Niagara Rails - CP Lines

This page highlights railways associated with or annexed by the Canadian Pacific Railway system.

Erie&Ontario / Fort Erie Railway / Erie&Niagara

Canada Southern Railway

The Erie and Niagara Extension Railway was chartered in 1868 and renamed in 1869 as the Canada Southern Railway (CASO) [Ref 2]. CASO was financed by American investors to provide a bridge route (ie. traffic was primarily end-to-end) between Buffalo and Detroit. Rail-ferries were used to cross the Niagara and Detroit Rivers. The line originated in Fort Erie and moved westward through Stevensville, Welland, Wainfleet, Moulton, Attercliffe, Canfield, Hagersville and continued through St. Thomas to Windsor. Operations over the main line started in early 1873. In late 1873 the International Railway Bridge [Ref 2] from Fort Erie to Buffalo was completed and rail-ferry operation to Buffalo ceased. In 1873 CASO also gained running rights to Hamilton from Hagersville on the Hamilton & Lake Erie Railway. In 1872 CASO had purchased the E&N to operate as a branch line from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. In 1874 they won court approval for access to the GWR's Railway Suspension Bridge at Niagara Falls.

The Canada Southern overextended itself and fell into financial difficulty in the 1873 depression. However it avoided bankruptcy in 1876 when Cornelius Vanderbilt [Ref 2] purchased controlling interest and arranged for the New York Central and the Michigan Central (both of which he already controlled) to interchange cars with CASO. In 1883 CASO built a double-tracked line (the first double-tracked line in Niagara) from Niagara Falls to its line east of Welland to avoid the Niagara Falls-Fort Erie-Welland roundabout. View freight customers for a 1950's snapshot.

The Canada Southern was leased and operated by the Michigan Central (1883-1929), the NYC (1929-1968), Penn Central (1968-1976) and ConRail (1976-1985). In 1895 CASO acquired an 18% share in the TH&B. In 1904 the Pere Marquette obtained operating rights on CASO lines. In 1976 CASO sold its 18% share of the TH&B to CP Rail. In 1985 the Canada Southern was acquired by the CN/CP consortium. The assets were split between CN and CP and in following years abandoned except for the Fort Erie to Welland (CP) and Welland to Fargo (CN) routes.

Michigan Central

In 1883 the Michigan Central Railroad (MC), a large mid-western system controlled by Vanderbilt [Ref 2], opened its double-tracked Cantilever Bridge [ref2] at Niagara Falls. It then leased and operated the Canada Southern as its Canadian Division. Michigan Central trains could cross the Niagara River at either Niagara Falls or Fort Erie. In 1895 it acquired an 18% share in the TH&B. In 1900 the International Railway Bridge at Fort Erie was refurbished, replacing the pedestrian walk with a second track. In 1904 the Michigan Central extended its lease on the Canada Southern for another 999 years. In 1925 the Michigan Central replaced its cantilever bridge with a steel arch bridge. In the 1950's the Michigan Central was merged into the New York Central.

Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo

The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was incorporated in 1892 to provide Hamilton with direct rail links to New York, Michigan and Toronto. It immediately purchased the Brantford, Waterloo and Lake Erie (BW&LE) which ran from Waterford to Brantford and then extended the line from Brantford to Hamilton. This line was known as the Waterford Sub. At Waterford, traffic was interchanged with the Michigan Central (Canada Southern) for points west (including Detroit). In 1895 the TH&B became a shared ownership (syndicate) of the Canadian Pacific (27%), New York Central (37%), Michigan Central (18%) and the Canada Southern (18%). The TH&B then built a line called the Welland Sub from Hamilton to the south-east through Stoney Creek, Grassie, Smithville, St. Anns and Fenwick to Welland (Coyle Yard). From Welland, the TH&B used running rights over CASO tracks to Fort Erie and Niagara Falls. Beginning in 1896, the TH&B ran trains from Hamilton to Toronto, using CPR running rights on Grand Trunk (CNR) tracks. Short branch lines also ran from Hamilton to Dundas, from Chantler Junction (west of Welland) to north of Ridgeville and from Smithville to Dunnville and Pt. Maitland. At Pt. Maitland cars were rail-ferried to Ohio and Pennsylvania ports by the TH&B Navigation Company. In 1911 freight interchange began with the NS&T at Welland (Coyle). In 1976 CP Rail became full owner of the TH&B and continues to operate that route under its own logo.

New York Central / Penn Central

The New York Central [ref2] was created in 1853 by a consolidation of several existing lines between Buffalo and Albany. In 1867 it came under the control of Cornelius Vanderbilt who merged it with his Hudson River Railroad .The merged New York Central & Hudson River Railroad ran from Buffalo to New York City. In 1914 the name was shortened to the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The Michigan Central merged into the New York Central in the 1950's.

In 1968 the New York Central was merged into the Penn Central Railroad. The Penn Central filed for bankruptcy in 1970. In 1976 it sold its share of the TH&B (56%) to CP Rail. In 1976 its remaining Canadian assets (the Michigan Central Steel Arch Bridge, the Detroit River Tunnel and 71.5% of the Canada Southern) were transferred to the Consolidated Rail Corporation (ConRail). In 1985 ConRail sold these assets to a CN/CP consortium. The CN/CP consortium also acquired the remaining 28.5% of CASO held by others at this time.

Canadian Pacific Railway/CP Rail

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) is a historic line in Canada but was slow to penetrate into the Niagara area. In 1895 it acquired a 27% share in the TH&B. In 1968 the Canadian Pacific was renamed CP Rail. In 1976 it purchased the remaining shares of the TH&B from Penn Central and CASO. In 1985 CP Rail gained several properties from the CN/CP consortium including: a 50% share of the Detroit River Tunnel (DRT), the Michigan Central Steel Arch Bridge and the Ft. Erie to Welland and Niagara Falls to Welland routes of the former Canada Southern. In following years the CASO assets were abandoned except for the Ft. Erie to Welland route. The Michigan Central Steel Arch Bridge sits disused since 2001. In 1996 CP returned to its original Canadian Pacific Railway name.