However, I did live in Stratford from Aug. 1985 to May 1988. It was still a busy center for train activity. VIA would always have a mix bag of engines, from the old F units, to RDCs. CN still owned the line, before 1992 when GEXR took over freight operations for the next 30 years. CN came back after it became profitable again, although the GEXR still operates the Goderich Sub. And of course, GO Transit now runs trains from Stratford.

After all these years a fleury of activity still makes Stratford a great place to go and railfan, even though it’s now known as the ‘Festival City’ with Shakespearean roots. What the future holds is always uncertain, but….I would hope that if GO becomes successful, that eventually they would build their own terminus on the old shop lands (without knowing if this is actually being redeveloped yet or not).