How long was the Grand Trunk Railway?
The Grand Trunk Railway now provides through transportation from Sarnia to the Atlantic coast, a distance of 800 miles. The Victoria Bridge, Montreal, Quebec. 1860: The Grand Trunk acquires an extension from Quebec City to Rivière-du-Loup. president from 1861 to 1863.
Does Grand Trunk railroad still exist?
Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad has been under CN's subsidiary holding company, the Grand Trunk Corporation....Grand Trunk Western Railroad.OverviewLocaleMichigan, Illinois, Indiana, OhioDates of operation1852–present (still exists as a paper corporation)Technical4 more rows
Who owns the Grand Trunk Railway?
Canadian National Railway Company (CN), corporation created by the Canadian government in 1918 to operate a number of nationalized railroads (including the old Grand Trunk lines, the Intercolonial Railway, the National Transcontinental Railway, and the Canadian Northern Railway) as one of Canada's two transcontinental ...
Where did the Grand Trunk Railway run?
In late 19th Century, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada was the major railroad in the Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), connecting Toronto to Montreal. In late 19th Century, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada was the major railroad in the Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), connecting Toronto to Montreal.
Does Conrail exist?
It continues to do business as an asset management and network services provider in three Shared Assets Areas that were excluded from the division of its operations during its acquisition by CSX Corporation and the Norfolk Southern Railway.
What railroads does Canadian National own?
Canadian National's AcquisitionsSavage Alberta Railway. ... Mackenzie Northern Railway. ... Wisconsin Central Railroad. ... Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad. ... Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Railroad. ... Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad. ... Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. ... Grand Trunk Western Railroad.More items...
What happened to the Soo Line railroad?
It was discontinued in December 1963, and the western Canada cars were handled on the Winnipeger for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line's last passenger train was the Copper Country Limited, a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic.
What is a trunk line railroad?
Definition of trunk line 1 : a transportation system (such as an airline, railroad, or highway) handling long-distance through traffic. 2a : a main supply channel (as for gas or oil) b : trunk sense 5b.
In what year did the Grand Trunk Railway consolidate with the Great Western?
the Great Western Railway, and on November 9, 1878, it was renamed the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee. With the GWR amalgamation in 1 882, it became part of the GTR.
In what year did trains begin running between Montreal and Toronto?
1856, October 27 - The Grand Trunk Railway opens its broad gauge line throughout between Montreal and Toronto. It was opened in sections as follows: Montreal to Brockville - November 17, 1855.
What happened to the Soo Line Railroad?
It was discontinued in December 1963, and the western Canada cars were handled on the Winnipeger for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line's last passenger train was the Copper Country Limited, a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic.
In what year did the Grand Trunk Railway consolidate with the Great Western?
the Great Western Railway, and on November 9, 1878, it was renamed the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee. With the GWR amalgamation in 1 882, it became part of the GTR.
Who built the intercolonial railway?
the International Contract CompanyDescription: The Intercolonial Railway of Canada (railway mark: IRC), headquartered in Moncton, linked Levis, Quebec, with Saint John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 1,100 km (690 mi.) line officially opened on 01 July 1876 and was constructed by the International Contract Company.
What is a trunk line railroad?
Definition of trunk line 1 : a transportation system (such as an airline, railroad, or highway) handling long-distance through traffic. 2a : a main supply channel (as for gas or oil) b : trunk sense 5b.
What railroads did Grand Trunk run through?
In 1859 the Grand Trunk completed its route to Sarnia, Canada West, and began a ferry service across the St. Clair River to Port Huron. GTR would lease the Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad to reach Detroit and from there would then run over the Michigan Central Railroad's line from Detroit into Chicago. It was on the line from Port Huron to Detroit that a 12-year-old Thomas Edison held his first job as a newsboy and candy butcher onboard passenger trains. Grand Trunk established its own route to Chicago across Michigan when the New York Central Railroad's William Henry Vanderbilt took over control of the Michigan Central in 1878. GTR sought to put together a route by acquiring three railroads it had already been sending some of its Chicago bound trains on since 1877. The Chicago and Lake Huron Railroad, the Chicago and Northeastern Railroad (C&NE) and the Peninsular Railway of Michigan and Indiana together formed a direct route from Port Huron through Flint and Lansing, Michigan to Valparaiso, Indiana where it connected into Chicago on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. However, Vanderbilt owned the Chicago and Northeastern section of the route from Flint to Lansing and would charge Grand Trunk higher rates to move its freight over the line. Vanderbilt would soon sell the C&NE to Grand Trunk when GTR bought the other two lines in 1879 and proposed building its own route between Flint and Lansing just north of Vanderbilt's line. Grand Trunk completed its own route into Chicago from Valparaiso in 1880 and incorporated the entire line from Port Huron to Chicago as the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway.
