Brief History Photo Gallery Reference Material

Preserved Equipment Modelling M.&S.C.

While the Montreal & Southern Counties does not qualify as a Southern Ontario electric line, let alone not even being located in Ontario, it is included here for a couple of reasons. One of its cars, 107, is now in the collection of the Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Milton, Ontario, and because of its connection with other Canadian National Electric Railways operations that were located in Southern Ontario, namely the Oshawa Railway the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway and the St. Clair Tunnel Company.

The operation of the Montreal & Southern Counties Railway spans a respectable 47 years, from November 1, 1909 to October 14, 1956. A few other similar operations didn't last a quarter of that time. Built by the Grand Trunk Railway, the M.&S.C. came under Canadian National Railways control with the absorbtion of the Grand Trunks Canadian lines.

The M.&S.C. consisted of two divisions. The Interurban Division extended from McGill Street Terminal, in downtown Montreal, through Marieville to Granby, just over 47 miles distance. There was also a 3.49 mile branch line from Marieville to Ste. Angele. The Suburban Division was a local line that ran in St. Lambert from East End to Montreal South. Freight service was provided between the C.N.R. Southwark yard (later known as M&SC Junction), just east of St. Lambert, and Granby only.

Construction of the M.&S.C. began in 1906, with completed sections being opened for regular passenger service as follows: Between Montreal and St. Lambert commencing on November 1, 1909; extending to Longueil on May 30, 1910; Mackayville on November 1, 1912; Richelieu on June 28, 1913; Marieville on September 28, 1913; St. Cesaire on May 3, 1914 and finally Granby on April 30, 1916.

The M.&S.C. operated on 600 volts DC since they operated over a portion of city trackage used by Montreal streetcars. All regular trains originated at the McGill Street Terminal and from there proceeded to and across the Victoria Bridge where the two divisions separated. Standard gauge (4 foot 8-1/2 ins.) trackage was used over the entire system.

The Montreal & Southern Counties, the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto and the Oshawa Railway all had an interesting and varied assortment of equipment. The reason for this was because much of their equipment was acquired second hand, and because equipment was transferred between the three lines as requirements changed.

In 1938, four ex Windsor, Essex & Lake Shore high-speed cars were obtained by the M.&S.C. Three of these cars were transferred to the N.S.&T. in 1955. During the winter of 1946-47, six Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto cars of the 320 series were transferred to the M.&S.C.

The peak year for the M.&S.C. was 1947 after which traffic began to decline, no doubt due to new and better roads, bus competition and more people owning their own automobiles. On November 25, 1951, increasing losses saw electric operations cut back to Marieville. At the same time, C.N.R. diesel hauled passenger trains were introduced between Montreal's Central Station and Granby. Canadian-Locomotive Company F-M H12-44 diesels of the 7600 series (later renumbered into the 1600 series) became the main motive power for the Granby trains. This service continued until 1960.

M.&S.C. service on the Interurban Division was discontinued on October 13, 1956 and on the Suburban Division the following day. The C.N.R. continued to provide freight service, using diesel locomotives, between the former M.&S.C. Junction and Granby.

STATION STOPS====

	LOCAL FARES Between St. Lambert, Montreal South, Greenfield Park and MacKayville 4 ride tickets........30 cents cash fare...............8 cents Night fare.............10 cents SUBURBAN FARES Between Montreal, St. Lambert, Montreal South, Greenfield Park and Mackayville 3 ride tickets.....................30 cents 4 Ride tickets, (Scholars)...30 cents 40 Ride ticket...............$3.00 cash fare..........................15 cents Night fare.........................20 cents Night fares in effect after 11:30 pm EST
Cover of public schedule No. 105 effective April 24, 1949	Fares shown are from the April 24, 1949 timetable

PHOTO GALLERY====

8	13	104	107	321	322	326
501	504	604	206	300	305

(click on thumbnails for larger view)

BOOKS

• Catenary through the Counties: The story of Montreal & Southern Counties Railway
  
  - Anthony Clegg & Omer Lavallee - Railfare Enterprises, Montreal QC, 1966
  

  Electric Locomotive Rosters - edited by Robert J. Wayner - Wayner Publications, New York NY, 1965
  

  Lines of Country: An Atlas of Railway and Waterway History in Canada
  

  - Christopher Andreae - The Boston Mills Press, Erin ON, 1997, ISBN 1-55046-133-8
  

  Montreal & Southern Counties Railway Co.
  

