Not even a draft yet - just a few notes for a future article.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Alberta |
| Dates of operation | 1902– |
| Successor | Canadian Northern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
first bridge across the N Sask river in Edmonton built for EYPR (NO, built 1900 with Federal Government assistance, railroad got permission to cross it). Aug 1899 steel was about to be laid for the bridge when flood (42 ft above low water level) submerged piers by 4 ft. Piers raised 8 ft. but even this just barely kept the deck above the water of the devastating 1915 flood. EYPR train parked on bridge to stabilize it during flooding. Much of river valley flats industries never recovered form 1915 flood. deck Raised again because of 1915 flood (but not until 1947) Low level bridge still in use. was twinned (on south) in 1949 by an identically shaped but welded from rolled shapes (rather than riveted) bridge. first train Oct 20 1902. end of line then was just west of Low level bridge, below McDougall Hill. 1905 CNoR reached Edmonton from east. 1905-08 EYPR line extended from top of N bank. reached CNoR yards at 116 St. Atlas AB railways says "The extension from the flats to the Canadian Northern main line was completed on November 30, 1905. The extension to Stony Plains was opened in June, 1907." Some sources label the CNoR west of Edmonton as EYPR while others say only 19 miles of EYPR.
William Mackenzie and Donald Mann of the Canadian Northern Railway Company acquired charter and renamed line. Well-known for CNoR. passenger use until 1929 then freight, later rails removed past Gainers packing plant. All rails on remaining line given in 1980 to the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association [1] which lifted the rails over the next 2 years. Some were used at their museum Note that the Fort Edmonton railway is named the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific, but does not have any original rolling stock. Fort Edmonton Park says the railway has been operating since 1977, which suggests that the EYPR rails were not used, at least originally. The Edmonton Radial Railway Society streetccar runs on 1905 and 1920 streets which were built late enough to have used the RYPR rails. The sculpture Ghost Rails (2012) by Kathryn ? believed to have used rails from Fort Edmonton, but need source to show that the Fort Edmonton rails were those lifted in 1980 .Question - does the streetcar line at Fort Edmonton also use these rails? I can probably answer these questions by contacting the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association, and the Radial Railway Society but I may not be able to find a reliable source that will allow me to use the information in this article.
google bike maps? http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/news/getting-edmonton-on-the-map-go.aspx
4 trestles, 2 major on Mill Creek (11, 12 bents), one major (10 bents) on Little Mill Creek (i.e. the west branch), 1 small one on a gully into Little Mill Creek. Trestle added along (not across) Groat Ravine after a landslide. Presumably there would have been a trestle across Groat Ravine also. Look for historical records/images. There was a low trestle below Fort Edmonton that is visible in early pictures. This was either filled or track moved.
see https://www.ritchie-league.com/a-little-bit-ritchie CP refused to extend Calgary and Edmonton Ry past Strathcona. Charter granted 1896 to Edmonton businessmen as Edmonton District Railway Company. Charter changed hands (eastern group headed by William Pugsley) and amended to allow extension to Yukon (gold rush). August 1898 charter purchased by William Mackenzie and Donald Mann. Bridge built 1900. Rails put across bridge 1901 but Rail line not built down Mill Creek Ravine (cuts, embankmaents and trestles to maintain constant grade) to new bridge until 1902. First train to station at foot of McDougal hill October 20, 1902 (first train into Edmonton). Station 40'X24', platform 101' long. Rail approx 60 Lb/yard (relatively light even for the day?) Line extended to top of north bank and to downtown CNo station (later the CNo/GTP Union station) Nov 30 1905. June 1907 line completed to Stony Plain. Main line to west ended up going through St Albert an Lac St Anne since by the time the work was restarted the GTP had built further west and contiuing the CNo from Stony Plain would have required 3 difficult and expensive grade separations. Passenger service Strathcona to Edmonton ended 1929. Line from CNo main line ot Gainers meat packers abandonded May 28 1954. 1969 Atlas of ALberta still shows remaining section of line as Commercial use... look for more precise date. Source says in use until Gainers closedm and I have ref fo rhtat date.
Rossdale spars ran down Hardisty Ave (now 98 Ave) to river near mill and brewery, and down 104 St to river next to power plant (part of this right of way is now under the more recent powerhouse/ water treatment development. most pof line from Low Level is now Bellemy Hill road, Possible signs of embankment on 104 St just south of 97 Ave and on 105 st just S of 96 Ave.
Top of N bank railway route is now Clifton Place and Wadhurst Street. Houses on ravine side of Wadhurst faced ravine until after railway removed. http://www.kerrilynholland.com/page_content-11.html
Steel for 105 st bridgr transported by EyP (probably to powerhouse spur)
see https://strathconacommunity.ca/our-neighborhood/ravine/ for more on this meatpacking capital of Western Canada
http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/MapHome/track-title/8/2/ http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/Maps-8-2-10/ http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/Maps-8-1-5/