What railroads did Grand Trunk own?
The line connected with the Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction at Richmond, Michigan and ran to Jackson, Michigan through Romeo and Pontiac. When Grand Trunk purchased the Great Western Railway in 1882 it also acquired the Detroit Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway (DGH&M) which Great Western had owned since 1877. The DGH&M gave Grand trunk a route from Detroit through Pontiac, Durand and Grand Rapids to Grand Haven, Michigan where it would begin its Lake Michigan railcar ferry operations in 1902. The DGH&M would connect with the Chicago and Grand Trunk at Durand and with the Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction in Detroit. Durand would become a major junction point for Grand Trunk when it continued to increase its mileage. It acquired the 96 mile Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway from Ashley, Michigan to Muskegon, Michigan in 1888. GTR would obtain trackage rights to reach the line at Ashley from Owosso, Michigan with the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway, the predecessor of the Ann Arbor Railroad. Grand Trunk acquired a route into Saginaw, Michigan in 1890 with the lease of the Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad from Durand to Bay City, Michigan. The line was the last to be held as a leased property until January 1943 when it was fully merged into Grand Trunk Western.
What was the first submarine rail tunnel?
GTW's predecessor Grand Trunk Railway also sought to expedite its rail service between Port Huron and Sarnia by constructing the world's first international submarine rail tunnel under the St. Clair River. The St. Clair Tunnel, completed in 1891, approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long and hand dug, allowed Grand Trunk to discontinue its ferry service across the river. The tunnel was the last link in GTR's complete mainline from Chicago through southern Canada. In 1992 Canadian National began construction of a new larger tunnel next to the original tunnel to accommodate double stacked intermodal containers and tri-level auto carriers used in freight train service. The new tunnel was completed in 1994 and dedicated on May 5, 1995. GTW also gained trackage rights in 1975 to use Penn Central's Detroit River Tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Penn Central's successor Conrail sold the tunnel to CN and Canadian Pacific Railway in 1985. Eventually CN sold its share of the Detroit tunnel in 2000 after the new St. Clair tunnel was completed.
What is the GTW railroad?
Not to be confused with Grand Trunk Railway. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company ( reporting mark GTW) is an American subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway ( reporting mark CN) operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
What division was the Grand Trunk Railroad?
Western Division. By 1900 Grand Trunk would unite the operations of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway and all of its lines in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana under a subsidiary company called the Grand Trunk Western Railway Company.
What is Grand Trunk Western?
Grand Trunk Western's routes are part of CN's Michigan Division. Its primary mainline between Chicago and Port Huron, Michigan serves as a connection between railroad interchanges in Chicago and rail lines in eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States.
When was Grand Trunk Depot built?
Early history. A 1912 postcard of the Grand Trunk Depot at Charlotte, Michigan built in 1885 by GTW predecessor Chicago and Grand Trunk Railroad. Grand Trunk Western grew out of a collection of 19th century Michigan rail lines which included: Bay City Terminal Railway. Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad.
What was the Grand Trunk Railway?
The Grand Trunk Railway was perhaps the most ambitious early attempt at connecting Canada and the United States by rail. Completed almost 30 years before the Canadian Pacific Railway was even chartered, the British-owned GTR helped develop much of southern Ontario and move Canada towards confederation. The effectiveness of the Grand Trunk and other railways in Ontario helped inspire the idea of a transcontinental railway in the country. At one point its history, it held the record for the longest railway in the world. Despite being absorbed into the government-owned Canadian National system in the 1920’s, its name has been immortalized in countless street names in communities it served, and even in the 1969 rock band “Grand Funk Railroad”.
What railroad operated the Grand Trunk?
This gave the Grand Trunk access to an existing car ferry service at Fort Erie which ran in parallel with several others operated by the Great Western and the Canada Southern railway, which would later become a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad.
How did Canada get its railways?
