St.Thomas - The Railway Capital of Canada

“That St.Thomas is much indebted to its railroad is evident from the fact that the development of the city dates back to the inauguration of the first railway line. The town became incorporated in the year 1852, the population at that time being in the neighbourhood of 1,300. As an indication of the slow growth of the town in its early days, it is only necessary to point out that in 1860, eight years after its incorporation, the population had increased to only 1,700, a gain of a few hundred.

Railroads made their first appearance in the year 1856, when the London and Port Stanley Railway was constructed. Fourteen years after that time an agitation was commenced favouring the construction of the Canada Southern railway. The Great Western Railway, not to be outdone from a competitive point of view, also decided to enter the city and the Loop Line was constructed.

The development of the town from that time was phenomenal. To-day the city is entered by five of the most important railroads on the continent, viz.: Michigan Central, Wabash, Grand Trunk, Pere Marquette, and Canadian Pacific. These roads, with the exception of the C.P.R., make the city their divisional headquarters and have many men employed in their shops, in addition to the hundreds of trainmen who run out of the city and make St.Thomas their home.

The city is, therefore, the heart of a network of railroads, which makes it the Railway Centre of Canada.”

excerpts taken from the article “St.Thomas as a Railway Centre”, 1906

“It is estimated that there are some 46 trains daily hauling passengers into the city and the same number departing from the city, Sunday excepted. On Sunday the number of passenger trains arriving is placed at 25. It would be impossible to correctly estimate the number of freight trains passing through St.Thomas on the various roads but the amount of freight is enormous. An idea of the work can be had when it is known that fully 300 engineers alone, are employed to carry on the business of the combined work.”

as reported in 1906