Tag Archives: Kingsville

Canadian Corner: Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Railway (W.E. & L.S.)

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canadian-flag-smallThis month’s Canadian Corner post features the Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Railway (W.E. & L.S.); details come from the book, Kingsville 1790-2000: A Stroll Through Time.

  • Charter obtained in 1901.
  • Construction begun in 1905 – reached Cottam in 1906, Kingsville in 1907 and Leamington in 1908.
  • The rail line carried people and freight.
  • About 25% of the company’s revenue came from freight, including farm produce, tobacco, brick and tile.
  • There was a special siding at the Cottam canning factory to pick up their products
  • There were two streetcar lines running through the town.
  • The main route followed Division Road North to the Four Corner and turned east on Main Street East. The coaches would stop at the passenger station before going on to Leamington.
  • The second line went continued on Division Road past the Four Corner.  The streetcar  turned at Mill Street, followed Mill to Lansdowne, down Lansdowne Avenue to Park Street. The streetcar continued along Park Street to the streetcar barns and power house. Passengers on this route were taken to the Kingsville harbour, to the Mettawas Inn or  they could walk to nearby Lakeside Park.
  • By 1923, the number of passengers was beginning to decrease due to the number of private autos.   The streetcars were also in need of updating.   The company continued to use power generated in Kingsville even though it was cheaper if obtained from Ontario Hydro.
  • By 1927, the company was operating in the red and the Dominion government decided to abandon the company.
  • In September 1929, municipalities along the route began operating the line.  New streetcars were purchased and labelled “The Sunshine County Route.”  They were first used in 1930.
  • Operating losses continued to increase and in September 1932, the service terminated.
  • The same month that the railway terminated, Greyhound bus began service from Windsor to Leamington. They maintained a ticket office on Main Street East until 1961.
  • It took until 1959 for the municipalities to pay off the debentures for the railway line.

Images courtesy of www.internationalmetropolis.com. History chronology courtesy of the Kingsville Archives.

Rock on Trains © 2021, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Canadian Corner/Depot Doings: Kingsville, Ontario, Canada

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canadian-flag-smallKINGSVILLE,
ONTARIO DEPOT
On the Pere Marquette / C&O Rwy

The depot at Kingsville, Ontario, Canada was built in 1889 on the Lake Erie, Essex and Detroit River Railway. Originally owned by Hiram Walker, the line and depot later became part of the Pere Marquette Railroad. Still later, it was acquired by the Chesapeake & Ohio which owns the depot today, although it is no longer used for passenger service.

Kingsville is located about thirty miles east of Windsor, Ontario on what used to be a single track between Windsor and St. Thomas. East of St. Thomas, the C&O uses ex-New York Central tracks. Several C&O freight trains still pass over this route on the way to Buffalo, New York. Those trains, coming from Detroit through the Michigan Central railroad tunnel, take the Penn Central out to a Pelton Interlocking where they switch to the C&O mainline. Passenger train service on the Pere Marquette line ended in the mid-1920’s; however, many of the depots on the line were eventually refurbished for freight-only service. The first floor originally consisted of a Ticket Office, located where the semicircular bay window is at trackside, a Gent’s Waiting Room, a Ladies’ Waiting Room and a combination Freight and Baggage Room where stairs to the second floor are located.

The second floor consists of a small hallway from the stairs leading to a single large chamber that has a series of small windows facing trackside. To the left of the bay window is an opened and curved covered porch that adjoins a porte-cochere to the rear of the building. It was probably once used as a carriage entry and exit point. When the depot was first built there was a raised platform in the Freight and Baggage Room which occupied about half the room next to the large freight door. Another platform of equal height joined this same wall on the exterior of the building. Both were used for the handling of freight and baggage. The exterior platform no longer exists but it is shown in the drawings.

The chimney, like the exterior walls, is of stone and the roof peak joints are covered with a galvanized iron projection. All windows on the first floor are set in deep casements and entry doors are crowned with an arched design.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad still staffs the Kingsville depot with a part-time agent. The former waiting room is now used as a storeroom and kitchenette for the maintenance-of-way crews.

Article courtesy of the Mainline Modeler April 1990
Text Credit: Julian Cavalier
Drawings made expressly for Mainline Modeler. Copies of these drawings may be made for noncommercial use only.

The depot slowly fell into disrepair in the 80’s with its abandonment. The timeless images below were taken from 1972 to 2003 and reflect on the station’s many years of neglect. Through tireless efforts and what seemed like constant delays, the citizens of Kingsville prevailed in keeping this exquisite piece of railroad architecture preserved for future generations. After full restoration, the depot now houses a beautiful Mediterranean-style restaurant, Mettawas Station.

Rock on Trains © 2020, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Canadian Corner/Depot Doings: Kingsville, Ontario, Canada

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canadian-flag-smallKINGSVILLE,
ONTARIO DEPOT
On the Pere Marquette / C&O Rwy

The depot at Kingsville, Ontario, Canada was built in 1889 on the Lake Erie, Essex and Detroit River Railway. Originally owned by Hiram Walker, the line and depot later became part of the Pere Marquette Railroad. Still later, it was acquired by the Chesapeake & Ohio which owns the depot today, although it is no longer used for passenger service.

