Streetcars in London, Ontario

The London Street Railway (LSR) provided public transit to residents of London, Ontario, Canada, using streetcars from 1875 to 1940.^[1][2]

London Street Railway
Operation
Locale	London, Ontario, Canada
Open	1875; 149 years ago (1875)
Close	1940; 84 years ago (1940)
Status	Defunct

A streetcar travels beside the Thames River in downtown London, Ontario, in 1894

Established in 1873, LSR (which later became London Transit) began operation in 1875 using horsecars, basic and small passenger wagons pulled by horses.^[3] Like many street railway operators in Canada electrified routes began operation in closing years of the 19th century. LSR began electrification in 1895 using small cars similar to horsecars and gradually enlarged to full-size railcars.

After years of problems operating in winter, LSR switched over to diesel buses in 1940.

The city was also connected to Port Stanley, Ontario, via a series of luxury and larger interurban streetcars.^[2]

See also

• London and Port Stanley Railway

References

1. Adrian Gamble (2016-05-16). "Once Upon a Tram: The London Street Railway Company's 60-year Run in Ontario". Retrieved 2017-03-16.
2. Patrick Maloney (2015-12-06). "It's back to the transit future". The London Free Press. Retrieved 2017-03-16. But O'Neil, a local-history buff, has unearthed a document that suggests the proposed rail lines for London's rapid-transit proposal are perfectly placed. He found a map outlining London's streetcar lines in 1914, and notes the two lines earmarked today for light rail are where the old trolleys ran a century ago.
3. "London Ontario, Principal System". University of Manitoba. Retrieved 2017-03-16. Incorporated 29 March 1873 (Ont.) Introduced electric streetcars in 1895 and buses in 1923. Discontinued electric streetcars 1940.

External links

• Media related to Streetcars in London, Ontario at Wikimedia Commons