Cornwall Street Railway
The Cornwall Street Railway was an electric street railway in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada that operated from 1896 until 1949, and then as a trolleybus service until 1971 when it was replaced by a conventional bus service known as Cornwall Transit. For much of its history, the company was owned by Sun Life Assurance.
Streetcars on Pitt Street in 1920. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Cornwall, Ontario, Canada |
| Dates of operation | 1896–1971 (end of freight service) |
| Successor | Cornwall Transit |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Yes, Voltage? |
The Street Railway was one of a very few that also ran freight using electric locomotives on the same lines, connecting the industrial areas along the river bank on either side of town to the Grand Trunk Railway on the northern side of town. Freight services continued after the passenger service ended.
The original operating company remains as Cornwall Electric. The company sold power from its hydroelectric assets on the St. Lawrence River since its formation, and today operates as a local distribution company. Although the main lines in the downtown area were lifted in the 1950s, a number of lines outside town remain in use as industrial spurs.