Nakusp and Slocan Railway
Encyclopedia
The Nakusp and Slocan Railway (N&S) 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
.
The railway operated a steamship service on the Arrow Lakes
at Nakusp, which connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) mainline at Revelstoke
). It also operated a steamship service on Slocan Lake
at Rosebery, which connected with the CPR's Columbia and Kootenay Railway
(C&K) at Slocan City.
The line was extended to Kaslo with the purchase of the Kaslo and Slocan Railway
in 1912.
(K&S) that was building a narrow gauge railway from Kaslo
on Kootenay Lake
west to Sandon.
The railway received its charter from the provincial government in 1892 and was immediately leased by the CPR. By October, 1894, the railway had been completed from Nakusp, along Slocan Lake and up the valley to Three Forks. When the K&S connected to Sandon in 1895, which was growing into the bigger community in the area, the CPR decided to extend the line to Sandon by a 7 km extension.
The N&S and the K&S were aggressively competitive for the ore produced by the mines in the area. At one point, K&S demolished the CPR depot after it was built on contested land. In 1912, with the mining slowing down, the CPR bought K&S and built a new line up Carpenter Creek to the pass and a connection with the grade of the K&S. The narrow gauge K&S was rebuilt to standard gauge and the entire line to Kaslo was operated as part of the CPR.
The N&S also served as a connection between the CPR's C&K railway connecting to Nelson, the smelter at Trail and other points. Before the southern mainline was completed, the N&S was the bypass route, rather than using boats up the entire length of the Arrow Lakes which was often blocked by ice and low water.
Decreasing traffic, high maintenance costs and railway deregulation saw services cut back and eventually abandoned during the latter part of the 20th century. The line between New Denver and Kaslo was severed in the 1950s due to mudslides and rails were removed from Kaslo in the 1970s. The last rail car ferry on Slocan Lake was closed in 1988.
Parts of the line have been converted to multi-use rail trail
, known as the Slocan Valley Rail Trail
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
railway that operated in southeastern 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...
.
Its line ran between 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...
, New Denver, British Columbia
New Denver, British Columbia
New Denver is a village in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, along the shore of Slocan Lake. New Denver was founded as a mining town in 1892, and briefly known as Eldorado City before being renamed after Denver, Colorado. It was incorporated as a village in 1929 and currently has approximately...
and Sandon, British Columbia
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...
.
The railway operated a steamship service 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...
at Nakusp, which connected with 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...
(CPR) mainline at Revelstoke
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...
). It also operated a steamship service on Slocan Lake
Slocan Lake
Slocan Lake is a lake in the Slocan Country of the West Kootenay region of the Southeastern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. it is drained by the Slocan River, which flows south from the lake's foot at Slocan City through the Slocan Valley to South Slocan, British Columbia, where that river...
at Rosebery, which connected with the CPR's Columbia and Kootenay Railway
Columbia and Kootenay Railway
The Columbia and Kootenay Railway was a historic railway in the Interior of British Columbia between Nelson on Kootenay Lake and Robson at the confluence of the Kootenay River and the Columbia River near Castlegar operated as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway.-History pre-1900:The railway was...
(C&K) at Slocan City.
The line was extended to Kaslo with the purchase of the Kaslo and Slocan Railway
Kaslo and Slocan Railway
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 of track...
in 1912.
Route
The original route started at a boat slip on the Arrow Lakes near Nakusp. The railway climbed steeply up to the pass and Summit Lake and descended to Slocan Lake at Hills. The railway followed the lake's eastern shore to Rosebery where another boat slip and yard was constructed. Further along the lake shore, the railway started climbing just before New Denver and worked its way up the steep Carpenter Creek to Three Forks. The line was extended in 1895 using a steep 4.5% grade to Sandon. The line totalled 65 km in length.History
The railway route was built during the mining boom in the Kootenays during the 1890s. A major silver find on Payne Mountain immediately grew into the city of Sandon (now a ghost town) and the CPR wanted to connect the region with their mainline. The Great Northern Railway, its big competitor in the region was backing the Kaslo and Slocan RailwayKaslo and Slocan Railway
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 of track...
(K&S) that was building a narrow gauge railway from Kaslo
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...
on Kootenay Lake
Kootenay 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...
west to Sandon.
The railway received its charter from the provincial government in 1892 and was immediately leased by the CPR. By October, 1894, the railway had been completed from Nakusp, along Slocan Lake and up the valley to Three Forks. When the K&S connected to Sandon in 1895, which was growing into the bigger community in the area, the CPR decided to extend the line to Sandon by a 7 km extension.
The N&S and the K&S were aggressively competitive for the ore produced by the mines in the area. At one point, K&S demolished the CPR depot after it was built on contested land. In 1912, with the mining slowing down, the CPR bought K&S and built a new line up Carpenter Creek to the pass and a connection with the grade of the K&S. The narrow gauge K&S was rebuilt to standard gauge and the entire line to Kaslo was operated as part of the CPR.
- See the Kaslo and Slocan RailwayKaslo and Slocan RailwayThe 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 of track...
for more information.
The N&S also served as a connection between the CPR's C&K railway connecting to Nelson, the smelter at Trail and other points. Before the southern mainline was completed, the N&S was the bypass route, rather than using boats up the entire length of the Arrow Lakes which was often blocked by ice and low water.
Decreasing traffic, high maintenance costs and railway deregulation saw services cut back and eventually abandoned during the latter part of the 20th century. The line between New Denver and Kaslo was severed in the 1950s due to mudslides and rails were removed from Kaslo in the 1970s. The last rail car ferry on Slocan Lake was closed in 1988.
Parts of the line have been converted to multi-use rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
, known as the Slocan Valley Rail Trail
Slocan Valley Rail Trail
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail located in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, namely the Slocan Valley....
.