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The Hamilton Radial Electric Lines: The Dominion Power & Transmission Company
There were in total four electric radial railway lines that extended out from Hamilton, each constructed at a different time. Ultimately, all four came under the ownership of the Dominion Power & Transmission Company (DPTC). This company was created in 1907 from the remains of the Hamilton Cataract Power, Light & Traction Company, itself formed in 1903 from the remains of the Hamilton Electric Light & Cataract Power Company to coordinate traction activities in the Hamilton area as individual lines were purchased. As one of its first initiatives that year, the DPTC constructed on King Street at Catherine Street in downtown Hamilton a central station where the sale of tickets and scheduling of trains could be managed efficiently. While each individual company was independent from a legal standpoint, the management was the same and there was a constant interchange of equipment. As a long term goal, the DPTC hoped to create a network of lines stretching from Toronto through Hamilton and London to Windsor, based on the same principles of operation as implemented in Hamilton. In April 1930, the company was purchased by the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission which eventually wound down operations, replacing all radial routes that remained with buses between 1927 and 1955. The following is a brief breakdown of each line that fell under the ownership of the DPTC.
Hamilton, Grimsby & Beamsville Electric Railway Company
Location: The subject line was located in southern Ontario, ultimately extending between the Lake Ontario communities of Hamilton and Vineland.
History: The Hamilton, Grimsby & Beamsville Electric Railway Company (HG&BER) was incorporated in 1892 by Hamilton interests with the intention of constructing an electric railway that would extend between the communities of Hamilton and Beamsville. While passenger traffic was considered important, it was anticipated that the majority of revenue would be derived from the growing fruit industry then developing below the escarpment. After funding was secured, construction began with the first leg being open to Grimsby in October 1894. By June 1896, the line was completed to Beamsville. The majority of the route had been built along the highway right-of-way in the rural areas and on city streets within the towns. As projected, much of the freight revenues came from canneries along the line in addition to farmers shipping milk to Hamilton. Early passenger revenues as well appeared positive.
In 1902, control of the company passed into the hands of the Grand Trunk Railway for reasons not entirely clear. Two years later, the HG&BER initiated construction on an extension of the line east to Vineland. Here, it was anticipated that a connection could be made with an extension of the Niagara, St. Catherines & Toronto Railway, an event that never transpired given that firm's greater interest in a highspeed route. In 1905, the GTR sold the HG&BER to the fore runner of the Dominion Power & Transmission Company who immediately considered abandoning the recently constructed Vineland extension. To date, traffic along the new line had been very light and the company was suffering heavy losses. Accordingly, by the summer of that year, service had been suspended and the tracks dismantled. This turned out to be the first stretch of abandoned electric radial track in Canada.
Traffic remained steady on the line up until the end of the First World War. During the 1920's, however, the automobile and bus began to have an effect on passenger revenues while freight traffic fell given the competition offered by trucks. Things hit an all time low in the depression, prompting the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission now in control to announce that the line would be abandoned. As a result, all trains stopped operating in January 1931 and the majority of the line was dismantled. Small portions of the route were maintained to allow the Canadian National Railway access into some of the larger canneries previously serviced by the HG&BER. Hydro indicated that abandonment was necessary in order to resolve a condition in the sale of Dominion bus lines. Today, little remains of the line aside from a few embankments here and there, much having been eliminated by successive road widenings.
Approximate Milage: Twenty-six miles.
Current Status: The line was abandoned from Beamsville to Vineland in 1905. The remainder of the line was abandoned in 1932.
Principle Stations: Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Winona, Grimsby, Beamsville and Vineland.
Remaining Stations: There are no known remaining HG&BER stations.
Hamilton & Dundas Street Railway Company
Location: The Hamilton & Dundas Street Railway was located in southern Ontario, linking the industrial communities of Hamilton and Dundas.
History: The oldest of the Hamilton lines, the Hamilton & Dundas Street Railway Company (H&DR) was incorporated in 1875 to construct a railway, located mostly on private right-of-way, from Hamilton to Dundas. Construction began the next year with completion of the line not taking place until May 1879. Initially, operation along the entire route was by steam train until 1896 when it was decided to rebuild the line as an electric railway. The reopening of the H&DR took place in March 1898 with the entire operation being purchased the next year by the fore runner of the Dominion company. In order to assist in revenues, the majority of the line was as well leased to the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway (TH&B) as a spur for freight traffic into Dundas. All passenger operations, however, remained under the control of Dominion. Patronage remained strong along the line until the 1920's when other forms of transportation such as cars and buses cut in. Accordingly, it was announced that passenger trains would cease in January 1923, a time frame ultimately extended until September of that year when they were replaced by buses (streetcars within Hamilton). All tracks outside Hamilton remained in use by the TH&B for freight service until 1987 when the line was fully abandoned and removed. Tracks within Hamilton were assumed by the Hamilton Street Railway.
