Flew the Port Stanley Terminal Railway (Canada)
Port Stanley Terminal Railway is an operating “tourist railway” run by volunteers, with restored locomotives and rail cars, that passes “North America’s Smallest Train Station” - Union Station along its route between Port Stanley and St Thomas in Ontario Canada.
Having a friend who is a certified volunteer Conductor for the PSTR, but never myself having visited that region, I went looking for the PSTR tracks in “my helicopter” (Blue Cabri G2) in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. I found the Port Stanley Terminal, but quickly lost sight of the railbed in the over-represented trees of MSFS24. I did manage to land safely at St Thomas Muni (CYQS) and taxi my heli back to the most awful helipad of any airport I have ever flown from.
Not to be foiled in my plan to enjoy a ride on the PSTR from the comfort of my Florida USA home, I built a detailed flight plan, and took to the air again from that terrible helipad of St Thomas Muni.
First I flew to where my friend’s 200 year old house is supposedly located. Again the MSFS24 trees totally obscured everything.
Then on past Hawk’s Cliff:
Next I found the Port Stanley Terminal again.
Heading north from the terminal, where Union Station should have been visible, I found more trees:
On past Whytes Park
Passing by the Elmdale Memorial Park Cemetery
I reached the St Thomas switch of the London and Port Stanley Railway which leads to
the Elgin County Railway Museum
With afternoon thunder clouds gathering, I headed back to St Thomas Muni and successfully made an ill-chosen crosswind runway landing that required the nastiest hover-taxi back to the parking I have ever endured.
While Port Stanley remains a long way from my south Florida home, I hope to someday get to ride the train without worrying about my landing.