Canada was beginning to get some of its own regional railways, but most required the use of ships through various lake and river systems in Ontario. Seeing a need for goods and people in Canada to be better connected to the United States and Europe, a group of British investors with the support of politicians sought to build a new railway. Under the sponsorship of Canadian politician Francis Hincks, the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada was incorporated on November 10, 1852 to build its first stretch of track between Toronto and Montreal. The charter was soon extended to Portland, Maine, which would be reached through a merger with the existing St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad. The merger wouldn’t occur until August 5, 1853 when the St. Lawrence and Atlantic had been in operation for a few months. This gave the Grand Trunk an additional 149.5 route miles from Portland, Maine to just south of Montreal, Quebec. A train ferry service was made across the St. Lawrence to carry trains across without the need for a bridge. Traffic on this line quickly became busy and produced a significant amount of revenue for the GTR while it was developing.
What was the name of the railroad that was named after the locomotive superintendent?
Grand Trunk Railway #209 “Trevithick” in 1859. It was named after the GTR’s locomotive superintendent at the time. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada. Canada was beginning to get some of its own regional railways, but most required the use of ships through various lake and river systems in Ontario.
When did the Intercolonial Railway begin?
Construction on the Intercolonial Railway wouldn’t begin until 1872 , by now several years after the end of the American civil war.
Where were the Grand Trunk stations built?
Around 34 of these stations were built between Toronto and Montreal. Challenges would come in Port Hope, where the Grand Trunk needed to cross the mouth of the Ganaraska River. A long steel bridge was built, high above the river but also a distance from downtown Port Hope.
When was the first union station built in Toronto?
The western extension was completed the following year. A circa 1860’s photograph of Toronto’s first union station, built 1858. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada. An early photo of Point Edward’s opulent Grand Trunk station, taken some time during the latter half of the 1800’s.
How much did GTW bid for C&NW?
When both included cash incentives GTW's leverage collapsed. By the time their bidding war had ended C&NW's offer ballooned to a staggering $781 million with Soo close behind at $571 million (Soo was ultimately declared the winner by bankruptcy Judge Thomas McMillen).
How long was the Grand Trunk Railway?
At its zenith the Grand Trunk Railway was an impressive operation, maintaining its own 800-mile corridor from Portland, Maine to Sarnia while also linking Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto. In addition, it controlled the Central Vermont along with the Michigan roads.
When was the GTW created?
Until Grand Trunk Corporation's creation in 1971 the GTW was a double-edged sword.
What did the Vanderbilts control?
They also controlled the strategic Canadian Southern (CASO) linking Detroit with Buffalo, New York via southern Ontario. The Vanderbilts, especially the Commodore, were ruthless in their aim to spread NYC's influence throughout the Northeast and Midwest.
What railroad did the Canadian National own?
It also owned a notable U.S. property, the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway (DGH&M), itself a merged system. A pair of Grand Trunk Western GP9's lead a fall foliage excursion over the Central Vermont on October 6, 1968. Power from the Canadian National's American roads tended to roam where-needed.
How many miles is DGH&M?
The DGH&M's lineage includes the Detroit & Pontiac ( opened in 1844 it operated 26 miles between its namesake cities) and Detroit & Milwaukee ( constructed from 1855 to 1870 it operated a rather substantial network of 163 miles between Pontiac and Grand Haven ). More additions followed that decade:
What carriers are in Chicago?
While smaller carriers like the Wabash, Pere Marquette, and Nickel Plate Road also reached the Chicago and Detroit market, New York Central dominated the region through its Michigan Southern (Lake Shore & Michigan Southern) and Michigan Central subsidiaries.
What gauge was used for the Grand Trunk?
Canada accordingly had its “Battle the Gauges”, even as did Great Britain. Sir Henry Tyler, when he assumed the presidential chair of the undertaking, recommended in 1867 that the 5 feet 6 inch should be adopted as the standard for the Grand Trunk, and that a purchased subsidiary stretch of 60 miles, running from Detroit to Port Huron, which had be built on the narrower, should be converted to the broader, gauge. However, the Stephenson gauge triumphed on the North American continent, so that, unlike the Great Western Railway at home, the Grand Trunk bowed to the inevitable without delay. In 1874 the broad gauge was abandoned in favour of that of 4 feet 8½ inches.
How long was the crack train between Montreal and Chicago?
