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Victoria & Sidney Railway 1892-1919 by Darryl E. Muralt V.&S. soft cover
Victoria & Sidney Railway 1892-1919 by Darryl E. Muralt V.&S. soft cover
The Victoria & Sidney Railway 1892-1919
V. & S.
Darryl E. Muralt
Soft Cover
236 pages
Copyright 1992 ?
Contents
CHAPTER 1GENESIS
Birth of a Dream15
The Victoria and Sidney Railway 16
The Railway Assistance By-Law18
The Brethours and Irving Make Plans20
The Railway Survey22
The Chosen Route and Relocations 22
The First Annual General Meeting23
The Sidney Sawmill24
Railway Grade Construction Begins24
Rails and Equipment Arrive27
Initial Runs Over the Line29
The Sidney Sawmill Changes Hands30
The Line Opened for Service 31
CHAPTER 2THE EARLY YEARS, 1895-1899
Thomas Paterson in Charge33
First Train Operating Personnel34
First Summer in Steam35
First Service Complaints 38
The Loss of the Mary Hare39
The Old Dream Revived 42
The Elk Lake Project, 189643
First Fatality 45
The Growing Financial Crisis 45
CHAPTER 3THE TRANSPORTATION PROPOSALS OF 1899.1900
A Town in Need of a Boom47
Victoria as a Terminal Point48
T.W. Paterson's Idea48
A Proposal from Port Angeles48
The Dunsmuir Proposal50
Sorting it all Out52
The Victoria to Chilliwack Rail and Ferry Scheme53
CHAPTER 4THE SIDNEY AND NANAIMO TRANSPORTATION COMPANY
The V&S Goes to Sea57
The S.S. Iroquois57
A Season of Excursions58
CHAPTER 5THE VICTORIA TERMINAL RAILWAY AND FERRY COMPANY
From Defeat63
A Great Northern Proposal64
E.V. Bodwell's Plan64
Concessions from Victoria65
Jim Hill's Master Plan for Victoria 66
The Petition 67
The Victoria Terminal Railway By-Law 67
The Victoria City and Mainland Extensions 70,
Seeking the Nanaimo Trade72
Under Way at Last73
The Victoria Railway Extension73
Victoria Extension Begins74
Taking Over the V&S75
CHAPTER 6IN THE GULF FERRY TRADE, 1901-1902
Booming Crofton79
Croft vs. Dunsmuir80
All Aboard for Crofton81
Arrival of the S.S. Strathcona84
Sale of the Railway and Ferry Companies84
Strathcona in the Excursion Trade85
Versus the E&N88
The End of a Short, Sweet Season 89
CHAPTER 7COMPLETING THE MAINLAND CONNECTION
The Sidney-Liverpool Ferry94
The GNR Takeover95
Purchase of the S.S. Victorian 98
The Delta Extension100
CHAPTER 8A NEW SYSTEM WITH AN OLD PROBLEM
Sidney Sawmill Reopened 109
The Complaints Just Keep On Coming110
The S.S. Iroquois Changes Hands110
Accident to Brakeman Hasker112
The S.S. Iroquois - 1904112
Fires and Money Problems112
Improving the Mainland Connection 114
The Changes of 1905114
The Subsidy Claim Abandoned115
The Bombardment of Pender Island116
The Year 1906118
CHAPTER 9BRICKBATS, BARGES AND BREAKDOWNS
Upgrading the VTR&F System121
Sidney in 1907125
The Sidney Brick and Tile Works125
Coal Again126
Sale of the Mainland Section of the VTR&F126
The Improvements of 1908 128
The Sidney Brick Plant 130
CHAPTER 10THE THIRD STATION, 1908-1910
More Improvements and Changes133
Moving From the Market Building 135
The Third Victoria Station 139
Railway Operations 1908-1909141
End of the S.S. Victorian142
The Victoria Terminal and Sidney Railway in 1910144
The Railway Arraigned 146
The New Railway Terminal149
CHAPTER 11LAST YEARS OF THE S.S. IROQUOIS
Twice Thirteen - Still An Unlucky Number154
The Foundering of the Iroquois155
The Rescue157
Aftermath 158
Admiralty Court Findings 159
CHAPTER 12COMMERCE, CONFLICT AND COMPETITION, 1911-1913
