SIGNIFICANT DATES IN KINGSTON RAILWAY HISTORY


This list has been prepared by David Page.

Items marked  indicate changes to the corporate structure of Kingston area railways.
Sources: These are shown on the right hand side (the second number is the page number) with an explanation at the end of the list.
The entries in this listing are shown in chronological order. You may either scroll through or click on the dates below.
 
1860
1880
1900
1920
1940
1960
1980
2000
 
 

1846, 12 26     Wolfe Island, Kingston & Toronto Railroad Co. incorporated. (expired)    1   649      


1851 --            Wolfe Island. Railway & Canal Co. (only canal built)          1   649                      
 
1851, 07 31     Provincial gauge (5ft 6ins) brought into law          9  14                                   
1852, 11 10     Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) Act received Royal Assent      9  13                   
  1854 --            Ontario Foundry founded       2  161                                                                
  1856 --            GTR Kingston (Outer) Station opened         6  18                                          
  1856, 10 --      Ontario Foundry delivered first locomotives      9  31                                    
 
1856, 10 27     First GTR passenger trains through Kingston        13 –                                 



  1860, 11 02     GTR Kingston Branch opened (freight only)     6  34                                     
1864 --            Ontario Foundry became Canadian Engine and Machine Co.   2  165              

  1870 --            Provincial gauge law repealed    9 20                                                             
 1871, 02 15     Gananoque & Rideau Railway (later Thousand Islands Railway) incorporated   4  145
1871, 04 14     Kingston & Pembroke Rly. incorporated      5  167                                          
  1872, summer K&P construction started       5  168                                                                 
 
1873, 10 04     GTR regauged Toronto - Montreal main line to standard       16  367                                   
  1875, 06 17     K&P opened, Kingston- Iron Jct.(Godfrey)   5  168/9                                          
 
1876 --            First K&P roundhouse built in Kingston     14  03                                          
  1876, 05 09     K&P opened to Sharbot Lake    5  53                                                            
 
1877, 02 02     Kingston Street Rly. opened (horse operation)   11  7                                     
1878, --           Canadian Engine & Machine Co. became Canadian Locomotive and Engineering Co.  2  173
1879, 05 15     Incorporation of Napanee, Tamworth & Quebec Ry.  (NTQ)    4  32              



1881, 03 12     Incorporation of Bay of Quinte Railway (BoQ)      4  26                                         
  1881, 12 29     First BoQ train Deseronto-Deseronto Jct.              
4  66                               
  1882 --            GTR opened Hanley Station on Kingston Branch          4  66                         
1883, 08          NTQ brought under BoQ control           4  70                              
  1883, 11 17     First G&R train into Gananoque            10 29                             
  1883, fall          NTQ acquired running rights in Kingston                  4  70                                
  1884 --            K&P Kingston station built                  12 23                             
  1884, 01 01     G&R opened for traffic         4  145                               
  1884, 04 04     G&R became Thousand Island Railway       10 28                                          
  1884, 08 04     Ontario & Quebec Rly Co. completed         10 28                                           
  1884, 08 04     First NTQ train into Tamworth              4  83                                                
  1885 --            GTR Kingston Branch suburban service started       6  38                               
  1889, 02 09     BoQ acquired running rights over K&P into Kingston      4  70                      
 

 
1890, 04 24     NTQ renamed Kingston, Napanee & Western Railway (KNW)     4  101                            
1891, 09 24     KNW became part of BoQ           4  70                                                          
1893, 09          KSR electrified and renamed Kingston, Portsmouth and Cataraqui Street Railway    11  7             
1893, 11 02     KNW service to Sydenham opened               4  105                                         
1895  --           Kingston Penitentiary tramway in service (see notes)      15 back                       
1897 --            “Electric” added to KPCSR name         11  8                                                  
1897, 01 01     KNW merged with BoQ                  4  70                                                      


1901 --            Canadian Locomotive and Engine Co. renamed The Canadian Locomotive Co.    2  199            
1901, 11          Canadian Pacific acquired 73% of K&P        5  180                                          
1903 --            GTR completes double tracking, Toronto-Montreal   9  17                              
1903, 06 12     BoQ opened Napanee-Deseronto link     4  116
1906, July 22 - The Grand Trunk Railway changes from left to right hand running on double track sections. The change involved considerable alteration in crossovers, switches and semaphore signals.        16  390                                         

