Prince Edward Island Railway

Prince Edward Island Railway
Locale	Prince Edward Island, Canada
Dates of operation	1871–1918, merged into CNR, abandoned in 1989
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge), 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (Cape gauge) until 1930
Headquarters	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Map of the Prince Edward Island Railway, c. 1912

The Prince Edward Island Railway (PEIR) was a historic Canadian railway.

Construction

Located wholly within the province of Prince Edward Island, construction of the PEIR started in 1871, financed by the United Kingdom. The line was initially built to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge, under the supervision of Chief Engineer John Edward Boyd a native of Saint John, New Brunswick who first advocated the use of narrow gauge for the New Brunswick Railway in the 1860s, and was responsible for the first surveys of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway and the Toronto and Nipissing Railway in Ontario. The PEIR was frequently criticized for its meandering path, reputedly caused by construction contractors who were paid by the mile; this may also be accounted for in economies taken by reducing the amount of grading and trenching required by going around hills and obstacles. At one point there was on average one railway station for every 2.5 miles (4 km) of track. The main line connected the northwestern port of Alberton (later extended to Tignish) with the Northumberland Strait ports of Summerside, Charlottetown, Georgetown, and Souris. By 1872, construction debts threatened to bankrupt the colony.

Confederation

The United Kingdom had consistently encouraged the small colony to enter into Canadian Confederation, something which it had been avoiding since playing host to the Charlottetown Conference a decade earlier. The railway construction debts pushed the colony into reconsidering Confederation, and following further negotiations, Prince Edward Island became a province of Canada on July 1, 1873.

The understated provision in the Prince Edward Island Terms of Union reads as follows:

That the railways under contract and in course of construction for the Government of the Island, shall be the property of Canada;

Canadian Government Railways

Thus the Government of Canada came to inherit the PEIR in 1874 at the same time as construction was progressing on the Intercolonial Railway (IRC), which would link the strategic winter ports of the Canadian Maritimes with Central Canada. New locomotives were purchased from the United Kingdom and from Canadian manufacturers along with new rail cars.

In 1885, a new line was built connecting the Charlottetown-Summerside main line at Emerald Junction with another Northumberland Strait port at Cape Traverse. From Cape Traverse, iceboats would cross the Abegweit Passage to Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick during the winter months.

Another new line was built east from Charlottetown to Murray Harbour, part of which included building the Hillsborough River Bridge, using a former IRC bridge over the Miramichi River at Newcastle, New Brunswick. Branches were also constructed at this time off PEIR lines to Vernon Bridge, Montague, and Elmira.

From 1915-1918, the PEIR and the IRC would come to be known collectively as the Canadian Government Railways (CGR), although each company would maintain its separate corporate identity and management.

The most revolutionary change to the PEIR occurred in 1915 when a new icebreaking railcar ferry called Prince Edward Island was ordered by the federal government, arriving from the United Kingdom with a capacity of 12 rail cars, however it would not be until 1917 that the port facilities at Port Borden and Cape Tormentine would be ready to handle the vessel. In the meantime, the Prince Edward Island continued to operate the service to the port of Pictou, Nova Scotia from Georgetown and Charlottetown for the next two years.

The new ferry port at Borden required the Cape Traverse-Emerald Junction line be modified, and a line was constructed to Borden, along with marshalling yards and other facilities. The Cape Traverse line would only last a few more years before being abandoned following the move to Borden. Up until this point, the PEIR was a completely captive system, having no need for interchange with mainland North American railways. Following the start of railcar service in 1917, the lines to Charlottetown and Summerside from Borden were dual-gauged, capable of handling mainland cars with the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) and the PEIR's narrow gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).

Canadian National Railways

In September 1918, management of the CGR (including the PEIR) was transferred to the newly nationalized Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). These companies were assumed by a new Crown corporation established by the federal government in December 1918, called Canadian National Railways (CNR). By 1923 all corporate entities ceased to exist under CNR.

Soon after CNR took over, it was decided to standard gauge all narrow gauge trackage on Prince Edward Island. This was completed from Tignish to Charlottetown by 1924, and remaining lines in the east end of the province were completed by 1926 except for the Murray Harbour line which was standard gauged by September, 1930.