The Same Old Situation - Still 163
Tragedy at Elk Lake164
In Court Again167
More at Stake 169
Coming to an Arrangement169
First Offer to Settle169
The Railway Report of January 1913171
The Improvements of 1913 173
Why Fix Up the Victoria and Sidney Railway?174
The Arrival of Electric Railway Competition 177
CHAPTER 13WAR, RED INK AND DEEP SNOW, 1914-1916
The Victoria and Sidney on Its Own181
The Great Northern Barge Slip 183
V&S 1913-14 Results185
Events of 1914-15 185
James Island Plant under Construction 185
The Competition Coming186
The Big Snow187
CHAPTER 14THE FINAL YEARS, 1917-1919
The Sidney Sawmill Re-Opened194
The Victoria and Sidney Railway - 1917 196
The V&S Bonds Mature197
The CNPR Transfer Opened for Service199
The Year of the Sidney Sawmill 200
More Railway Complaints202
Victoria and Sidney Railway in Receivership205
Over the Last Hurdle206
APPENDICESA - J.H. Gray's Railway Survey and Estimates209
B- T.W. Paterson's Construction Contract211
C - The V&S Financial Performance by Year212
D- List of Victims and Survivors of the Sinking of the S.S. Iroquois216
E- Department of Railways Improvement Order217
F - Railway Plant and Equipment218
G- First and Last V&S Payrolls220
H- Walter Bate Reminiscences221
I - Old Sidney As Remembered by Moran Brethour 224
Characters by Affiliation226
Chronology227
Numbered Notes229
Other References230
Photo Credits231
Index232
LIST OF MAPS
Southern Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Fraser Valley10
Saanich Peninsula, Circa 1895 17
Survey Relocation, Miles 0 to 4.5, 1893: 25
Survey Relocation, Miles 13 to 16, 189326
Beaver Lake Grade Relocation, 1893 29
Sidney Trackage, 1895 - 190234
Location of Spurs and Sidings between Victoria and Sidney, Circa 189544
Main Ports of Call by the S.S. Iroquois, 1900 - 191158
Market Building Extension, 1902 76
Sidney Trackage, 1902 - 191092
Great Northern Railway's Lower Mainland Trackage, Circa 190896
The Port Guichon Terminal of the VTR&F, Circa 1903101
The Relocation of the Victoria Station to Blanshard St., 1910 140
Sidney Trackage, 1911 - 1913167
Saanich Peninsula, Circa 1915 178
Sidney Trackage, 1914 -182
Sidney Sawmill Layout201
Old Sidney as Remembered by Moran Brethour 225
The Saga of the Railway
It began as part of a dream - a dream to directly connect lower Vancouver Island to the transcontinental lines by rail and ferry. While that expectation was fulfilled, for some its continued existence became a nightmare. Its schedule was by no means punctual. The roadbed and equipment received minimal maintenance. Some of its station facilities defined the word "rustic". Its owners were content to ask the Victoria and provincial governments for annual interest guarantee payments. There was little incentive for it to be profitable. But, for two decades, beginning in the 1890s, the "Cordwood Limited", as it came to be known, was the only service, apart from rural dirt roads, that Saanich Peninsula residents had for travelling to and from Victoria or for shipping and receiving farm products and other goods.
When its 25 year bond issue came due in 1917, it became an unwanted utility destined for receivership.
This is a story of great expectations, shrewd business, and political dealing. At the same time, it gives a glimpse of the early growth of the Saanich Peninsula and the town of Sidney.
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