Railways in Southern British Columbia

1880s

1883

• CPR reaches British Columbia from the east by end of season
• Northern Pacific completes mainline (via Sandpoint, Spokane) [Peter]

1884

• CPR reaches Rogers Pass by end of season

1885

• November, 7 - Last spike in Eagle Pass, November 7, 1885

1887

• Hall brothers discover silver near Nelson(McCulloch's Wonder, p19)

1888

• April - Corbin gets charter for Spokane Falls & Northern Railway(McCulloch's Wonder, p21)

1889

• SF&N reaches Little Dalles(McCulloch's Wonder, p21)
• Columbia & Kootenay Steam Navigation Company (CKSN) founded, serving SF&N (McCulloch's Wonder, p24)

1890s

1890

• August, 20 - CPR charters Columbia & Kootenay Railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p24)
• James Baker obtains BC charter for British Columbia Southern Railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p22)

1891

• Spring - C&K completed to Nelson (McCulloch's Wonder, p24)
• Silver found in Sandon (')
• Two railroads chartered to build to Nicola that both died. Nicola Valley Railway (backed by CPR) [Spences Bridge to Nicola] and Nicola, Kamloops & Similkameen Coal & Railway Company (indep.) [Kamloops to Nicola to Princton and Osoyoos] (McCulloch's Wonder, p{{{p}}})

1892

• Shuswap & Okanagan (S&O) - built from Sicamous to Vernon - only know built before or during 1893 (CPR). (McCulloch's Wonder, p27)
• N&S receives charter (')

1893

• December - N&FS opens to Five Mile Point (McCulloch's Wonder, p26)
• Great Northern Railway mainline completed (via Jennings, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Spokane) (McCulloch's Wonder, p28)
• August, Northern Pacific Railway bankrupt (McCulloch's Wonder, p29) and obtained by Great Northern (McCulloch's Wonder, p44)

1894

• October - N&S reaches Three Forks (')

1895

• April - K&S construction started (McCulloch's Wonder, p32)
• October, late - K&S reaches Sandon (McCulloch's Wonder, p32)
• December, 15 - N&S reaches Sandon (McCulloch's Wonder, p32)

1896

• January - C&W charter for Trail to Penticton by Heinze (McCulloch's Wonder, p35)
• Trail smelter built by Heinze (McCulloch's Wonder, p34)
• Rossland to Trail narrow gauge built by Heinze (McCulloch's Wonder, p34)
• December - CPR buys CKSN (McCulloch's Wonder, p37)
• CPR buys BCSR charter (McCulloch's Wonder, p38)
• CPR signs Crows Nest Agreement with federal government (McCulloch's Wonder, p39)
• Vancouver businessmen charter Vancouver, Victoria & Eastern Railway & Navigation Company (VV&E) from Vancouver to Kootenays (McCulloch's Wonder, p40)
• December - Heinz starts construction on C&W (McCulloch's Wonder, p41)
• CPR builts Revelstoke to Arrowhead (The Skyline Limited, p49)

1897

• June, 16 - Heinz (C&W) fails in merger with VV&E (McCulloch's Wonder, p41)
• September 23 - Mackenzie & Mann acquire controlling interest in VV&E (McCulloch's Wonder, p45)
• C&K completed up Slocan Valley to Slocan City (')
• September - Heinz's C&W connects Trail to Robson West [Peter]

1898

• February - Heinz sells Rossland, smelter, and half C&W to CPR (McCulloch's Wonder, p42)
• March 19 - Corbin charters Kettle River Valley Railway in US to connect Boundary with his SF&N but denied Canadian portion (McCulloch's Wonder, p43)
• June 15 - VV&E (Mann) agrees to build from Miday to Coast, CPR agrees to build from Kootenays only to Midway (McCulloch's Wonder, p47)
• June 27 - VV&E starts construction at Penticton (McCulloch's Wonder, p47)
• July 1 - Great Northern obtains control of Corbin's SF&N (McCulloch's Wonder, p44)
• October 15 - Last spike on CPRs Crows Nest to Kootenay Landing railway built in just over year (McCulloch's Wonder, p44)
• late - CPR works on C&W (McCulloch's Wonder, p48)

1899

• early - CPR works on C&W (McCulloch's Wonder, p48)
• February 27 - new BC Government (Semlin) cancels subsidies to VV&E (McCulloch's Wonder, p48)
• June - Shaughnessy succeeds Van Horne as president of the CPR (McCulloch's Wonder, p48)
• September 18 - CPR complets C&W to Grand Forks, grading to Midway (McCulloch's Wonder, p49)

1900s

1900

• early - CPR has track to Midway and Eholt (McCulloch's Wonder, p49)
• January - CPR surveys from Midway to Hope (McCulloch's Wonder, p50)
• May - Granby Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company opens first mine at Phoenix (McCulloch's Wonder, p65)
• June - James Dunsmiur becomes BC premier (McCulloch's Wonder, p53)
• August - Granby Consolidated opens smelter in Grand Forks (McCulloch's Wonder, p65)
• December 13 - VV&E sold to Great Northern and CPR announces plan for Vancouver & Grand Forks (McCulloch's Wonder, p54)

