars usually operated in motor/trailer pairs, there were rare occasions when all 4 cars were seen together in one train. One such photograph appears in the Gallery. Standard practice for the Traction line was single cars in general, but cars were double headed. It's believed interchange freight service with the MCRR was also attempted at this time. The line's main locomotive was No. 2. A small single-pole wooden steeplecab, Number 2's builder currently remains unknown, but may have been homebuilt. The road also rostered a flat motor with a small centre cab and a box motor/line car. Throughout this time, freight revenues were about ten percent of passenger revenues, and would remain so throughout the company's lifespan. The line did do a decent business in fresh Lake Erie fish. A photograph exists of what appears to be Number 2 with a string of flat cars loaded with fish crates at Port Stanley. Mail and express services also added to the lines' revenues, with express barely surpassing $1,000 in any given year.
In 1912, S.W. Mower resigned from the manager's position and the search was on for a new manager. Several people were considered, but the job ultimately went to Mr. W.N. Warburton.
The Warburton Years
William Nelson Warburton was born August 24, 1854 in Sparta, Ontario. He had previous experience with the Grand Trunk and was Superintendent from 1880-1886. He also was in charge of the electrification of the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto from 1896-1904. He also promoted the Chatham, Wallaceburg & Lake Erie Railway in 1904 and was general manager of the Windor, Essex & Lake Shore Rapid Railway. Warburton was more than qualified as General Manager for the L&LE.
Under Warburton, things immediately began to change. After an inspection trip along the line, he eliminated more than 40 of the over 100 stops on the 28 mile line. This shaved time off the London-Port Stanley trip, and while it was still more than an hour, it was better than the competing L&PS. The L&PS itself was managed by the Pere Marquette at this time, but that was soon about to change, and with it, the fortunes of the London & Lake Erie. The contract for the PM's management of the L&PS expired in late 1912, and the city immediately began looking into electrification. The L&PS, for all intents and purposes, was better located than the L&LE. While the London & Lake Erie's station was located south of downtown London, the L&PS station was dierctly connected with the Grand Trunk station. Passengers coming from downtown had to pass the L&PS station to reach the L&LE's depot on Horton Street. The L&PS main line was much more direct than the L&LE's and served a much larger industrial base. The Port Stanley station was also much better located to the attractions and beach area, especially after the beach terminal was built after electrification. Sir Adam Beck, Hydro visionary and former mayor of London, wasn't initially an opponent of the L&LE. After the City assumed ownership however, this changed.
The London & Lake Erie underwent several changes during this period as well. The branch to Aylmer was seriously looked at again, and meetings were held in 1915 to discuss the proposed route. One of the stipulations of the Aylmer line was the L&LE also had to connect Port Burwell. This route was surveyed and planned, but nothing ever came of it. The L&LE ultimately didn't have the capital to pursue this possibly rejuvinating link. The line also sold the Niles cars in 1915 to the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway, where they were rebuilt and renumbered into the 60-63 series. The line also apparently sold locomotive Number 2 to the Oshawa Railway in 1913. Company records indicate the line's locomotive was rebuilt in 1913, so either this information is false, or another locomotive was on roster. The L&LE continued to struggle, competing with both the L&PS and the encroaching threat of the automobile.
Decline and Sale - 1916-1918
The outbreak of the first World War did little to improve the L&LE's situation. Increases in supply costs rose, but wages did not. In 1917, the line was paying its senior staff only thirty cents per hour. The London & Lake Erie had sold off its Chelsea Green station in 1915 and started using power purchased from Ontario Hydro. Power was increasingly cut by management at random times to cut costs. More than once, L&LE cars were stranded on the line with no power, while the St. Thomas streetcars continued to run by, unaffected. Nonexistant coal supplies in the winter of 1917 forced the L&LE to drastically cut back service, due to not being able to heat the cars. Electric heaters weren't an option either, and the line continued to suffer. This, combined with the surge in wartime passenger service put increasing pressure on the equipment. Costs were surpassing revenues, and the line couldn't afford to maintain its equipment. The line did carry a record 726,799 passengers in the 1916-17 fiscal year, but it was too little too late. The L&LE was operating at a deficit by this time and would never recover. Management began to look at options to sell the line.
Both the City of London and City of St. Thomas expressed interest, but weren't willing to pay the $600,000 asking price. Sir Adam Beck urged the City to offer just under $300,000, but this was turned down by management. The City of London wanted to continue the London to Talbotville section as a commuter railway, preferably as an extension of the London Street Railway. The Traction Company management wanted to sell the entire line or none at all, and this proposal was declined. The line was valued at a toal of $360,000; rails were $162,000, catenary $75,000, rolling stock at $50,000 and real estate about $100,000. Due to the war, the price of steel and copper was high, as was demand. By the time the line was dismantled and sold however, the prices had fallen dramatically due to the end of the war.
On October 28, 1918, W.N. Warburton released a statement in the London Advertiser stating that the London & Lake Erie Railway had ceased operations and dismantling had begun at both ends of the line. Service was first cut back to St. Thomas from Port Stanley, with the London to St. Thomas line discontinued later on. Over the next few years, company assets were liquidated. The majority of the line's equipment was sold to the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway with four cars going to the Oshawa Railway.
The Thames River bridge in downtown London as well as the right of way inside city limits was sold to the municipality. The current route of Belgrave Avenue south of Tecumseh in London follows the old traction grade. The London station building was sold to the Salvation Army and was used as their hostel building until the 1950's when it was demolished in favour of a new structure. The Thames bridge served as a footbridge for many years before being moved to the west to carry Richmond street. This bridge itself was replaced in the early 1990's. The north abutment of the trestle can still be seen from Richmond Street.
The station buildings along the line were sold to various uses and dismantled over the years. The only remaining station is in Port Stanley, now home to a real estate office and a pet food store. The right of way can still be seen at various points along the 28 mile route, the most noticable off of Southdale Line in St. Thomas, and along Highway 4 heading into Port Stanley. If one looks hard by the statue of Jumbo in St. Thomas, the traction grade up the embankment can still be seen as well.
Subsidiary and Post Rail Service
On May 1, 1917, a subsidary company called Interurban Motors Ltd was incorporated to provide feeder service from Aylmer to St. Thomas. The company was also to provide routes from Delaware to Lambeth and Sparta to Union. As of March 1918, only the Aylmer route was running. The company changed its name to the St. Thomas-Aylmer Motor Bus Co but kept the same management.
Last Update March 03, 2009
