Inverness Railway
(1899 - 1924)

By Colin J. Churcher

The Inverness Railway Company was incorporated in 1874. The name was changed to the Inverness Coal Field and Railway Company in 1875 and to the Inverness Coal, Iron and Railway Company in 1886. The Inverness and Richmond Railway Company was incorporated in 1887 to construct a railway from the district of Margaree to Mabou, and Port Hood, and Port Hawkesbury, with a branch to Whycocomagh. A line was built from Inverness Junction on the ICR to the town of Inverness, 60.5 miles, and opened for traffic on June 15, 1901. It seems that the assets of this company and the Inverness-Richmond Collieries and Railway Company of Canada were transferred in 1902 to the Inverness Railway and Coal Company.

A default was made on the interest payments due May 1, 1915. The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia appointed Mr. J. Macgillivray, General Manager of the Inverness Railway and Coal Co Receiver of the property on the application of the Mortgage trust Co (National Trust Co of Toronto). On June 23, 1919, Mr. Macgillivray resigned as Receiver and General Manager and the Eastern Trust Co. was appointed his successor.

The line was leased to CN from Feb, 1 1924 until purchase in 1929. It was declared a work for the general advantage of Canada in June 1929. Canadian Naional operated the line until the late 1980’s, when the line’s biggest custom, the Evan’s Coal Mine, was shut down due to flooding.

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©1998 Colin J. Churcher, all rights reserved. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Please visit my railway pages at: http://infoweb.magi.com/~churcher/