Old Time Trains

Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway Company was incorporated February 16, 1881 to build a railway line from Callender, Ontario near the east end of Lake Nippising the end of the Canada Central west to connect with the Lake Superior section of the government constructed railway of 231 miles continuing westward. Additionally, to build from Selkirk, Manitoba to Kamloops, BC. there connecting to additional government constructed railway. Totalling 710 miles of government of Canada built lines to the CPR's 1900 miles for a grand total of 2600 miles. All of this was completed with the Last Spike ceremony November, 7, 1885. Through passenger service was begun June 28, 1886 from Montreal to Vancouver.

The CPR acquired additional railways through purchase or lease to extend its operations throughout Ontario and to the east because its charter granted by the government of Canada did not include any provision to construct lines elsewhere.

Canada Central was amalgamated Junue 9, 1881 consisting of itself and the former Brockville & Ottawa.
Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental owned by the government of Quebec was divided up with O&Q acquiring the line between Montreal & Ottawa in 1881. Atlantic & North-West, South Eastern, Montreal & Atlantic, International, and New Brunswick railways were taken over along with Dominion Atlantic (leased 1912), Quebec Central (control 1912). On the west coast Kettle Valley leased July 1, 1913 and the Esquimalt & Nanaimo on Vancouver Island (once British territory separate from British Columbia) was taken over in 1905.

In Ontario there was the Ontario & Quebec with a long history of its own which included Credit Valley and
Toronto, Grey & Bruce. Other Ontario railways included Glengarry & Stormont, Kingston & Pembroke,
Georgian Bay & Seaboard, which included Lindsay, Bobcaygeon & Pontypool. Also, Campbellford, Lake Erie & Western built a new main line between Smiths Falls and Toronto. It was leased July 1913 by CPR. Algoma Eastern 1931.
Canadian Pacific Electric Lines: Grand River and Lake, Erie & Northern.

St. Marys & Western, Tillsonburg, Lake Erie & Pacific, Southern Ontario Pacific and West Ontario Pacific
were all small lines typically taken over by CPR often before completion or soon thereafter. Guelph & Goderich was yet another CPR railway, so too Walkerton & Lucknow.

Many of these railways remained in existence as "paper" railways hidden from public view due to the fact all locomotives and properties were simply known as Canadian Pacific Railway, or more commonly as the CPR.

A few of the many CPR roads had their own equipment and were lettered accordingly, sometimes in their own numbering system and sometimes in CPR numbering. These included: E&N, M&A, QCR, DAR and CPEL's GRR and LE&N.

Back (Use your browser Back button)

Old Time Trains © 2017

Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway Company was incorporated February 16, 1881 to build a railway line from Callender, Ontario near the east end of Lake Nippising the end of the Canada Central west to connect with the Lake Superior section of the government constructed railway of 231 miles continuing westward. Additionally, to build from Selkirk, Manitoba to Kamloops, BC. there connecting to additional government constructed railway. Totalling 710 miles of government of Canada built lines to the CPR's 1900 miles for a grand total of 2600 miles. All of this was completed with the Last Spike ceremony November, 7, 1885. Through passenger service was begun June 28, 1886 from Montreal to Vancouver.

The CPR acquired additional railways through purchase or lease to extend its operations throughout Ontario and to the east because its charter granted by the government of Canada did not include any provision to construct lines elsewhere.

Canada Central was amalgamated Junue 9, 1881 consisting of itself and the former Brockville & Ottawa.
Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental owned by the government of Quebec was divided up with O&Q acquiring the line between Montreal & Ottawa in 1881. Atlantic & North-West, South Eastern, Montreal & Atlantic, International, and New Brunswick railways were taken over along with Dominion Atlantic (leased 1912), Quebec Central (control 1912). On the west coast Kettle Valley leased July 1, 1913 and the Esquimalt & Nanaimo on Vancouver Island (once British territory separate from British Columbia) was taken over in 1905.

In Ontario there was the Ontario & Quebec with a long history of its own which included Credit Valley and
Toronto, Grey & Bruce. Other Ontario railways included Glengarry & Stormont, Kingston & Pembroke,
Georgian Bay & Seaboard, which included Lindsay, Bobcaygeon & Pontypool. Also, Campbellford, Lake Erie & Western built a new main line between Smiths Falls and Toronto. It was leased July 1913 by CPR. Algoma Eastern 1931.
Canadian Pacific Electric Lines: Grand River and Lake, Erie & Northern.

St. Marys & Western, Tillsonburg, Lake Erie & Pacific, Southern Ontario Pacific and West Ontario Pacific
were all small lines typically taken over by CPR often before completion or soon thereafter. Guelph & Goderich was yet another CPR railway, so too Walkerton & Lucknow.

Many of these railways remained in existence as "paper" railways hidden from public view due to the fact all locomotives and properties were simply known as Canadian Pacific Railway, or more commonly as the CPR.

A few of the many CPR roads had their own equipment and were lettered accordingly, sometimes in their own numbering system and sometimes in CPR numbering. These included: E&N, M&A, QCR, DAR and CPEL's GRR and LE&N.