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Canadian Pacific Electric Lines
Canadian Pacific Electric Lines included both the Grand River Railway, and the Lake Erie & Northern Railway. While each had a separate origin, they eventually became know as the Canadian Pacific Electric Lines under CPR ownership. In many instances, equipment and personal were interchanged. The following is a breakdown of each individual company.
The Grand River Railway
Location: The Grand River Railway is located in southern Ontario, connecting the Grand River valley communities of Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Kitchener (originally known as Berlin).
History: The Grand River Railway Company (GRR) was formed out of two early traction companies incorporated in the latter half of the 1800's. The first component was the Galt & Preston Railway, a project conceived in 1890 in order to join the two communities in the company's namesake. Once adequate funding had been arranged, construction began with the line being open for revenue traffic in 1894. Two years later, the name of the outfit was changed to the Galt, Preston & Hespeler Railway given the company's decision to extend the road to Hespeler. Construction began immediately with the route being open in late 1896. The majority of the route was built on a private right-of-way that parallelled in certain places public roads. The second component that eventually formed part of the GRR was the Preston & Berlin Railway, a company that was incorporated in 1894 to build a railway between these two points. This line was opened for revenue traffic in October 1903.
Both of the above railways were purchased in 1903 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, perhaps with a view of obtaining improved access to the industries of the Grand River valley communities. A separate company, known as the Berlin, Waterloo, Wellesley & Lake Huron Railway was formed in order to take over the affairs of the two lines although official transfer did not take place until 1908. Over time, operations and equipment between the two lines were merged although legally, the companies remained as separate entities. This arrangement continued until 1914 when the Grand River Railway Company was created to take over the affairs of the new venture. With this move, all lines were consolidated under the new name and the old terms disappeared. Equipment was upgraded and the roadbed improved to handle freight operations. For many years afterward, passenger traffic remained constant, supplemented by freight shipments generated by the numerous local industries. Direct connections were made with CPR trains at the Galt station while operations were co-ordinated with the Lake Erie & Northern Railway, including the sharing of equipment, personal, and a station at Galt. As with all interurban traction lines, however, losses began to mount during and after the depression as competition from trucks and the automobile increased. Accordingly, an application to abandon service was submitted in the early 1950's although approval did not follow until 1955 when passenger service ceased in April of that year. Electric freight operations continued on until October 1962 when they were dieselised by the CPR.
Approximate Mileage: From Galt through Preston to Kitchener, the route was just under eleven miles. The branch into Hespeler from Preston was just over three and a half miles.
Current Status: Aside from the portion of track north of the Grand River between Preston and Kitchener that was abandoned in 1965 in favour of a neighbouring CNR line, all tracks remain in use for intermittent freight work. Tracks from Kitchener to Waterloo were abandoned in 1993.
Principle Stations: Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Kitchener (formally Berlin).
Remaining Stations: There are no remaining stations from the Grand River Railway.
The Lake Erie & Northern Railway
Location: The Lake Erie & Northern Railway is located in southern Ontario, extending between the communities of Galt on the Canadian Pacific Railway and Port Dover on the shores of Lake Erie.
History: Being one of the last interurban electric lines in the Province to be constructed, the Lake Erie & Northern Railway (LE&NR) was incorporated in 1911 by Brantford interests to build a railway between that city and the Canada Southern Railway and Lake Erie to the south. Their hope was to provide a competitive freight route for area industries to compete with the Grand Trunk Railway, a company that held a monopoly on the city at the time. In 1915, the Canadian Pacific Railway viewed the project as a possible feeder line into its own system. Accordingly, controlling interest in the venture was purchased and the project leased for a period of 999 years. Speculation is that another reason why the CPR chose to acquire the property may have been to keep the line out of the hands of the Grand Trunk as the CPR already had an interest in the Toronto, Buffalo & Hamilton Railway (TH&B) that parallelled the LE&NR in several places from Brantford south.
Construction on the line began in May 1913 with the route proposed to extend south from Brantford to Port Dover and north to a connection with the CPR mainline (former Credit Valley route) at Galt. The majority of the right-of-way was to be private with the anticipation that operations could being coordinated with the Grand River Railway that was also by this time under CPR control. In between Galt and Brantford, the line was proposed to parallel the derelict Grand River Railway, a company the CPR purchased from the city of Brantford in order to avoid any possible future competition if operations were ever to recommence. All construction on the LE&NR was completed by the end of 1915 with service starting in February 1916 between Galt and Brantford. By May, the line was open to Simcoe with the remainder south to Port Dover operating by July of that year. Traffic along the line was a steady mixture of freight and passengers while the road bed was well built and maintained. The summer months were busy with traffic destined for the beach at Port Dover. In Brantford, the company shared a station with the Brantford & Hamilton Railway while, up until 1946, a station site was shared with the Grand Trunk in Port Dover. Revenues remained constant until after the Second World War when competition from the automobile had an effect. Accordingly, it was proposed in the early 1950's to abandon passenger service, a matter that finally came about in April 1955. Electric freight operations continued until superseded by diesel operations in 1963. All services were suspended on the Simcoe to Port Dover run in 1962 with operations between Brantford and Waterford being transferred to the nearby TH&B tracks, themselves officially abandoned in May 1989.
Approximate Mileage: 51 miles.
Current Status: All tracks of the LE&NR have now been abandoned. This tool place in the following manner: From Simcoe to Port Dover in 1962, Waterford to Brantford in 1965, Waterford to Simcoe in 1989, and from Brantford to Galt in 1990.
Principle Stations: Galt, Paris, Brantford, Waterford, Simcoe and Port Dover.
Remaining Stations:
There are two stations remaining from the Lake Erie & Northern Railway. They are as follows:
1. Mount Pleasant: Moved to property on Mount Pleasant Road in town as a storage shed.
2. Port Dover: In original location on Bridge Street as a Nanticoke Public Works yard.
Additional information on the Grand River Railway and the Lake Erie & Northern Railway can be obtained from the following sites:
Electric Lines in Southern Ontario
Last Updated: December 02, 2000
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