1901

• March 28 - Dunsmiur announces subsidy award for Kootenay and coast railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p56)
• May 11 - Midway & Vernon (M&V) (independent) receives provincial charter.(McCulloch's Wonder, p81) Subsidy increased in spring 1902 but no construction yet.
• May 23 - Kettle River Valley Railway receives federal Charter and Republic & Kettle River (US) by Holland (McCulloch's Wonder, p68)
• June - Great Northern gains complete control of VV&E (McCulloch's Wonder, p58)
• July - GN starts construction on Washington & Great Northern (US) north up Kettle River to Canada from Marcus(WA). Also started building from GN mainline to Crowsnest area.(McCulloch's Wonder, p58)
• July - BC Government commissions Edgar Dewdney to survey Hope Mountains for a railway route (McCulloch's Wonder, p59)
• August 31 - Construction starts on Kettle River Valley Railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p68)
• October 28 - KRVR-R&KR receives first locomotive (McCulloch's Wonder, p68)

1902

• January 2 - KRVR-R&KR reaches Curlew (McCulloch's Wonder, p69)
• January - GN blocked from Grand Forks by KRVR
• CPR builds from Nelson to Proctor (McCulloch's Wonder, p256)
• April 12 - KRVR-R&KR completes Grand Forks to Republic (US) (McCulloch's Wonder, p73)
• W&GN (GN) completes from Carson (Grand Forks) to Republic (McCulloch's Wonder, p74)
• June - Dunsmuir charters Vancouver & Coast-Kootenay Railway for BC McLean brothers. (McCulloch's Wonder, p62)
• June 9 - VV&E comples from Cascade to Carson (south of Grand Forks) (GN) (McCulloch's Wonder, p74)
• November 9 - GN crosses KRVR tracks into Grand Forks, which KRVR blocks by parking locomotive across (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• November GN completed to Granby Smelter (at Grand Forks) [Peter]
• Columbia River bridge completed at Robson [Peter]
• CPR builds Kootenay and Arrowhead from Lardeau to Gerrard [Peter] (The Skyline Limited, p179)
• late - Tracy Holland resigns as head of Kettle Valley (McCulloch's Wonder, p76)

Note: Kettle River Valley Railway (CDN) and Republic & Kettle River Railway (US) were merged into single entity called Kettle Valley Lines

1903

• September - Vancouver & Coast-Kootenay Railway starts token construction (McCulloch's Wonder, p63)
• October - Vancouver & Coast-Kootenay dies
• William Hamilton Merritt revives charter for Nicola, Kamloops & Similkameen Coal & Railway Company (see 1891)

1904

• January 1 - Midway & Vernon (independent) starts token construction at Vernon - one man with wheelbarrow to sustain charter(McCulloch's Wonder, p82) built 1/4 of mile over several years

1905

• June 20 - grading starts on Spences Bridge to Nicola railway NK&S (McCulloch's Wonder, p91)
• July 5 - M&V starts construction from Midway end (under McLean brothers) (McCulloch's Wonder, p83)
• November - M&V completes grading from Midway to Rock Creek (McCulloch's Wonder, p84) but did not get further. Officially disolved in 1927. (McCulloch's Wonder, p86)
• November 12 - CPR leases NK&S from Mr. Merritt. CPR talks of connecting it to Midway. (McCulloch's Wonder, p90)

1906

• CPR's Nicola Branch under construction (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• January 8 - NK&S starts laying track at Spences Bridge up Nicola
• June 16 - Kettle Valley starts slowly building north from Grand Forks (McCulloch's Wonder, p77)
• October 31 - NK&S approved between Spences Bridge and Coutlee (McCulloch's Wonder, p92)

1907

• CPR's Nicola Branch completed (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• January 22 - first coal leaves Nicola Valley (McCulloch's Wonder, p94)
• April - NK&S starts operation to Nicola (McCulloch's Wonder, p92)
• June 24 - Kettle Valley Lines completes track through Grand Forks (McCulloch's Wonder, p77)
• end of summer - KVL built to 18 miles north of Grand Forks (McCulloch's Wonder, p77)
• general depression causes drop in copper prices so KVL suspends operating to Republic (McCulloch's Wonder, p78)

1910s

1911

• July 1 - Construction starts on Kettle Valley Railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)

1913

• spring - Trout Creek Bridge near Summerland under construction (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• December - construction starts on Fraser River bridge at Hope (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)

1914

• Myra Canyon trestles under construction (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• October - Railway complete between Penticton and Midway (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)

1915

• April - construction just east of Princton (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• April 23 - Last spike on Midway to Merrit section at Princeton (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)
• May 31 - offical opening of the Kettle Valley Railway (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+) trains operating between Summerland and Princeton (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)
• September - Slide Creek Bridge (m31.8) Coquihalla Subdivision under construction (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)
• December - construction on Coquihalla pass but not completed until 1916 (work restarted in May 1916) (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)

1916

• May - work restarts on finishing Coquihalla pass (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)
• July - work still ongoing on Coquihalla pass (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)
• July late - work done on Coquihalla pass (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)

1920s

1920

• October - Copper Mountain Subdivision opens (McCulloch's Wonder, p96+)

1930s

1931

• CPR completes railway between Proctor and Kootenay Landing along Kootenay Lake (McCulloch's Wonder, p256)

1940s

1942

• Kootenay & Arrowhead (K&A) abandoned from Lardeau and Gerrard (The Skyline Limited, p179)

1960s

1967

• track at Hope ends just east of Station, abandoned earlier (McCulloch's Wonder, p64+)

1970s

1977

• CPR bargeslip at Lardeau abandoned (The Skyline Limited, p179)

1980s

1980

• track between Merritt and Nicola (the Nicola spur) removed (McCulloch's Wonder, p261)

1988

• Merritt's station closed (McCulloch's Wonder, p261)

1990s

1991

• track between Spences Bridge and Penticton pulled up (McCulloch's Wonder, p261)