Passenger traffic advanced likewise by leaps and bounds, and as this became more and more imposing no effort was spared to foster it. This policy culminated in the introduction of the “International Limited”, which to- day is Canada’s crack train, both in luxurious appointment and speed, covering the 842 miles between Montreal and Chicago in 22 hours. To- day, the Grand Trunk line between Montreal and Chicago is the busiest steel highway in the Dominion, and one of the most heavily patronised by freight and passenger upon the North American continent.
What happened to the railway between Montreal and the Lakes?
When at last the railway was completed between Montreal and the Lakes, through communication with the Atlantic sea- board was interrupted by the St. Lawrence River. Passengers were forced to detrain and cross from bank to bank, when the waterway was open, by a steam ferry. In the winter, when a sheath of ice several feet thick forced the ferry into inactivity, teams and sleighs had to be requisitioned to bridge the gap. A sleigh trip may have possessed certain elements of novelty and exhilaration to visitors, but it was not free from untoward excitement and thrill, especially towards the end of the winter when the ice breaks up. On one occasion a sleigh tooled by one of the expert railway drivers started off with its human load. Ere the middle of the river was gained there was a deafening cracking and groaning on all sides. Before those on the sleigh realised the import of the sound the whole mass of ice commenced to move bodily down stream. An immersion seemed imminent, but the driver, alert and vigilant, steered his team dexterously, and at last, when the move- ment subsided, drove frantically towards the bank, reaching it safely. But the experience proved too terrifying to one of the passengers, who died from exhaustion and fright. It may be mentioned that the ice attains such a thickness on the river as to be able to support a moving train. Indeed, in the movement of freight during the winter the Grand Trunk Railway used to lay down a light track from bank to bank, and run the trains, hauled by a small locomotive, across the ice.
What was the original highway between these two points?
The original highway between these two points was a single track, which, comparatively speaking, was laid as cheaply as possible, making curves to avoid obstacles, and with heavy banks which, as traffic grew, hindered easy, cheap, and quick
How much does the Victoria Jubilee Bridge cost?
It is 66 feet 8 inches in width, and varies from 40 to 60 feet in height, while it cost £400,000. The present linking communication, known as the Victoria Jubilee Bridge, with its double track, is likely to meet all requirements of the railway for many years to come, its capacity being practically unlimited in conjunction with the electric block system, permitting some three trains to be on each road of the bridge simultaneously.
What was the first railway in Canada?
The first attempt to provide Canada with railway facilities was unpretentious in the extreme. It was a wooden tramway extending a distance of 17.38 miles between La Prairie, opposite Montreal, and St. Johns, on the Richelieu River, so as to offer combined railway and water connection via the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, and Richelieu River with New York. This line was opened for traffic with much jubilation in 1832. But the first winter played such havoc that the wooden rails were torn up during the ensuing spring and replaced by metals. This humble beginning was on a parallel with the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway, the engines and rolling stock being of the most primitive description.
When was the first stone laid on the bridge?
The first stone was laid on July 22nd, 1854, and Ross haunted the scene day and night until the bridge was completed on November 24th, 1859. Surprises were sprung upon him and his collaborators at every turn, but every difficulty was subjugated as it developed, and with very little delay to the work. No chances were taken. The piers were built upon ample lines, and carried well down into the river bed to withstand a current of some 7 miles per hour and the terrifying ice- shoves which are set up each spring. The engineer was handicapped somewhat by the short period of the working season, which averaged only some twenty- six weeks per year, until the superstructure could be taken in hand. Every available man was crowded on, about 3,000 labourers finding employment when the task was in full swing.
What was the route of Chandragupta?
The route of Chandragupta was built over the ancient " Uttarapatha " or the Northern Road, which had been mentioned by Pāṇini. The emperor Ashoka had it recorded in his edict about having trees planted, wells built at every half kos and many "nimisdhayas", which is often translated as rest-houses along the route.
What is the name of the road that connected India to Central Asia?
The Buddhist literature and Indian epics such as Mahabharata provide the existence of Grand Trunk road even before the Mauryan empire and was called Uttarpatha or the "Northern road". The road connected the eastern region of India with Central Asia and Ancient Greece.
What is the Grand Trunk Road?
The Grand Trunk Road formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, Sarak-e-Sher Shah is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years, it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It runs roughly 2,400 km (1,491 mi) from Teknaf, Bangladesh on the border with Myanmar west to Kabul, Afghanistan, passing through Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh, Kolkata, Allahabad, Delhi, and Amritsar in India, and Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in Pakistan.
Where did the Mauryan Empire trade?
