Kaslo and Slocan Railway
Encyclopedia
The Kaslo and Slocan Railway was a narrow gauge gauge railway between Kaslo
, Slocan
, and the mining community of Sandon
in the Kootenay
region of British Columbia
between 1895 and 1955 totalling about 53 km (33 mi) of track. It was operated originally by the Great Northern Railway and later by the Canadian Pacific Railway
.
was served by steamers connecting with railways near Creston
and Nelson, British Columbia
.
The railway was built west up Kaslo River to the pass with Seaton Creek, passed across the hill above the boom town of Three Forks to Sandon. The Canadian Pacific Railway had already reached Three Forks in late 1894 by building from the west from Nakusp
on the Arrow Lakes
with its Nakusp and Slocan Railway
. Both railways reached Sandon in late 1895.
Construction on the railway started in 1895 after obtaining financial backing from the Great Northern Railway which was seeking advantages against the Canadian Pacific Railway
and traffic for its mainline at Spokane. Great Northern had gained control of the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway
in 1893 which gave it access to Kootenay Lake. Great Northern bought out the original investors in 1897 making the railway part of the Great Northern system under the Kootenay Railway and Navigation banner. Much of the ore from the K&S was shipped to US smelters, providing traffic for the GN.
The Kaslo and Slocan faced stiff competition with the CPR's Nakusp and Slocan for the ore from the mines. On December 16, 1895, crews from the Kaslo and Slocan attacked and demolished the station the CPR had just built on land disputed between the two railways. The CPR relocated the station to other land. Both railways competed with building spurs to service mines in order to obtain ore traffic destined for the other railway.
The K&S was very profitable in the later 1890s. The railway had high operating costs because of its location along the side of step hills, many of which had been burned in forest fires, which subject the line to frequent snow and mud slides. In 1900, when Sandon burned to the ground and labour problems at the mines spelt an end to the boom years causing financial problems for the railway. By 1904, the line was losing money on each train it ran.
In 1908, service was suspended to Sandon, with trains only servicing as far as McGuigan because expensive repairs needed to be done to bridges damaged by spring slides. While the track was rebuilt, service was never restored. In 1910, a serious forest fire burned much of the remaining major bridges and snow shed
s.
The region had a moderate boom during World War I with the increased need for minerals but otherwise experienced gradual decline in rail tracks. The CPR operated the line until it was abandoned. The pass between Sandon and Kaslo was severed in 1955 due to flooding.
Kaslo, British Columbia
Kaslo is a village in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, located on the west shore of Kootenay Lake. Known for its great natural beauty, it is a member municipality of the Central Kootenay Regional District...
, Slocan
Slocan, British Columbia
The Village of Slocan, commonly known as Slocan City, is a village in the Slocan Valley of the West Kootenay region of the southeastern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
, and the mining community of Sandon
Sandon, British Columbia
Sandon is a ghost town in British Columbia, Canada. It is also the birthplace of hockey Hall of Fame member Cecil "Tiny" Thompson.-Location:Sandon is located in the Selkirk Mountains, about ten kilometers east of the town of New Denver.-History:...
in the Kootenay
Kootenays
The Kootenay Region comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Ktunaxa First Nation first encountered by explorer David Thompson.-Boundaries:The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay Land...
region of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
between 1895 and 1955 totalling about 53 km (33 mi) of track. It was operated originally by the Great Northern Railway and later by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
.
History as K&S
After silver was found in the mountains near what is now known as Sandon in 1891, several investors obtained a provincial charter in 1892 to build a railway between Kaslo and the new mines. Kaslo, on the shore of Kootenay LakeKootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
was served by steamers connecting with railways near Creston
Creston, British Columbia
Creston is a town of 4,826 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The town is located just a few kilometers north of the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into the United States and about a three-hour drive north from Spokane, Washington. It is about a one-hour drive...
and Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
.
The railway was built west up Kaslo River to the pass with Seaton Creek, passed across the hill above the boom town of Three Forks to Sandon. The Canadian Pacific Railway had already reached Three Forks in late 1894 by building from the west from Nakusp
Nakusp, British Columbia
The Village of Nakusp is a small community located on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, a portion of the Columbia River, in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia...
on the Arrow Lakes
Arrow Lakes
The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky...
with its Nakusp and Slocan Railway
Nakusp and Slocan Railway
The Nakusp and Slocan Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in southeastern British Columbia.Its line ran between Nakusp, New Denver, British Columbia and Sandon, British Columbia in the Kootenay region of British Columbia....
. Both railways reached Sandon in late 1895.
Construction on the railway started in 1895 after obtaining financial backing from the Great Northern Railway which was seeking advantages against the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and traffic for its mainline at Spokane. Great Northern had gained control of the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway
Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway
The Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in the southern interior of British Columbia.The N&FS connected the city of Nelson with the International Boundary at Waneta, near Trail. The line was acquired by the Great Northern Railway in 1898.-History:The...
in 1893 which gave it access to Kootenay Lake. Great Northern bought out the original investors in 1897 making the railway part of the Great Northern system under the Kootenay Railway and Navigation banner. Much of the ore from the K&S was shipped to US smelters, providing traffic for the GN.
The Kaslo and Slocan faced stiff competition with the CPR's Nakusp and Slocan for the ore from the mines. On December 16, 1895, crews from the Kaslo and Slocan attacked and demolished the station the CPR had just built on land disputed between the two railways. The CPR relocated the station to other land. Both railways competed with building spurs to service mines in order to obtain ore traffic destined for the other railway.
The K&S was very profitable in the later 1890s. The railway had high operating costs because of its location along the side of step hills, many of which had been burned in forest fires, which subject the line to frequent snow and mud slides. In 1900, when Sandon burned to the ground and labour problems at the mines spelt an end to the boom years causing financial problems for the railway. By 1904, the line was losing money on each train it ran.
In 1908, service was suspended to Sandon, with trains only servicing as far as McGuigan because expensive repairs needed to be done to bridges damaged by spring slides. While the track was rebuilt, service was never restored. In 1910, a serious forest fire burned much of the remaining major bridges and snow shed
Snow shed
An avalanche snow bridge or simply snow bridge is a type of rigid snow-supporting structure for avalanche control . Avalanche bridges can be made of steel, prestressed concrete frames, or timber....
s.
History under CPR
In 1911, GN sold the railway to Kaslo business people and local mine owners who revived the line enough to ship ore from the pass near Bear Lake down to Kaslo. With backing from the provincial government, in 1912, the CPR agreed to lease the K&S for 999 years. The CPR rebuilt it to standard gauge and connected it with its existing Nakusp & Slocan line by abandoning the exposed section across Payne Bluff and thereby establishing a line from Nakusp through to Kaslo in November 1913.The region had a moderate boom during World War I with the increased need for minerals but otherwise experienced gradual decline in rail tracks. The CPR operated the line until it was abandoned. The pass between Sandon and Kaslo was severed in 1955 due to flooding.