The Origins of the "Kick & Push"

The Origins of the "Kick and Push". The Kingston and Pembroke Railway. , Because the trackbed of the Kingston and Pembroke Railway was built during the "hard times" of the depression in the 1870s, as little money as possible was spent on it. Grades were steep and curves were plentiful. With stops every 5 miles or so, there was little opportunity for the engines to build up any speed, especially north of Verona where the line entered the challenging terrain of the Canadian Shield. Hence, travel was painfully slow, and the Kingston and Pembroke Railway became affectionately known as the "Kick and Push." Even after becoming just another subdivision of the CPR in 1913, the K&P has retained its unique identity and its nickname for well over a century., It was not uncommon for railways to be given unflattering nicknames, since the railway boom of the mid 1800's coincided with the aforementioned depression. Almost all had financial difficulties, both during construction and after operations had begun. For instance, the Bay of Quinte Railway, a neighbouring railway that had running rights on K&P track from Harrowsmith to Kingston, started out as the Napanee, Tamworth and Quebec Railway in 1879. Like others, it failed to meet initial expectations, and it soon became known as the "Nip and Tuck.", Although not local, the Newfoundland Railway and the K&P share some common ground: both trackbeds have been made into recreational trails, theirs being titled the "T'Railway." American soldiers stationed there during WW2 named the train "The Newfie Bullet", in reference to the "breakneck" speeds at which it travelled.