During the time of the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BCE, overland trade between India and several parts of Western Asia and Bactria world went through the cities of the north-west, primarily Takshashila and Purushapura modern-day Peshawar (in present-day in Pakistan ).
What is the Indian Institute of Technology?
A Public Works Department along with a training institute (the erstwhile Thomason College of Civil Engineering) which is now known as the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee was founded, to train and employ local surveyors, engineers, and overseers, to perform the work, and in future maintain it and other roads.
What is the highest class of roads in India?
Expressways in India – the highest class of roads in the Indian road network. Golden Quadrilateral – highway network connecting major centres of northern, western, southern and eastern India. National Highways Development Project – a project to upgrade and widen major highways in India.
What is the GT belt?
For example, during the elections in Haryana the area on either side of the GT Road from Ambala to Sonipat, which has 28 legislative assembly constituencies where there is no dominance of one caste or community, is referred to as the "GT road belt of Har yana".
When did Grand Trunk take control of the Great Western Railway?
On August 12, 1882, the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee (Successor to the Detroit & Milwaukee, one of Michigan's pioneer railroads) was acquired when the Grand Trunk took control of the Great Western Railway, a Canadian line with considerable trackage in Ontario and which had an outlet into Detroit through a line from London to Windsor. The Great Western had long been active in exchanging traffic with the D&M and had actually acquired control of the Detroit-Grand Haven line in 1877.
Where did the Grand Trunk go to get to Chicago?
The C&LH interchanged at Valparaiso with the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago (later the Pennsylvania) to reach Chicago.
Why did Vanderbilt use the Grand Trunk?
Vanderbilt thus had the Grand Trunk at his mercy and this was a position he had long sought. Because of its less direct route from Portland, Maine to Chicago, the GT has always been permitted to charge lower rates for freight. And to add to Vanderbilt's animosity toward the GT, the other eastern trunk lines (the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore & Ohio, the New York, Lake Erie & Western) tended to side with the GT in rather violent rate wars that raged at infrequent intervals.
When did the GT change to standard gauge?
In June of 1878 for example, the GT's freight charges were five cents a hundred-weight lower and through passenger fares were two dollars less. And since 1873, when the GT changed its tracks to standard gauge, it had shown the mode rapid traffic growth of any of the eastern trunk lines.
Why did the GT lose money in 1878?
Bolstered by this agreement and spurred into action by a decline of $457,000 in revenues during the last half of 1878 because of traffic losses at Port Huron and Detroit , Sir Henry faced the shareholders again on April 29, and publicly declared the GT was going to fight for an independent route to Chicago.
Overview
Grand Trunk Corporation
After several years of Canadian National subsidizing the financial losses of Grand Trunk Western, a new holding company would be established by CN in 1971 to manage GTW. The Grand Trunk Corporation was created to shift full control of GTW operations to Detroit and begin a strategy to make the railroad profitable. CN's other American properties, the Central Vermont Railway and the Duluth, …
Early history
Grand Trunk Western grew out of a collection of 19th century Michigan rail lines which included:
• Bay City Terminal Railway
• Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad
Locomotives
Grand Trunk Western was one of the last U.S. railroads to employ steam locomotives. It ran the last scheduled steam passenger train in the United States on March 27, 1960, on its train #21 from Detroit's Brush Street Station north to Durand Union Station. The run drew thousands of rail enthusiasts. With 3,600 passengers holding tickets, train #21 had to be run in two sections (as t…
Facilities
Over its history, Grand Trunk Western has had rail yards and engine terminals located in Detroit, Battle Creek, Durand, Flat Rock, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac, Port Huron, Blue Island, Illinois and Chicago. In each of these cities, GTW had engine terminals and facilities for locomotive maintenance, including roundhouses and turntables. Prior to 1910, the railroad constructed its major l…
Passenger trains
Grand Trunk Western's primary passenger trains were the Maple Leaf, the International Limited, the Inter-City Limited and The LaSalle, which provided service between Chicago's Dearborn Station and Toronto Union Station. In 1967, GTW introduced The Mohawk as a fast through train between Chicago and Brush Street Station in Detroit. Passenger operations were handed-over to Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) on May 1, 1971. Amtrak's Chicago to Port Huron train…
Car ferries
Grand Trunk Western was one of three Michigan railroads, along with the Ann Arbor Railroad and Pere Marquette Railway, that operated separate railcar ferry service across Lake Michigan between Michigan and Wisconsin. Loading rail cars onto ships that had rails mounted to their decks, and ferrying the cars east and west across Lake Michigan, allowed railroads to bypass the congested rail inte…
Notes
1. ^ Canadian National CN-News
2. ^ Galbraith's railway mail service maps, Michigan. Publ. Chicago 1897, c1898. Library of Congress. Accessed April 2020.
