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On this day, Oct. 26, in 1856, a wood-fed locomotive with a huge sparkcatcher hauled 7 yellow passenger coaches at 50 km/h between Montreal and Toronto. It made 64 stops along the way. The Grand Trunk was Canada’s first mainline railway. Five months later, sleeping cars were introduced.

26/10/26, 9:19 pm7 reposts22 likes

Taras Grescoe 🚇

@taras-grescoe.com

15h

(Feel free to add sarcastic comments about today’s service in the Corridor; I’m biting my lip…)

Toronto Railway Museum

@torailwaymuseum.bsky.social

13h

Sorry to say you are off by one day. October 26, 1856 was a Sunday. The inaugural Grand Trunk Railway through trains between Toronto and Montreal ran the next day, Monday, October 27.

Taras Grescoe 🚇

@taras-grescoe.com

13h

Huh! And I got that Oct. 26 date from GR Stevens authoritative History of the Canadian National Railways. He claims the crowds were in their "Sunday best."

Toronto Railway Museum

@torailwaymuseum.bsky.social

13h

Rule number one of Canadian railway history: even if a "master" wrote it, always confirm with primary sources. Actually, that's a good rule to follow in general. Nobody is immune to errors, not even (especially not) this account.

Steve Munro

@swanboatsteve.bsky.social

13h

I am quite sure that modern planning will dictate that stops be farther apart to improve efficiency. Those in Toronto can walk to Montreal or Winnipeg.

Toronto Railway Museum

@torailwaymuseum.bsky.social

13h

In 1856 there were only 40 stations on the Grand Trunk Railway between Montreal and Toronto, or about one every 13 km. The contractors had wanted to build many fewer stations than that, but were compelled to add more.