Hall of Fame Gallery is now Open

10/9/2013

The London and Port Stanley Railway was the first to provide rail service to St. Thomas in 1856. At the time of this photo, 1917, its electrified trains arrived at the west end of the station. Collection, Library & Archives Canada

Opening of the Hall of Fame Exhibition Gallery

The North America Railway Hall of Fame exhibition gallery opened on September 17, 2013. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Canada Southern Railway Station, at 750 Talbot St., St. Thomas, and contains archival photographs of Hall of Fame inductees and an interactive tablet giving access to information on the 83 inductees brought into the Hall of Fame since 1999. The gallery also contains artifacts associated with inductees, including building materials from the historic Canada Southern Railway Station, a commemorative sign of Jumbo the elephant, a model of a Timken roller bearing, objects related to the history of the Railway Hospital Association, and archival materials connected with the Charity Helpmate Lodge (Lady Firemen).

This gallery was inaugurated during the week of festivities marking the return of a St. Thomas to Port Stanley passenger train service operating out of the re-created London & Port Stanley Railway Station. Service first began on this originally London to Port Stanley line 157 years ago, on September 25, 1856. This re-establishment of service is a back-to-the-future event.

The London & Port Stanley Railway was a 2008 inductee to the Hall of Fame. Port Stanley Terminal Rail, operators of the new service between St. Thomas and Port Stanley, was a 2012 inductee. The Canada Southern Railway Station was a 2001 inductee.

This event also marks the launch of the organization’s new web site www.narhf.org, and the launch of nominations for the 2014 round of nominations to the North America Railway Hall of Fame.

The development of the gallery and web site was supported by grants from the Government of Ontario’s Job Creation Partnership Program and the Museum and Technology Program.

2 Comments

Susan Kathleen Mann

3/22/2022 01:35:13 pm

Sir Donald Mann was my Grandfather’s older brother.
Sir Donald’s father was Hugh Mann. My father’s name was Hugh Alexander Mann, died April 28, 1993. He was a Captain for QCA and PWA, (airlines).
We had a signed photo in a large oval shaped frame which was ‘stolen’ from our house in West Vancouver, by Kathleen Mann. She resented my father as he was adopted into the Mann family so he would carry on the Mann family name. We have lost track of that framed photo and wonder if it may have been given to the Hall of Fame. Not that I want it back, but would love to have a copy of it…just a cell phone photo would be wonderful.
Just Came upon the history of Sir Donald, which my mother, Nancy Black Martin, told me. She came from a wealthy Scottish family from Glasgow. Industrial wood builders and were a part of the ship building group. All very interesting.
My father, Hugh Alexander Mann, met my mother at UBC. They married in 1941. Mummy died in August 22, 1994.

Malcolm Thorne

8/11/2024 10:02:36 am

Hi Susan. Did your father ever own a 1961 Aston Martin? I'm trying to find information about just such a car, which was purchased new by a Hugh A Mann from Vancouver. Please get in touch if it was him.

Hall of Fame Gallery is now Open

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