RFM McInnis illustrations for the book, "Steel & Steam" by Pierre Berton, 1985 (Laurier & St. James, Montreal).
MAJOR ROGERS FINDS HIS PASS. November 1882.
Major A.B. Rogers searched and searched to find a route through the mountains in order to build a railway. Today the pass through which the railway and highway run bears his name.
BRIDGES AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Picturesque Pic River Bridge in Ontario during early construction of the railway across Canada in 1876 is the scene which attracts this early photographer’s camera. High bridges and tressels span the many rivers of the Maritimes, Ontario, the Prairies and the mountain gorges, making spectacular scenes for the modern photographer.
THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR
Precambrian rock, muskeg and the north shore of Lake Superior presented tougher construction problems for the railway builders than did the Rocky Mountains. This is Heron Bay in the early morning.
THE LAST SPIKE
Driving the last spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia marked the end of the railway construction and the beginning of an era of steam passenger service across the country. An ordinary spike was used, driven on the 7 November 1885, by Sir Sandford Fleming, Lord Strathcona.
THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE
Steam locomotives reigned supreme for many years, pulling both freight and passenger trains across Canada.
RAILWAY HOTELS
Almost every Canadian city could boast a railway hotel - designed and owned by the railway to serve the tourist brought in by train. This is the Château Frontenac in Québec City, built in the typical high roofed château style.
THE ROYAL HUDSON
Steaming out of Calgary, the Royal Hudson was so named because it once pulled the Royal train. It still operates today out of North Vancouver pulling special excursion trains of tourists.
THE LAST CANADIAN. AN ERA ENDS.
A silver domed passenger train pauses at Medicine Hat, Alberta as the last Canadian Pacific operated passenger train known as “The Canadian” makes its way from Montreal to Vancouver. In less than ten years VIA’s “Canadian” made its last run marking an end of just over 100 years of passenger train on the route
