Charlottetown in Queens County, Prince Edward Island — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
Threaded Together with Iron and Steel
Réunis par le fer et l’acier
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 8, 2014
1. Threaded Together with Iron and Steel Marker
Captions (English / French): (top right) The Train to Confederation The Railway was an ambitious undertaking that nearly bankrupted the colony. With too few passengers, too little freight, and too many stops, the Railway became a great burden on the Island’s back. Unable to repay their rising debt, the Island was forced to reconsider Canada’s offer to join Confederation. They reluctantly became Canada’s seventh province in 1873 after the country offered to assume the Island’s railway debt. / Le train to la Confédération Le chemin de fer est une entreprise ambitieuse qui ruine presque la colonie. Le manque de passengers. le manque de marchandises et les arrêts trop nombreux font que le chemin de fer devient un énorme fardeau pour l’Île. Incapable de rembourser la dette grandissante, l’Île est forcée de reconsidérer l’offre du Canada d’adhérer à la Confédération. C’est à contrecoeur que l’Île devient en 1873 la septième province canadienne après que le pays a offert d’accepter d’assumer les dettes liées à son chemin de fer.; Snow Fighter More than a transportation link, the Railway was also the Island’s leading employer. Hundreds of jobs were created to build and work the lines - but not just those you would imagine. Even with giant plows fixed to their fronts. trains were no match for the mountains of snow that came with Island winters. “Snow fighter” were routinely called in to clear tracks after storms. These men made decent wages wielding their shovels to dig out stalled trains. / Les déneigeurs Le chemin de fer est bien plus qu’un moyen de transport, c’est également le principal employeur de l’île. Des centaines d’emplois sont créés pour construire la voie ferrée et assurer le service, mais certains de ces emplois pourraient vous surprendre. Même équipées de chasse-neige géants installés devant elles. les locomotives ne peuvent pas toujours venir à bout des montagnes de neige qui tombent en hiver à l’île. On fait appel régulièrement aux déneigeurs pour dégager la voie ferrée après les tempêtes. Ces homes gagnent bien leur vie à dégager les trains immobilisés par la neige.
The Prince Edward Island Railway brought Islanders together, put them to work, and even made them Canadians.
Before the Railway was built on Prince Edward Island you could live within ten miles of another village and hardly know it existed. All that changed in 1871 when branch lines crossed the Island, dotting the landscape with train stops every few miles of track. Uniting one end of the Island with the other, the Railway connected people in ways they had never been before. The train moved mourners to funerals, brides to weddings, and brass bands to picnics. It carried hockey teams and their fans to matches, transported farmers and their produce to market, and sent children away to boarding school. Whatever the weather, Islanders moved and mingled with the whistle of the train.
French:
Le chemin de fer de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard a rassemblé les Prince-Édouardiens, les a fait travailler, et en a même fait des Canadiens.
Avant la construction du chemin de fer à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard, on pouvait vivre à dix milles d’un autre village et à peine savoir qu’il existait. Tous cela a changé en 1871 lorsque des lignes d’embranchement ont sillonné l’île jetant ici là de petites gares à intervalles réguliers le long de ces lignes. Créant un pont entre les deux extrémités de l’île, le chemin
this page online
Erected by Historic - Historique Charlottetown.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 46° 14.014′ N, 63° 7.268′ W. Marker is in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in Queens County. Marker is on Prince Street near Water Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Prince Street, Charlottetown PE C1A 4P4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Railway Car Shop (a few steps from this marker); Hillsborough Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Railway Brass Shop (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Hillsborough River (about 120 meters away); Great George Street Historic District (about 180 meters away); Heralded Arrival… of the Circus
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 8, 2014
2. Threaded Together with Iron and Steel Marker
More about this marker. This marker is located in front of the Visitors Information Centre.
Also see . . . Prince Edward Island Railway - Wikipedia. Construction began in 1871 but costs almost bankrupted the government by the next year, a problem that help pave PEI's entrance into Confederation. The work was picked up by the Canadian Government Railways and largely completed by the mid-1880s. The PEIR saw heavy use, especially during World War II, but like many railways saw declining use through the 1970s. (Submitted on January 8, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed By Unknown
3. Charlottetown Railway Station
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 325 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 8, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
