As you may know or not know, I visited the L&PS on Tuesday of this week. I would like to share a screen shot and photo side by side. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I say a picture and a screen shot is worth even more. This shows the quality of work Wayne put into this great little railroad.

As we approached the London area on Route #401 west bound, the first sign of The London and Port Stanley was a slight rise in the road ahead. Looking over the side on the top of the rise you could see the seldom used tracks running north/south. We exited at Wellington Road as suggested by the inn keeper at Port Stanley where we were staying. Heading south I looked to the East and could see where the L&PS was located by the high voltage towers that followed along side the rail line. The distance varied between Wellington Road and the railroad, I guess, 1/2 to 3/4 mile. This could be seen almost all the way to St. Thomas.

Talbot Street was easy to find as it was the road we used to enter town. The absence of buildings either side of Talbot Street was the obvious indicator of where The L&PS passed through town. Looking to the South in this void I spotted the interlocking tower a half block away. The building that housed the Sutherland Press was right in front of me. Looking north I was sad to see the station was gone. But to my surprise when I got out at the tower I could see the long narrow Michigan Central Station still standing. At my feet by the tower there was a curved section of track that was exposed. It is the section of track that the L&PS used to approach the North side of the MCR station. One of the diamonds lay on the ground just a few feet south of the tower. The Michigan Central tracks are still in place by the tower and as far as I could see East and West. I visited the Elgin County Rail Museum which was a couple blocks east of the tower. It is in the old Michigan Central car shops. There I saw L1, car #14 and the two inclined rail cars of The L&PS. On the South side of St., Thomas I think I found the remains of the old Edison Phonograph factory. It was in the process of being demolished. The rails are torn up between the MC and Wabash, probably 1 1/2 miles. Before leaving St. Thomas I paid my respects to JUMBO.

We reached Port Stanley in time to take the 3 o'clock train. The station is now a gift shop and also where tickets are purchased. The train consisted of two converted cabooses and a small GE loco. I had my laptop with me and was able to follow along with the virtual version. The Kettle Creek bridge is quite narrow but with some interesting history. The original trestle was wiped out by an ice jam early in the railroad's existence and was replaced by the present steel bridge. They like to say the steel is older than the Titanic. The run is rather short only going to Whites and then backing up to Port Stanley station where the tracks end. There is much vegetation and one cannot see across the fields as in the sim version. I had a strange feeling riding on the real thing after having run up and down these tracks in simulation.

Port Stanley is a very nice little fishing village. I wouldn't mind going back even though it's a 6 hour ride for me. A little longer coming back, Those rag heads from Sandland have really made it hard for us to get back into the USA.

I'm glad I took the time to take the pictures. I paid dearly though, I had to walk through a Botanical Garden and in and out of a lot of tacky shops before I could head for Port Stanley.

John