Click on each image for a closer look!
This was the site of the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway (NS&T) Merritton Station. The NS&T, formed in 1899, was an electric freight and passenger railway serving communities primarily along the Welland Canal corridor plus Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake. It also had a navigation company that provided day boat service on Lake Ontario.
SERVICE
The station served two lines as shown in the plan above.
The line labelled as NS&T was originally a steam railroad, the St. Catharines and Niagara Central Railway which went to Niagara Falls via Thorold on its own right of way. After the purchase by the NS&T in 1901, this line was converted to an electric railway. Passenger service ended in 1947.
The second line was the former Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines and Thorold Electric Railway purchased by the NS&T on 1901. This line ran along public roads from St. Catharines to Thorold. The original horse drawn cars were replaced with an overhead trolley system in 1888 making it one of the first such systems in Canada. The service was replaced by buses in 1931.
THE STATION
The station shown in the photograph above was opened circa 1913 and was removed circa 1938. The photograph above shows cars on both lines so it was taken before May 31st, 1931. As the service on both lines was frequent, to cars meeting at the station was a regular occurrence.
This plaque has been erected by the Niagara Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association with financial assistance from the City of St. Catharines Heritage Committee and the cooperation of Trillium Railway.
Warm temperatures did not deter a sizeable crowd from attending the unveiling of the NS&T Merriton plaque; the second in the series brainstormed by the CRHA Niagara Division.
“Niagara was a hub of innovation; if we can do it once, we can do it again. That speaks to our future as a Niagara community”, said Paul Chapman, NS&T plaque project coordinator.
The plaque unveiled on Tuesday August 11, 2015 was the second in the series commemorating the electric railway, the Niagara, Saint Catharines and Toronto (NS&T), that was in operation between 1899 to 1959. It connected Port Dalhousie, Port Weller and Merriton with Thorold, Niagara Falls, Welland and Port Colbourne.
The plaque was erected on an area of green space that was once home to the Merriton rail station and currently is owned by Trillium Railway, who allowed the division to install the plaque.
Photo #1: The Niagara Division of the CRHA unveiled a plaque in Merriton commemorating the NS&T railway and a station that used to stand on the corner of Merritt St and Bessey St
L-R: City Councillor Bill Phillips, Merriton Councillors Dave Haywood and Jennie Stevens, CRHA Niagara Division members Tammy Frakking (president) and Paul Chapman (NS&T plaque project coordinator), Regional chair Alan Caslin, Mayor Walter Sendzik, Councillor Carlos Garcia and local NS&T historian and local author Andy Panko.
Photo #2: Paul Chapman addresses the crowd
Photo #3: The Merriton plaque
Photo Credits: Karena Walter (St Catharines Standard staff)