The last significant railway construction on Prince Edward Island occurred during the early 1930s when the Hillsborough River Bridge carrying the Murray Harbour line over the Hillsborough River was unable to handle the heavier standard gauge cars, thus a 10-mile (16.1 km) connecting track called the Short Line was built from a point at Maple Hill Junction on the Mount Stewart Jct.-Georgetown line, to connect with the Murray Harbour track at Lake Verde Junction. In 1951, the Hillsborough River bridge was deemed too weak to carry even the lightest engines and cars, thus the trackage was removed and trains trying to reach Southport on the opposite side of Charlottetown Harbour would have to run over 30 miles (48.3 km) via Mount Stewart Junction and the Short Line.

CNR was extremely busy on Prince Edward Island during the Second World War when a 2-mile (3.2 km) spur line was built from St. Eleanors, west of Summerside, to service a new air force base (CFB Summerside), and the railway was pressed into service to supply a radar base in Tignish, as well as a flight training school in Mount Pleasant, mid-way between Summerside and Tignish.

Increased use of diesel locomotives in North America during and after the Second World War saw CNR completely dieselize its operations on Prince Edward Island by the late 1940s as a means to save money on hauling bulk coal to the province. This meant that Prince Edward Island rail lines had diesel locomotives fully one decade before the rest of Canada saw the last of steam, giving the province a prominent place in Canadian railway history as one of the first regional dieselization projects.

The rise of automobiles and trucks

The rising popularity of automobiles travelling on government-funded all-weather highways saw passenger rail traffic decline sharply during the 1950s and into the 1960s. The last passenger train on Prince Edward Island operated in 1968, being replaced by buses thereafter.

CN (name change to Canadian National Railway or acronym CN in 1960) was a major presence in Prince Edward Island's economy, from operating the freight and passenger railway (and later bus) services, to a large fleet of company owned and operated ferries. The ferry system was noteworthy by the fact that it was mandated by Prince Edward Island's "Terms of Union" under the British North America Act of Canadian Confederation, to provide "efficient steamship service." This required the use of icebreakers, some of which were the largest of their kind in the world at one time.

Ferry service

The following vessels were owned and operated by CNR/CN (1918–1977), CN Marine (CN subsidiary, 1977–1986) or by successor Marine Atlantic (post-1986) on the Northumberland Strait ferry service:

• Prince Edward Island (1915–1968)*
• Scotia I (various times 1901-1955)*
• Charlottetown (1931–1941)*
• Abegweit (1947–1982)*
• Scotia II (various times 1915-1968)*
• Confederation (1962–1975)
• John Hamilton Gray (1968–1997)*
• Lucy Maude Montgomery (1969–1973)
• Holiday Island (1971–1997)
• Vacationland (1971–1997)
• Abegweit (1982–1997)*

* denotes combination train ferry/ferry

The decline of rail on P.E.I.

Trucks soon began to take traffic away from freight operations on Prince Edward Island, particularly as CNR improved the ferry system to accept more road vehicles. By the 1970s, critical agricultural cargo such as the potato harvests were increasingly transferring to trucks with each successive season. As a result, CN increasingly began to avoid investing capital into improving railway infrastructure in the province. In a classic "demarketing" strategy, CN's deteriorating track conditions resulted in further loss of service to trucks.

By the early 1980s CN made it clear the days of its railway operations on Prince Edward Island were numbered, however Island politicians at the provincial and federal level managed to dissuade CN from abandoning. The renewed talk of a fixed link in 1985-1986, following aborted attempts at building a highway/railway causeway across Abegweit Passage in 1957 and 1965–1969, saw CN accelerate its attempts to withdraw railway service on Prince Edward Island.

Deregulation and abandonment

Deregulation in the Canadian railway industry in 1987 was all that was required to encourage CN to successfully abandon its rail system. By September, 1988 it had abandoned the money-losing service (see Newfoundland Railway) in Newfoundland, and in July, 1989 abandonment was announced for Prince Edward Island. On December 31, 1989, the John Hamilton Gray carried the last operational rail cars and locomotives off Prince Edward Island. Cynics of CN's decision have noted that residents of Prince Edward Island voted completely in favour of the opposition Liberals in the 1988 Canadian federal election, which may have possibly tipped the government's hand in not attempting to preserve federally-subsidized rail service in the province.