Kingsville is located about thirty miles east of Windsor, Ontario on what used to be a single track between Windsor and St. Thomas. East of St. Thomas, the C&O uses ex-New York Central tracks. Several C&O freight trains still pass over this route on the way to Buffalo, New York. Those trains, coming from Detroit through the Michigan Central railroad tunnel, take the Penn Central out to a Pelton Interlocking where they switch to the C&O mainline. Passenger train service on the Pere Marquette line ended in the mid-1920’s; however, many of the depots on the line were eventually refurbished for freight-only service. The first floor originally consisted of a Ticket Office, located where the semicircular bay window is at trackside, a Gent’s Waiting Room, a Ladies’ Waiting Room and a combination Freight and Baggage Room where stairs to the second floor are located.

The second floor consists of a small hallway from the stairs leading to a single large chamber that has a series of small windows facing trackside. To the left of the bay window is an opened and curved covered porch that adjoins a porte-cochere to the rear of the building. It was probably once used as a carriage entry and exit point. When the depot was first built there was a raised platform in the Freight and Baggage Room which occupied about half the room next to the large freight door. Another platform of equal height joined this same wall on the exterior of the building. Both were used for the handling of freight and baggage. The exterior platform no longer exists but it is shown in the drawings.

The chimney, like the exterior walls, is of stone and the roof peak joints are covered with a galvanized iron projection. All windows on the first floor are set in deep casements and entry doors are crowned with an arched design.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad still staffs the Kingsville depot with a part-time agent. The former waiting room is now used as a storeroom and kitchenette for the maintenance-of-way crews.

Article courtesy of the Mainline Modeler April 1990
Text Credit: Julian Cavalier
Drawings made expressly for Mainline Modeler. Copies of these drawings may be made for noncommercial use only.

The depot slowly fell into disrepair in the 80’s with its abandonment. The timeless images below were taken from 1972 to 2003 and reflect on the station’s many years of neglect. Through tireless efforts and what seemed like constant delays, the citizens of Kingsville prevailed in keeping this exquisite piece of railroad architecture preserved for future generations. After full restoration, the depot now houses a beautiful Mediterranean-style restaurant, Mettawas Station.

Rock on Trains © 2016, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Canadian Corner: Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Railway (W.E. & L.S.)

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canadian-flag-smallThis month’s Canadian Corner post features the Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Railway (W.E. & L.S.); details come from the book, Kingsville 1790-2000: A Stroll Through Time.

  • Charter obtained in 1901.
  • Construction begun in 1905 – reached Cottam in 1906, Kingsville in 1907 and Leamington in 1908.
  • The rail line carried people and freight.
  • About 25% of the company’s revenue came from freight, including farm produce, tobacco, brick and tile.
  • There was a special siding at the Cottam canning factory to pick up their products
  • There were two streetcar lines running through the town.
  • The main route followed Division Road North to the Four Corner and turned east on Main Street East. The coaches would stop at the passenger station before going on to Leamington.
  • The second line went continued on Division Road past the Four Corner.  The streetcar  turned at Mill Street, followed Mill to Lansdowne, down Lansdowne Avenue to Park Street. The streetcar continued along Park Street to the streetcar barns and power house. Passengers on this route were taken to the Kingsville harbour, to the Mettawas Inn or  they could walk to nearby Lakeside Park.
  • By 1923, the number of passengers was beginning to decrease due to the number of private autos.   The streetcars were also in need of updating.   The company continued to use power generated in Kingsville even though it was cheaper if obtained from Ontario Hydro.
  • By 1927, the company was operating in the red and the Dominion government decided to abandon the company.
  • In September 1929, municipalities along the route began operating the line.  New streetcars were purchased and labelled “The Sunshine County Route.”  They were first used in 1930.
  • Operating losses continued to increase and in September 1932, the service terminated.
  • The same month that the railway terminated, Greyhound bus began service from Windsor to Leamington. They maintained a ticket office on Main Street East until 1961.
  • It took until 1959 for the municipalities to pay off the debentures for the railway line.

Images courtesy of www.internationalmetropolis.com. History chronology courtesy of the Kingsville Archives.

Rock on Trains © 2014, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Depot Doings: Ft. Payne, AL / Durand, MI / Royal Oak, MI / Kingsville, Ont. / Essex, Ont. / Harrow, Ont.

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Today’s featured Southern Railway depot is Ft. Payne, AL (1978); Grand Trunk Western depots are Durand, MI (1979) and Royal Oak, MI (1979); Michigan Central Railway depot is Essex, Ontario (1978); Pere Marquette Railway depots are Kingsville, Ontario and Harrow, Ontario (1979).

The Southern station at Ft. Payne, AL has been turned into a museum. The Grand Trunk station at Royal Oak, MI has been razed, while the station at Durand, MI now houses a museum. The Michigan Central station in Essex, Ontario has been saved and also now houses a museum. The Pere Marquette station at Harrow, Ontario has been razed, while the Kingsville station has been restored and now houses a fine restaurant, the Mettawas Station.

Rock on Trains © 2012, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions.  All rights reserved.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.