Hope Springs Eternal
by Art Peterson
All Photos Are From the Krambles-Peterson Archive
In previous pieces, we’ve looked at some of the roads that employed 6600V AC power for their traction needs, including the Indianapolis & Cincinnati and the Richmond & Chesapeake Bay. Thanks to the kindness of Bernie Drouillard (and to Gord McOuat and Mike Trosino for establishing that connection) in sharing his roster and other information for the Windsor Essex & Lake Shore (WE&LS) we’re now able to add Canada’s sole 6600V AC line to this coverage.
The January 11, 1908, issue of the Street Railway Journal (SRJ) discussed the new WE&LS line and its plans for the future. The road had built and was operating the first 28 miles between Windsor and Kingsville, ON (location of the road’s powerhouse, as well as a carbarn). A nine-mile extension to Leamington was under construction at the time of this article.
SRJ mentioned the problems the Michigan Central gave the interurban road about crossing its tracks in Essex, ON. Owing to a high water table in the area (which would have ruled out any subway construction) and the urban location (which nixed an elevated crossing), the Canadian Railway Commission permitted the WE&LS to make this crossing at grade. With this concern addressed, WE&LS was able to run its first service on September 26, 1907.
By the time of the SRJ piece, the road was scheduling five round trips per day, with extras being operated to handle additional demand. The fleet comprised five Ottawa Car-built motors, four passenger trailers, and two express trailers. Each of the motor cars was equipped with two WH 132 (160hp) motors and rode on Brill trucks. Four Wason-built (in 1878) ex-New York elevated cars were acquired in 1907 for use as passenger trailers.
The City of Windsor did the WE&LS a huge favor by allowing the road to use the 6600V AC electrification within the city limits. This meant the WE&LS cars didn’t have to be equipped to switch over to 1100V AC, which was the original plan for the in-city electrification.
This postcard view is indicative of the architecture of the original Ottawa-built motors used on the WE&LS. The location is alongside the powerhouse and car barn in Kingsville, ON. Originally named the “King Edward,” this car was first numbered 8 and then renumbered to 308.
In 1913 and 1914 each, WE&LS added two more motor cars to its roster. These were true exotics in the car building world, as all four came from the Ontario-based Tillsonburg Car Co. Tillsonburg delivered just four orders of cars, comprising a total of 18 cars, before exiting the business. Amazingly, a Tillsonburg-built car still exists as one of the dozen single-truck city cars built for St. John, NB, was preserved in 1980 (it had survived as a construction company storage shed for 32 years since the streetcar operation in St. John ended).
Wilbourne Cox photographed one of the 1913-built Tillsonburg cars in Essex, ON, at the corner of Talbot and Cameron Streets. This image was made on July 5, 1926. Following the road’s conversion to DC operation, car 312 was converted to a trailer.
An unknown photographer captured WE&LS 316 from the 1914 Tillsonburg build on Pitt Street in Windsor. This car was among three cars damaged in a 1917 carbarn fire. It was originally planned to have Preston Car rebuild these cars, though it appears this work was not performed.
By 1915, WE&LS found itself in need of additional equipment. Four more ex-New York elevated cars (these were St. Louis Car products) were added. In addition, the road acquired two cars from the Rock Island Southern (RIS). Surviving roster notes are contradictory as to whether these ex-RIS cars were the 201-202 (DC or Eastern Division) built in 1906 by St. Louis Car or a pair of the 300-class 1907 Niles-built cars (ex-Washington Baltimore & Annapolis) from the AC or Northern Division. Either way, the ex-RIS equipment was converted to express car duty on the WE&LS.
As a result of the damage to three cars in the 1917 carbarn fire, in 1920 WE&LS acquired three 1907 St. Louis-built cars from fellow AC road Richmond & Chesapeake Bay (R&CB).