  - J.R. Thomas Grumley - Bytown Railway Society, Ottawa ON, 2004, ISBN: 0-921871-07-4
  

  On a Streak of Lightning: Electric Railways in Canada
  

  - J. Edward Martin - Studio E, Delta BC, 1994, ISBN 0-920716-03-2
  

  The Canadian National Railways Story
  

  - Patrick C. Dorin - Hancock House Publishers - Saanichton BC
  

  === / Superior Publishing Company - Seattle WA, 1975, ISBN 0-87564-522-4 - (pages 110-115)
  

  The Intercity Electric Railway Industry in Canada
  

  - John F. Due - University of Toronto Press, Toronto ON, 1966
  

  The Interurban Era - William D. Middleton - Kalmbach Publishing Co., Milwaukee WI, 1961, LCCC 61-10728
  

  Traction Classics: Volume Two - The Interurbans - Extra Fast and Extra Fare
  

  - William D. Middleton - Golden West Books, San Marino CA, 1985, ISBN 0-87095-085-1
  

  ===- (Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Lightweights - pages 292 to 297)

VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS ====

• A Visit to St. Lambert and the Montreal & Southern Counties Ry.
  
  - Electric Railroaders' Association Headlights June 1956
  

  Canadian Electric Street Railways and Interurban Lines
  

  - Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association & Upper Canada Railway Society
  

  Canadian National Interurban - Railroad Magazine June 1950 page 84
  

  Memories of a traction fan's trip to Granby on the Montreal & Southern Counties
  

  - *Canadian Rail No. 394 September-October 1986 pages 148-154
  

  Montreal & Southern Counties Spared - Canadian Rail No. 408 Jan.-Feb. 1989 page 24
  

  Montreal & Southern Counties Railway - Bulletin 75 Oct.-Nov. 1947 Central Electric Railfans' Association
  

  Montreal & Southern Counties Railway - Series "Six Hundreds" - *Canadian Rail No. 224 September 1970
  

  The Montreal & Southern Counties Railway - Part I - Full issue - *Canadian Rail No. 353 June 1981
  

  The Montreal & Southern Counties Railway - Part II - Full issue - *Canadian Rail No. 354 July 1981
  

  The Montreal and Southern Counties Railway - *Canadian Rail No. 451 March-April 1996 pages 31-46
  

  Windsor, Essex & Lake Shore Rapid Railway -The 500 Series Cars - (later became M&SC 620 series)
  

  - Bulletin 9 January 1940 Central Electric Railfans' Association
  

  - *Canadian Rail No. 185 February 1967

* Canadian Rail is published by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association (C.R.H.A.), Montreal, Quebec.

An index of articles can be found at C.R.H.A. Archives and collections.

VIDEOS ====

• Montreal & Southern Counties Railway - GPS Video (60 mins) VHS

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PRESERVED EQUIPMENT

• 104, 611, Canadian Railway Museum, Delson/St-Constant, Quebec, Canada
  
• 107, Halton County Radial Railway, Milton, Ontario, Canada
  
• 504, 610, 621, Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA

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MODELLING THE MONTREAL & SOUTHERN COUNTIES

• Montreal and Southern Counties Light Interurban Car (plan) 1-9, 100-106, 107, 200
  - Railroad Model Craftsman April 1958 page 52
  
• Montreal and Southern Counties RR Light Interurbans 1-9, 100-106, 107, 200 (plan)
  - Traction Planbook and Photo Album page 38
  
• Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto 620 Series Plans - (originally Windsor, Essex & Lake Shore Rapid Railway 507, 503 & 505, M&SC 620, 622 & 623 were later transferred to the NS&T)
  - Railroad Model Craftsman October 1959 page 54, also Traction Planbook and Photo Album page 38
  
• In the late 1950's - early '60's, "H O" Trolley Supply Co. of Lakewood, Ohio produced photo engraved
  car sides and ends for the M&SC 620 series cars in both HO and O scale.
• Decals are available from Custom Traxx. Set CN-620 contains dulux gold letterboard lettering, numerals and destination signs designed primarily for the five cars built by Ottawa Car. Co in 1930 and acquired by the M&SC (620 series) from the Windsor, Essex & Lake Shore. The set contains numbers and destination signs that can be used for other M&SC cars.
• KND Enterprises, Inc. of Chalfont, PA, U.S.A. produces an HO scale model of the five Osgood Bradley lightweight city car's which the M.&S.C. obtained from the Oshawa Railway in 1940. They were originally built for the Morris County Traction Co. of Morristown, NJ. On the Oshawa Railway, these cars were numbered 100-104. When transferred to the M.&S.C., they were renumbered 11-15. For more info. on these models, check out Osgood Bradley DTDE City Car.

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MISCELLANEOUS LINKS
CTA Decision No. 116-R-1993 -- Abandonment of a segment of the Granby Subdivision

The Montreal & Southern Counties Railway
(from the memoirs of V.M. Manning)
To learn more about the area once served by the Montreal & Southern Counties Railway, visit
Bon Jour a la Montreal
Montreal's Official Tourist Information Web Site
Greenfield Park Quebec Historical Society
Bienvenue à Granby (French)

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