Fully restored, London and Port Stanley Railway Car 14 ready for first run since 1957

The train tracks outside the Elgin County Railway Museum are being prepared for a historic run next month. CTV London's Brent Lale took a look.

Improvements are being made to the train tracks outside the Elgin County Railway Museum (ECRM) in preparation for an historic run next month.

For the first time since 1957, London and Port Stanley (L&PS) Rail Car 14 will be operational.

“We’re pulling out old railway ties, and we’re going to put newer ties in, so it holds the gauge. and we can make it safe for Car 14 to roll out,” said Matthew Clark, an ECRM volunteer and track repair lead.

“If we don’t have gauge, the car could derail, so right now we’re making it safe.”

It’s all to keep history alive.

Car 14 was built in Newark, Ohio in 1917. After running until 1957 as a passenger train, it was donated to the Canadian Railway Museum in 1962 by the London Railway Commission.

“We took possession of Car 14 in 1999,” said Rose Tisdale, ECRM manager.

“Slowly but surely, our volunteers have worked on it since then. The last three years was the biggest stride, and we got the most work done.”

A full restoration is now complete.

“The entire inside was gutted down to the frame,” said Tisdale.

“We replaced the flooring, the ceiling, the seats got re upholstered, the bathrooms refinished, all the brass handles and fixtures got refinished and put back together. Stained glass on the interior was original from before and then the stained glass on the exterior was replaced.”

The train cost $33,665.70 in 1917 and was the best design money could buy.

The L&PS was a prototype for a line envisioned by Sir Adam Beck which would have seen electrified lines across Ontario.

Many of the mechanical systems have been repaired, but volunteer Gord McOuat has been working to restoring the air brakes.

“I have a connection to these because I’ve restored a couple,” said McOuat pointing at Car 14.

“I worked on restoration of a couple of this specific type of car at the museum in Milton. I have a long connection with electric railways and working for them and it’s going to really be something to see it go down there (Port Stanley) again.”

That significant run from St. Thomas to Port Stanley will take place May 24.