CNR History

April 18, 2009

While at the SuperTrain model railway show in Calgary I took out a membership in CN Lines SIG which will entitle me to 4 issues of the magazine CN Lines. The magazine is "devoted to topics dealing with the CNR and its precursors".

The Special Interest Group has a web site at www.cnlines.ca

An information sheet handed out at SuperTrain indicated that CN Rail had presented their collection of photos to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum. Here is the website with some of these images: http://imagescn.technomuses.ca/railways/index.cfm

December 21, 2009

I have begun reading "Canadian National Railways: Sixty years of trial and error. Volume 1. (1960) by G. R. Stevens. This quickly reminded me of another book, "Canada's First Railway. (1985) by Nick & Helma Mika.

December 28, 2009

I have carefully read chapter 3, Genesis of a Main Line, from G. R. Stevens' "Canadian National Railways, vol 1, Sixty years of trial and error. 1836 - 1896".

December 31, 2009

I have finished reading chapter 4, The Great Western, from G. R. Stevens' "Canadian National Railways, vol 1, Sixty years of trial and error. 1836 - 1896".

Here is a table of important dates:

Date	Railways	Canada
1497		John Cabot in the Matthew lands in Newfounland
1534		Jacques Cartier explores St. Lawrence region
1608		Samuel de Champlain establishes a French colony at Quebec City
1670		Hudson's Bay Company formed
1759		Battle of the Plains of Abraham
1776		American colonies declare independence
1783		United Empire Loyalists arrive from the USA
1812-1814		US invades Canada
1815	Idea of a "Trunk Line" joining the provinces
1836	First run of the Champlain & St. Lawrence RR. (a portage RR)
1837		Rebellions against British rule in Upper & Lower Canada
1839		Durham Report
1841		Upper & Lower Canada united into the Province of Canada
1842		Ashburton Treaty defines border between Maine and British North America
1852	Creation of Grand Trunk Railway (Montreal - Toronto)
1853	Creation of Great Western Railway (Windsor - Toronto)
1853	Agreement on a Trunk Line from Windsor - Toronto - Montreal - Quebec City - Trois Riviere. NB & NS to focus on local rrs.
1853	Grand Trunk refuses to cooperate with the Great Western, becoming a competitor instead
1853	First train between Hamilton & Niagara Falls (Great Western)
1857		major bank failures in the US
1861		start of American civil war
1861	Great Western is solid & thriving
1865		end of American civil war
1867		Confederation of Upper & Lower Canada, NB, & NS

1881	Canadian Pacific Railway incorporated
1882	Amalgamation of Great Western & Grand Trunk