3. ^ Mika, Nick and Helma. Railways of Canada, A Pictoral History. 1972. McGraw Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 0-07-082815-6
Introduction
Founding & Early Development East of Toronto
- In the years leading up to the formation of the Grand Trunk, Canada was still part of British North America and was governed as the recently formed Province of Canada. While railways were gaining prominence in the United States and Britain, the vast majority of Canada had yet to see significant railway development. The challenges involved would require funding from British inve…
Further Development West of Toronto
- The Grand Trunk’s expansion west of the city would begin with a railway called the Toronto & Guelph, which was chartered by lawyer and railway promoter John W. Gwynn. First chartered as the Toronto & Goderich Railway Company in 1847, the government refused to provide the necessary subsidies to get the company off the ground. Gwynn re-chartered the railway as the T…
Mergers Galore & Securing Access to The Hinterlands
- After the explosive growth of the Grand Trunk in the 1850’s, the next decade would see less in the way of expansion due to financial issues. Security concerns were raised regarding the Grand Trunk’s connection to the east coast in Portland, Maine, located south of the border. In the event of war with the United States, this railway line could easily be severed to prevent troops from Brit…
Fierce Competition in Toronto & System-Wide
- By the 1890’s, the Grand Trunk’s board of directors saw the company underperforming against its competitors and in response would seek a new General Manager to introduce more aggressive business tactics. Charles Melville Hays would be chosen in 1896 on the advice of American financier J. Pierpont Morgan. Originally from Illinois, Hays had previous experience in executive …
The Decline and Legacy of The Grand Trunk
- There were multiple factors that contributed to the Grand Trunk’s decline and eventual bankruptcy, not the least of which was the ill-fated pacific extension under the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad subsidiary. The Grand Trunk had declined offers from the Canadian government to build Canada’s first transcontinental railway on two separate occasions in 1870 and 1880. A few decades later …
A Brief History
- Early growth was stimulated by the enormous growth of U.S. trade after 1854 caused by Canadian-American reciprocity, which meant free trade between Canada and the U.S. Chartered in 1852, it quickly purchased five local railways to link Toronto with Sarnia on the west and Montrealon the east, and also acquired a 999-year lease on the Atlantic & St. ...
Reaching Chicago
Logo
Passenger Trains
Forming The GTW
System Map
- Grand Trunk interests quickly realized that reaching Chicago would require a monumental battle with the Vanderbilts who sought to restrict competition across Michigan. While smaller carriers like the Wabash, Pere Marquette, and Nickel Plate Road also reached the Chicago and Detroit market, New York Central dominated the region through its Michigan Southern (Lake Shore & Mi…
Attempted Milwaukee Road Acquisition
- They also controlled the strategic Canadian Southern (CASO) linking Detroit with Buffalo, New York via southern Ontario. The Vanderbilts, especially the Commodore, were ruthless in their aim to spread NYC's influence throughout the Northeast and Midwest. This cutthroat approach was also instilled in his son, William, who was running the empire when the Grand Trunk made its pu…
Steam Roster
- The International Limited: (Montreal - Detroit - Chicago) Inter-City Limited: (Montreal - Detroit - Chicago) Maple Leaf: (Montreal - Detroit) At its zenith the Grand Trunk Railway was an impressive operation, maintaining its own 800-mile corridor from Portland, Maine to Sarnia while also linking Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto. In addition, it contro...
Diesel Roster
- It already controlled the Intercolonial and Prince Edward Island Railways and next brought in the financially troubled Canadian Northern (Quebec City - Vancouver) in December of 1918. The Canadian National Railways was formally created on June 6, 1919 under which all the above properties were placed. In January of 1923 the Grand Trunk Railway and its affiliates joined the …
Final Years of Independence
- Through the late 1960's the ferries still provided more than 800,000 tons in annual freight with an added incentive of bypassing congested Chicago. Unfortunately, operating the boats (City of Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Madison) was labor intensive and extremely expensive. After several attempts, GTW was finally given Interstate Commerce Commission authorization to disc…