Salvage crews worked throughout 1990, 1991 and 1992 removing tracks, cross-ties, and other railway facilities. In return for agreeing to not oppose CN's abandonment, the provincial government was given compensation by the federal government in the form of a $200 million one-time highway subsidy for selected upgrades to major provincial roads to account for increased wear from trucks.

In 1994, the provincial government purchased the entire right-of-way for the former PEIR from CN. Throughout the late 1990s, the provincial government in cooperation with the Trans-Canada Trail foundation and various community volunteers, worked to complete the Confederation Trail system. Today 75% of total PEIR mileage is open as public recreation trails with the remaining 25% estimated to be opened over the next decade.

Preservation

In 1975 the railway station in Elmira was re-opened to become the Island's first railway museum. The museum is housed in the actual Elmira railway station. The museum originally included two former Canadian National Railway passenger cars: one former wood sided baggage car and a steel railway post office (RPO) car. In the 1990s arson claimed the baggage car. Approximately a decade later, RPO was scrapped having succumbed to age and a lack of preservation activities. The trucks from the baggage car are still on the property. Several railway cars were on display at the provincially-operated railway museum at Elmira until the mid-2000s but have since been scrapped due to neglect on the part of the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation.

In 1990, a diesel locomotive (class RSC-14 number 1767) donated to Summerside several years earlier, needed to be moved to nearby Kensington. Although now abandoned, the railway's tracks were still intact between both locations, except for several grade crossings at local roads where rails had been removed. The locomotive was towed by construction machinery across temporary tracks built over these roads to its new location, where it remains on display as part of a community-operated railway museum. The former PEIR railway station in Kensington was designated a National Historic of Canada.

Another railway car is currently undergoing preservation at Borden-Carleton. This car is a plywood sided, former CNR, caboose and is located adjacent to a replica railway station. Both can be seen from the Confederation Bridge.

Two former railway tank cars reside beside the railway on the property of Island Construction on the Sherwood Road in Charlottetown. Both tank cars are adjacent to the railway trail can be easily seen and photographed from the trail. These tank cars are 36' long each. During the final years of railway operation on PEI these tank cars could be seen parked in the Borden railway yard and were used to store fuel oil for the ferry boats. Both tank cars are painted a light blue colour (the same paint scheme they featured during their railway service).

