A small but very colourful celebration was held Tuesday in Aylmer to celebrate the 150th anniversary of railway operations in that community and across Malahide.
Railway historian David Harding tells myFM the significance of the occasion.
At the former site of the Aylmer railway station, Harding and his four-wheeled handcar provided the backdrop for Town Crier David Phillips to read the proclamation to commemorate the event.
In 1873, the Great Western brought the railway into Aylmer and Malahide. The inaugural run was Feb. 21 with Malahide councillor Thomas Nairn and other dignitaries aboard the train.
While some would refer to him as a railway buff or railway fanatic, Harding tells myFM he much prefers his own colourful descriptor.
The arrival of the railway in Malahide facilitated a boom in the movement of products and material in and out of Aylmer and neighbouring communities.
Today, the line is still active between St. Thomas and Tillsonburg.
Written by Ian McCallum
