St. Thomas was a major railway hub for American roads with business from Detroit-Buffalo across the shorter, grade free, straight shot North shore of Lake Erie through Southern Ontario.
The New York Central’s Canada Southern was the big dog but Wabash was a significant player as was the Pete Marquette. The C&O absorbed the Pere Marquette after WWII. They owned their own rails Detroit to St. Thomas with trackage rights onward to Buffalo. For a brief time later in the 80’s and early 90’s you could see Seaboard units rumbling through the Chatham area.
Of course, nothing is left of the C&O presence. As if it didn’t happen.
From Old Tyme Trains the following:
Chesapeake and Ohio
Chessie System
CO 5244 one of 5 unit Canadian order 5240-5244. SW9 GMD A153 2/1951
C&O 5242 built for Canadian service. SW9 GMD A151 2/1951
Chatham August 1974 Bill Thomson
Note: 5242 sold 8/1985 PSTR L3, re-sold 1997 OSRX 52.
Long stored unserviceable.
