Cornwall Street Railway

Cornwall Street Railway
Streetcars on Pitt Street in 1920.
Overview
LocaleCornwall, Ontario, Canada
Dates of operation1896–1971 (end of freight service)
SuccessorCornwall Transit
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationYes, Voltage?

The Cornwall Street Railway was an electric street railway in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada that operated from 1896[1] until 1949, and then as a trolleybus service until 1971 when it was replaced by a conventional bus service known as Cornwall Transit.[2][3][4] For much of its history, the company was owned by Sun Life Assurance.

The Street Railway was one of a very few that also ran freight using electric locomotives on the same lines, connecting the industrial areas along the river bank on either side of town to the Grand Trunk Railway on the northern side of town. Freight services continued after the passenger service ended.

The original operating company remains as Cornwall Electric. The company sold power from its hydroelectric assets on the St. Lawrence River since its formation, and today operates as a local distribution company. Although the main lines in the downtown area were lifted in the 1950s, a number of lines outside town remain in use as industrial spurs.

  1. ^ Wyatt, David A. (15 April 2011). "Transit History of Cornwall, Ontario". University of Manitoba. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference TrainwebA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference cornwallseawaynews2018-09-13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference standard-freeholder2019-12-02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).