Approximate Milage: Seven miles.
Current Status: All H&DR tracks within Hamilton were abandoned in 1944. Beyond Hamilton, the route purchased by Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway was abandoned in December 1987.
Principle Stations: Hamilton and Dundas.
Remaining Stations: There are no remaining Hamilton & Dundas Railway stations remaining.
Hamilton Radial Electric Company
Location: Located in southern Ontario, the Hamilton Radial Electric Company connected Hamilton with Oakville to the east on the shores of Lake Ontario.
History: The Hamilton Radial Electric Company (HRE) was incorporated in 1893 to construct a steam operated mainline in southern Ontario with electric branch lines from Toronto to Niagara Falls, Woodstock and other locations. Initially, it was suggested that the company was aligned with the Canadian Pacific Railway but things fell apart with the construction of the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway. As a result, ownership of the HRE changed a number of times before a group became interested in utilizing the charter for the construction of an electric line between Hamilton and Toronto. Construction began in 1896 with the line being open to Burlington in 1897 and Port Nelson in August of the next year. As with most electric lines, the route was constructed adjacent to a highway in the rural area and along town streets within the urban area. While passenger service was satisfactory, some revenue was also generated by industries in both Hamilton and Burlington.
In February 1901, the operation was sold to interests that would ultimately form Dominion Power who contemplated extending the road east to Toronto to connect with the existing Toronto & York Railway at Port Credit. The first leg of this plan was implemented in May 1906 with the opening of a thirteen mile extension to Oakville. Throughout the summer months, traffic was very strong in both directions to the beaches on the spit just outside of Burlington. To the west of Burlington, however, traffic was very limited and service was cut back substantially during the 1920's. It was finally decided to abandon this segment of track as of August 1925. As buses and cars continued to take their toll, Dominion chose to cease operations on the remainder of the line in January 1929 and replace the trains with buses. It has been suggested that the downfall of the line was given the financial bath it took on the Oakville extension. While surveys were completed on the eleven mile gap to Port Credit, no work was ever completed, most likely because the operators of the Toronto line were looking for a high speed route on a dedicated private right-of-way.
Approximate Milage: Twenty-two miles.
Current Status: The line from Port Nelson to Oakville was abandoned in 1925 while the remainder was abandoned in 1929.
Principle Stations: Hamilton, Burlington, Bronte and Oakville.
Remaining Stations: Only one station building has survived from the Hamilton Radial Electric Railway, that being the Oakville station located on Randal Street at Thomas Street.
Brantford & Hamilton Electric Railway Company
Location: The railway was located in southern Ontario, extending between the communities of Hamilton and Brantford.
History: The Brantford & Hamilton Electric Railway Company (B&HER) was incorporated in 1904 by the Von Echa group from Pennsylvania, the same firm that had interests in several other radial and streetcar ventures in the province and were interested in constructing an electric network throughout southern Ontario. Although the company was experiencing financial difficulties from the beginning, a start was made on construction in late 1906 on a line from Hamilton to Brantford. By December 1908, the road was open to Ancaster on the edge of the escarpment. The difficult grades in scaling the hill resulted in the entire line not being open for traffic until June 1908. Prior to the commencement of service, however, control of the company had passed into the hands of Dominion.
The line itself was well constructed, most of it built on a private right-of-way, and was considered the best from a quality standpoint of the four Hamilton lines. In 1916, a one mile extension was added to the Brantford end in order to connect with a new union station shared with the Lake Erie & Northern Railway. At the same time, a branch line was proposed to extend from Langford to Galt although it was never constructed. By the late 1920's, competition from cars and buses were eating into the patronage of the line. When the company passed into the hands of the Hydro-Electric Commission in 1930, consideration was given to ending service, a move that finally took place in June 1931. As with the Beamsville line, Hydro indicated that abandonment was necessary in order to resolve a condition in the sale of Dominion bus lines.
Approximate Milage: Twenty-three miles.
Current Status: The entire line was abandoned in June 1931.
Principle Stations: Hamilton, Ancaster and Brantford.
Remaining Stations: There are no remaining stations from the B&HER.
Additional information on Hamilton Radial Electric Lines can be found on the following sites:
Electric Lines in Southern Ontario HSR
Electric Lines in Southern Ontario HG&BER
Last Updated: December 02, 2000
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