Whytes Station , X - The Pineapple Express - X Traditional Cache

I doubt that pineapples were ever carried by trains running on the nearby railway track which remains in service today. Please remember that trains operate in the area as this track carries trains operated by Port Stanley Terminal Rail. In the railway industry a common saying is "Anytime is train time" so please be aware.

This road/railway crossing was known as Whyte's Station and also had a number of sidings located here as well. The village of Whyte's was located to the west of here along the road now known as Fruit Ridge Line. The village was located near or on the curve to the west, maybe a half mile or so from here.

This was an important location on the rail line as coal was a major commodity being moved to St. Thomas and London in the early years, later oil becoming predominant as coal was phased out as a heating fuel; and, yes, later fuel oil also became somewhat obsolete as a heating fuel. During the heyday of coal and fuel oil these commodities would arrive in Port Stanley via a rail ferry and the steam locomotives would bring 20 rail cars of those commodities up the hill to this location with 20 rail cars at a time and then combine the two strings of 20 cars together and take the 40 rail cars up to St. Thomas and London for further distribution in the area. The rail ferry of the day was only able to carry 40 rail cars at a time and the steam locomotive only had enough power to bring 20 rail cars up the hill from Port Stanley to this location, the highest point in the area between Port Stanley and St. Thomas. You may note that this location is approximately 120 feet higher than the village of Port Stanley so the train has a three mile uphill climb to attain the higher elevation found at this spot.