If this shot of R&CB combine 101 on the Richmond approach viaduct looks familiar to you, that’s because it appeared on the Hicks Car Works blog on December 20, 2024. R&CB’s ac operation lasted just over 10 years – first run October 28, 1907; last run December 20, 1917. This car became the 320 on the WE&LS roster.
A surviving minutes book for the WE&LS is available online. By July 1927, it was noted that the road was in rough shape, essentially worth more for scrap than anything else. By June 20 of the following year, the on-line communities had agreed to purchase the road and to approach the Ontario Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Commission to discuss rehabbing the road and assuming operating responsibility for the property.
Agreement between the WE&LS Association (of the on-line communities) and the HEP to proceed with this plan was achieved by January 3, 1929. Two weeks later the Association issued $1 million in bonds to fund the required work at 6% interest. No market for the bonds at this rate was found. By April 22, 1929, the Association had sold the bonds to the Canadian Bank of Commerce at 98 cents on the (Canadian) dollar.
The condition of the WE&LS line to the southeast of Windsor is shown in this April 1929 view. WE&LS paralleled the Michigan Central (MC) Canada Division leaving Windsor and the tower to the right of the view is MC’s Tower 4, which was located 5.7 miles from Windsor. The WE&LS Association used $296,000 of the bond proceeds to purchase the railway and the balance ($684,000) was to go to the line’s rehab. Interest was to be used to fund the Association’s costs.
The communities’ interest in rehabbing the property was twofold – naturally, to keep the service going and in the hope of reducing the operating costs compared to the ac road. Operation of the 600V DC WE&LS began September 8, 1929.
In keeping with the modern look of the 1930 Ottawa-built cars bought for use on the 600V DC WE&LS, they were adorned in blue with yellow trim. In addition, “The Sunshine County Route” slogan appeared on the flanks of the cars. Motor 507 is shown at the Windsor terminal (on Pitt near Oulette) on April 24, 1932. Windsor’s CH Smith department store is to the right of the car. Balancing speed of the motors was 60 mph – each were equipped with four WH548C2 (100hp) field-tapped motors.
Operation of the rehabbed road began just before the Depression but despite its best efforts, the WE&LS lost traffic quickly and substantially. By May 12, 1931, the Association reported the road’s results (for the year ending October 31, 1930) recorded a deficit of $48,135.33. A month later the Association authorized its secretary to reach out to the HEP to discuss whether the road should be disposed of, as well as to address possible discontinuance of interurban services. Outreach to the CN and the CP was made, but there was no interest.
The five-car Ottawa Car order included one trailer – the 502 is shown at the barn in 1931, complete with its observation platform railings (denoting the lounge sections). The other four cars in this order were motors, configured as coaches, and given odd numbers between 501 and 507.
On February 17, 1932, losses for the year ending October 31, 1931, were reported as totaling $38,269.18. In addition, the Association required an additional $70,000 to meet interest payments. Three months later, with continuing losses and the responsibility for covering these losses falling on the owning communities, the Association agreed that railway operations should be discontinued.
By June 23, 1932, it was determined that the last day of operations would be September 15, 1932. On August 8 of that year, the HEP was told to notify all employees regarding that last day of operations.
To meet its freight needs on the rehabbed road, the WE&LS shops built this 45-ton locomotive between April and September 1930. Here, it’s switching cars at the Heinz plant on Erie Street in Leamington on April 23, 1932. The locomotive went in storage with the five 1930 Ottawa-built cars on cessation of operations.
The five passenger cars were sold to the Montreal & Southern Counties in August 1939. After the Montreal line quit operations, three of the Ottawa-built cars would finish out their days on the Niagara St. Catherines & Toronto, which operated until March 28, 1959 (the trailer was used to provide parts for the three motors). The last car, WE&LS 621/M&SC 622, went to the Seashore Trolley Museum, where it remains today. Locomotive 10 finally went to the Cornwall Street Railway in 1943. All other remaining rail rolling stock was scrapped during 1932.