1911  --           The Canadian Locomotive Co renamed The Canadian Locomotive Co Ltd (CLC)     2  221                           
1911, 03 06     TIR acquired by GTR            4  149                                                                
1911, 07 05     GTR sleeping car service started ex Hanley Station       6  41                          
1912  --           New K&P roundhouse built in Kingston           14  4                                     
1912  --           GTR freight shed opened on Wellington St., Kingston        6  121                   
1913  --           Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) Rideau Sub completed         7  123                                                        
1913, 01 01     K&P leased by CP for 999 years        5  181                                                     
1914, 06 20     BoQ became part of CNoR       4  57                                                              

 

1922, 08          K&P flyover CN/GTR built       5  182                                                             
1923, 01 19     GTR acquired by Government of Canada          9  18                                               
1925, 12 31     CN discontinues former BoQ service into Kingston           5  177                      
1928, 11 28     CN #9000 (first mainline diesel loco) shipped ex CLC, Kingston            2  256   
1929, 01 08     CN ended sleeping car service ex Hanley Station          6  41                          

1930, 01 04     CN ended Kingston Branch suburban service      6  45                                   
1930, 03 01     KPCESR carbarn burned, operation ceased        11  70                                      
1930, 06          CN (“Dupont”) spur opened to grain elevator, Kingston      6  78                           


1940s               Last KPCESR track removed                                                                  
1941, 04 21     CN(BoQ) line, Tweed –Yarker, abandoned         4  192                              
1947, 08 10     CN passenger engine overturns at Outer Station        6  161                                 
1948, 08 20     Last steam loco delivered from CLC to a Canadian Railway (CP 1301)        2  26        


1951, 08 01     CLC “Diesel Day”, “City of Kingston” FM demonstrator set         2  65                    
1954, 06 08     BoQ merged with CNoR Consolidated Rys.              4  135                                
1956, 06          CNoR Consol. Rys. merged with CNR            4  135                                             
1957, 06 15     Last through mixed train on K&P                    14  4                                           
1958, 12 12     TIR merged with CNR                                4  149                                                


1960, 06 21     Last mixed train on K&P                 14  4                                                           
1961, 12 29     Last through freight on K&P               14  7                                                        
1962 or 63       CN downtown(Wellington St.) freight shed closed              6  56                       
1964, 02          K&P Sharbot Lake – Tichborne abandoned      14  7                                     
1965  --           Limestone City & Cent. Park Steam Ry Co." set up for loco 1095  3  33
1966, July 4      CP D10, 1095, placed on display in Centennial Park         

1968, 07 12      Last loco to leave CLC plant       2 308/9                                                               


1970  --            CNR(GTR) downtown freight shed demolished       6  121                                   
1970, 09 28      Visit of Flying Scotsman (ex-London and North Eastern Railway 4-6-2 #4472). Last steam train on K&P  8, No. 117                 
1971  --            CP “O&Q” line abandoned    7  125                                                                     
1974  --            K&P Kingston turntable sent to Wakefield QC       14  4                                     
1974, 05 04      Visit of RDC 9072 to Kingston. Last passenger train on K&P (?)         DVD         
1974, 10 25      New CN(VIA) station opened on Counter Street with the construction of a new bypass line through a rock cut north of Outer Station  between Montreal St and Division St. This was also notable in that it was continuous welded rail on concrete ties.       6  107                                
1976, 03          Old Montreal Street CN underpass removed             6  183                                


1984 --             CN(CNoR) Rideau Sub abandoned           7  125                                        
1986 --             CN Napanee-Deseronto branch abandoned           7  125                            
1986, 05 09      K&P Kingston-Tichborne abandoned         14  7                                                 


2006, 27 10     150th anniversary of GTR/CNR/VIA passenger service                                  


Source codes
1. “Statutory History of Canadian Steam and Electric Railways”
2. “Constructed in Kingston”.
3. “In Search of the K&P”.
4. “Lost Horizons”.
5. “The O & Q”.
6. “At the Bend in the Road – Kingston”.
7. “Lines of Country”.
8. “Kingston Rail”.
9. “Railroad History”, no.147
10.  “By Rail, Road and Water to Gananoque”.
11. “Kingston, Portsmouth and Cataraqui Electric Ry.”.
12. ORHC.
13. VIA 150th anniversary release.
14. “Old Time Trains  -- CPR Trenton Division”.
15. “Kingston Penitentiary – 150 years”.
16. Canadian National Railways - Synoptical History October 15, 1962.

Last updated on 1 May 2007.

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