Narrow-Gauge Locomotives

Number	Builder	Type	Date	Works number	Notes
1st # 1	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	84	Scrapped prior to 1880
2nd # 1	Mason Machine Works	0-4-4F	1873	531	Purchased from New Brunswick Railway 1880 - Scrapped 1901-04
3rd # 1	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1904	616	Renumbered CNR class X-4-a #10 - Scrapped 12/1924
1st # 2	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	85	Sold to Harbour Grace Railway 1881
2nd # 2	Mason Machine Works	0-4-4F	1873	532	Purchased from New Brunswick Railway 1880 - Scrapped after 1904
1st # 3	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	86	Sold to Harbour Grace Railway 1881
2nd # 3	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1882	227	Scrapped 9/1920
1st # 4	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	87	Sold to Harbour Grace Railway 1881
2nd # 4	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1882	228	Scrapped 9/1920
1st # 5	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	88	Sold to Harbour Grace Railway 1881
2nd # 5	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1882	229	Scrapped 9/1920
1st # 6	Hunslet Engine Company	4-4-0T	1872	89	Sold to Harbour Grace Railway 1881
2nd # 6	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1882	230	Scrapped 9/1920
1st # 7	Hawthorn Leslie and Company	4-4-0T	1872	225	Scrapped prior to 1884
2nd # 7	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1884	294	Renumbered CNR class X-4-a 1st # 15 - Scrapped 2/1921
1st # 8	Hawthorn Leslie and Company	4-4-0T	1872	226	Scrapped 1884-89
2nd # 8	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1899	470	Renumbered CNR class X-4-a 1st # 16 - Scrapped 2/1923
9	Hawthorn Leslie and Company	4-4-0T	1872	227	Scrapped after 1904
1st # 10	Hawthorn Leslie and Company	4-4-0T	1872	228	Scrapped 1885-87
2nd # 10	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1887	326	Renumbered CNR class X-4-a 1st # 17 - Scrapped 7/1923
1st # 11	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3535	Scrapped 1901-04
2nd # 11	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1904	617	Renumbered CNR class X-4-a 1st # 18 - Scrapped 12/1924
12	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3536	Scrapped after 1904
13	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3537	Scrapped after 1904
14	Baldwin Locomotive Works	4-4-0	1874	3538	Scrapped after 1904
15	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1876		Scrapped after 1904
16	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1876		Scrapped after 1904
17	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1876		Scrapped after 1904
18	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1876		Scrapped after 1904
1st # 19	Canadian Locomotive Company	0-4-4F	1880		Scrapped 1899-1907
2nd # 19	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1904	625	Displayed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition - Delivered as # 28 and renumbered in 1907 - Became CNR class X-4-a # 19 - Sold 11/1923 to Lamoreux-Kelly Co. Montreal
1st # 20	Canadian Locomotive Company	0-4-4F	1880		Scrapped prior to 1899
2nd # 20	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1899	471	Became CNR class X-4-a # 20 - Sold 11/1923 to Lamoreux-Kelly Co., Montreal
21	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1884	295	Became CNR class X-4-a # 21 - Scrapped 2/1921
22	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1900	496	Became CNR class X-4-a # 22 - Scrapped 2/1923
23	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1900	497	Became CNR class X-4-a # 23 - Sold 11/1923 to Lamoreux-Kelly Co., Montreal
24	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1901	520	Became CNR class X-4-a # 24 - Sold 11/1923 to Lamoreux-Kelly Co., Montreal
25	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1901	521	Became CNR class X-4-a # 25 - Scrapped 7/1923
26	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1904	618	Became CNR class X-4-a # 26 - Scrapped 12/1924
27	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-4-0	1904	619	Became CNR class X-4-a # 27 - Sold 11/1923 to Lamoreux-Kelly Co., Montreal
2nd # 28	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1907	781	Became CNR class X-5-a # 28 - Scrapped 5/1927
29	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1907	782	Became CNR class X-5-a # 29 - Scrapped 5/1927
30	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1907	783	Became CNR class X-5-a # 30 - Scrapped 5/1927
31	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1907	784	Became CNR class X-5-a # 31 - Scrapped 5/1927
32	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1918	1521	Became CNR class X-5-b # 32 - Scrapped 12/1932
33	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1918	1522	Became CNR class X-5-b # 33 - Scrapped 12/1932
34	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1918	1523	Became CNR class X-5-b # 34 - Operated the last narrow-gauge train on Prince Edward Island 27 September 1930 - Scrapped 12/1932
35	Canadian Locomotive Company	4-6-0	1918	1524	Became CNR class X-5-b # 35 - Scrapped 12/1932
36	Davenport Locomotive Works	0-4-0T	1910		Purchased from G.A.Morrison 1918 - Renumbered CNR class X-1-a # 1 - Sold 4/1930 to H.N.Price Moncton

Diesel Locomotives

Numbers	Builder	Type	Class	Built	Notes
7751, 7752	General Electric	44 Ton			First diesels on PEI
7800-7817	General Electric	70 Ton			Renumbered to 26-43
1615, 1616 and 1617	Canadian Locomotive Company	H12-44
1700–1734	Montreal Locomotive Works	RSC-13			Scrapped. Trucks to RSC-14 fleet.
1750–1787	Montreal Locomotive Works	RSC-14	MR-14b and MR-14c	1975–1976

Railcars

Steven Boyko notes on his blog

Side note: RDC D302 was tested on PEI in March 1958 but "it proved unsuitable because of difficulties it encountered crossing the ferry ramp, and negotiating the sharp turns between Borden and Charlottetown".

See also

• Canadian Government Railways
• Canadian National Railway
• Confederation Trail
• Marine Atlantic

External links

• Elmira Museum, Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation
• National Transportation Agency (NTA) Decision No. 348-R-1989 Note that NTA was succeeded by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) in 1995.
• Confessions of a Train Geek Steve Boyko's railfanning in Atlantic Canada blog