Systems and Connections

Between 1850 and 1876, railway technology made its first significant impact on Canadian society. In the 1850s alone, over 3,500 kilometres of railway line were built in British North America, as railway fever gripped Canadians. Major projects such as the Grand Trunk Railway and the Great Western Railway effectively established major railway systems which linked communities within Canada to each other, and to the Unites States. When completed in 1859 with the opening of the remarkable the Victoria Bridge at Montreal, the Grand Trunk Railway was over 1,528 kilometres in length. Running from Sarnia, Ontario to Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, and from Montreal to Portland, Maine, it was the longest railway system in the world.

Plate depicting construction of the Great Victoria Bridge, 1860 (CSTM Library TG27 M66 H62 1860, Photo: James Hodges)

These larger systems were joined by many smaller railways—some with grandiose names such as New Brunswick’s European & North American Railway—which initially sought to service local markets, but which also had greater aspirations. The railway had become a symbol of development and growth.

On the eve of Confederation in 1867, railways were a proven technology, full of potential as a means of communication and an instrument of commerce. Railway technology figured prominently, in fact, in the initial formation of Canada. The British North America Act of 1867 contained a specific reference to the new central government’s responsibility to physically connect Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario with a railway line. Within ten years, the Dominion Government supervised and paid for the construction of The Intercolonial Railway of Canada, connecting Halifax and much of Atlantic Canada with Quebec and Ontario. One of the most important railway lines in Canadian history, it was a precondition of Confederation and without it, there would likely have been no Canada as we know it.

Carillon-Grenville Railway Combination Coach. Manufacturer: Carmichael & Brown, ca 1854 (CSTM 730534)

Carillon-Grenville Railway Combination Coach and Locomotive Ottawa, at Grenville, Quebec, ca 1910 (CSTM/CN Collection 39340)

While there is much evidence in the form of public documents and business records, relatively few of the surviving artifacts predate 1880. The Museum’s collection contains a small number of early artifacts illustrative of technology in this formative phase of Canadian railways. These include two of the earliest mainline railway passenger coaches in Canada. One—constructed in Montreal by Carmichael & Brown for the Carrillon-Grenville Railway in 1854—is a unique piece which survived almost entirely by accident. Although missing its original trucks and platforms, the coach (730534) is in remarkably good condition for its age. Another vehicle is a first-class

CNR Coach No. 59262. Manufacturer: Grand Trunk Railway of Canada 1859 (CSTM 670001)

coach constructed for the Grand Trunk Railway around 1858. Now known as CN 59262 (670011) the coach was reconstructed by the CNR in the late 1940s as part of its Museum train, prior to its transfer to the Museum.

CNR Locomotive No. 40. Manufacturer: Portland Locomotive Co., 1872 (CSTM 670008)

Another item from the former CNR Museum Train is the oldest mainline steam locomotive in Canada, CNR No. 40 (670008). Built for the Grand Trunk Railway by the Portland Co. of Portland, Maine in 1872, this extensively-restored engine was typical of engines built in that period. A 4-4-0- or American-type engine, it is typical of the majority of engines used in North America prior to 1890. Used in both freight and passenger service, many of these engines remained in service well into the 1930s. The CNR 40 is a unique survivor, and is the only standard gauge engine built by the Portland Co.—a major supplier of many early Canadian locomotives—to survive. In many cases, only small parts remain of cars and locomotives from this period (680025).

Passenger Car Builder’s Plate. Manufacturer: Intercolonial Railway of Canada, 1877 (CSTM 680025)