Where’s the NS&T?

I realized that (gasp!) not everybody knows where the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway was located – or, more precisely, how various places on the line relate to each other. Even though the railway’s name gives away much of its location, I now live 3000 km west of the NS&T’s former stomping ground and it’s likely most modellers I run into locally won’t be familiar with the railway or the region. In addition, I know I have a few readers in far off places who might appreciate some wayfinding help. So, I spent a bit of time today drawing a system map.

But first, an overview of Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula:

Courtesy Google Maps. And hey – if you look in the lower left corner, you’ll find Port Rowan – subject of my previous model railway.

The NS&T connected Lake Ontario (the upper blue thing) and Lake Erie (the lower blue thing) basically by running north-south to the west (left) of the Welland Canal. In the mid-to-late 1950s – the era I’m modelling – the NS&T served St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, and Port Colborne (plus Fonthill, which is not identified on this map).

Now here’s a look at the railway itself:

NS&T System Map

I drew this map based on several sources, which spanned several decades. Any errors or omissions are entirely my doing. This map does not show every industry, although it does show significant spurs. It also does not show the local (city car) lines that served St. Catharines, Merritton, and Thorold, as they were gone by the mid-late 1950s.

At this point, the only rail passenger service is a single route – shuttling between Thorold and Port Colborne on an hourly schedule. Several routes have been cut back, as indicated by dashed lines.

I hope this helps! Certainly, drawing it helped me, and was a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon…