Lochaber Carriage Shed

Replica Building
Built 1987

This building houses some of the Village’s wagon and carriage collection.

Transportation

By this period roads traversed the countryside allowing for the creation of crossroads communities and travel to more remote locations.

In 1853 the railroad came to London with the arrival of the Great Western Rail Road from Hamilton— it traveled at a speed of 25 miles per hour.  By 1856 the Port Stanley Railroad connected London to Port Stanley, while The Grand Trunk Railroad connected London to Guelph and Sarnia.

Three different types of open carriages displayed inside of the carriage shed.

London’s street railway began operation in 1875 with three horse-drawn vehicles.  It ran along Dundas Street from Richmond Street to the Western Fair grounds.  In 1895 it introduced an electric trolley service, which ran until 1940.

The London Waterworks System was completed in 1878.  Boating companies were able to run regular trips between downtown London and Byron.  Many of these vessels lacked safety consideration often leading to disaster.