Railways of Canada by Jim Lotz & Keith MacKenzie w/ dust ajcket

$9.01

RailroadTreasures offers the following item:

INTRODUCTION

With the second largest land area of any nation on Earth, Canada possesses a vastness which could, in the nineteenth century, be brought into human scale only by rail transport. Indeed, this huge and rugged country was first defined as a nation by its railways.

Canada is today home to the only two railways-Canadian National and Canadian Pacific-which truly span the entire North American continent. They each cover roughly 75 degrees of the Earth's circumference, while Australia's continent-spanning India Pacific and America's great Southern Pacific span barely 35 degrees. Even the great Trans Siberian Railway in the Soviet Union-the longest railway in the world-spans only 85 degrees. As in the Russian Empire of the nineteenth century, Canada's vast horizons cried out for the power of steel rails to bind its cities, outposts and wilderness into a single great civilization. The tiny Champlain and St Lawrence Railroad Company, the first of the building blocks that would become CN, was the first-ever steam railway in the country, making its maiden run in 1836.

A little over 100 years ago Canada was not yet truly a nation. The Canadian Confederation, created in 1867, consisted of only four provinces: Quebec. Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; British Columbia in the far west remained a crown colony. Between the burgeoning provinces of the east and the growing settlement on the Pacific coast was a vast, virtual wilderness, unknown and sparsely populated. By 1871, only 23,000 of Canada's 3.5 million inhabitants lived west of Lake Superior. With all the available arable land gradually being occupied in the United States, some American politicans and settlers spoke of annexing the prairies to the north; these virtually unprotected territories had yet to become part of Canada. Sir John A Macdonald, prime minister of Canada from 1867 to 1873 and again from 1878 to 1891, had long been concerned about pressures; and in response, the fledgling Canadian government drew Manitoba and British Columbia into the Confederation in 1870 and 1871, respectively.

If Canada was to become a strong, progressive and united country, a network of railways to bind it together-from the eastern provinces to the Pacific Ocean, from the arctic wastelands to the fertile prairies-was necessary. When the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia, on 7 November 1885, Canada gained a new world image and a new sense of identity. This new railway was more than just two ribbons of steel-it was an instrument of national unity, and later a source of friction. Canadian National is just as much a part of Canadian history. These two railways now control 80 percent of the rail miles in Canada.

This book is an overview of today's Canadian railways. It details the histories of the various companies that played important roles in the development of Canada as a modern nation. In particular, large, separate sections are devoted to Canadian Pacific and Canadian National, whose stories are directly linked with that of the nation of Canada. The story of Canada's railways is indeed the story of Canada herself.

All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.

Shipping charges

Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.

Payment options

Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.

Terms and conditions

All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.

Thanks for looking at our items.