Introduction
Canada, by Train has three main sections. Ties That Bind provides a short history of railways in Canada and how they marketed their passenger services. It creates a context for the other two sections, Transcontinental Tour and Tracking Time.
The "Transcontinental Tour" section of this exhibit highlights the National Library's collection of railway advertising and some of the companies that created it. The collection contains brochures, timetables and posters, dating from approximately 1883 to 1952.
The "Tracking Time" section examines the contribution of railways to the growth of Canada, through themes ranging from urban growth to immigration. Important Canadian events such as The Depression and the Royal Visit of 1939 are also linked to railways and trains.
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Sound effect of train wheels on the tracks (running time: 14 s) |
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Copyright/Source |
What was it like to ride or work on Canada's passenger trains? First-person accounts of train travel are included throughout the "Transcontinental Tour" and "Tracking Time" sections of the site.
These accounts are also grouped together in the Travelogues section.
This site also offers a searchable database of the National Library's Merrilees Transportation Collection, a primary source for many of the images and materials featured here. Click on "Collection Search" to access this database.
This site is intended for a general audience. For further reading, consult the Resources page for selected sources and links to related websites.
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