Start of service: January 1, 1893
Renamed: May 23, 1893
End of service: Circa 1900
Route: From Grand Trunk Railway station at Stuart & Caroline to King & Burlington (today's Sanford) via Stuart, James and King St East. Later extended eastwards along King and Sherman to
Sherman & Main
Antecessor route: Green route
Before Jan 1, 1893
At the start of 1893, the HSR renamed the Green route the King St East & GTR route, probably because there were no other 'colour' route names left and the HSR wanted a more descriptive
route name. The route ran from the second Stuart St station at Stuart & Caroline to King & Burlington (today's Sanford) via Stuart, James and King St East.
Spring 1893
On April 7, 1893 a total replacement of all old track began on James St, starting with the section between Roberts and Barton. This section was completed by April 14, at which point
replacement of track between Barton and Stuart began. Trackwork on James was finished in early May.
May 17, 1893
On May 17, 1893 (the same day as the renaming of the James North & King West route to
the West King & Steamboat Wharf route) the King St East & GTR was renamed the East King & Stuart
route, with no change in the route's path. Why the route was renamed after such a short period is unknown.
Summer 1893
In Early June the tracks on King St East were replaced. As well, new tracks were to be laid on King St from Sanford to Sherman, and up Sherman to Main. This new construction was halted by
the city board of works on June 24 due to the request by local residents that King St be widened and upgraded between Wentworth and Sherman. On June 28 the request was granted, and
permission for the HSR to proceed on Sherman was granted as an interim measure. Track laying began again on Sherman on July 8. After the improvements to King St East were finished
trackwork began again on July 27, and was completed on August 12.
August 14, 1893
The East King & Stuart route is extended east on King and south on Sherman to Main.
Summer 1894
Starting on July 21, 1894, the East King & Stuart route was extended by detouring down James St to the docks at the water's edge, before turning back and resuming the normal route along
Stuart. This detour also occurred in the reverse direction. This extension occurred only on Saturday afternoons for the rest of July and August, and was intended to make connections to
steamships easier for east end residents by eliminating the need to transfer at Stuart & James.
Around 1900 The East King & Stuart route was discontinued. Service on King East was replaced by the King East & Barton, while service on Stuart was replaced by the GTR & James South route.
Hamilton Spectator
“Hamilton Street Railway Schedule” Jan 4 1893, pg 6
“Street Railway Extension - Work To Be Commenced To-Morrow on James Street North” Apr 6 1893, pg 8
“Brief Local Items” Apr 14 1893, pg 1
“Street Railway Extension - Progress of the Work in Various Parts of the City-Over 400 Men Employed” May 12 1893, pg 8
“Hamilton Street Railway Schedule” May 23 1893, pg 7
“The King Street Extension - The Board of Works Won't Rescind the Resolution” May 30 1893, pg 7
“Brief Local Items” Jun 24 1893, pg 1
“Can Work on Sherman Avenue - The Street Railway Given Permission to Begin Operations” Jun 28 1893, pg 5
“Brief Local Items” Jul 8 1893, pg 1
“Brief Local Items” Jul 27 1893, pg 1
“Brief Local Items” Aug 12 1893, pg 1
“Brief Local Items” Jul 20 1894, pg 1
Mills, John M. Cataract Traction; The Railways of Hamilton. Toronto: Upper Canada Railway Society/Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association, 1971
