Columbia and Kootenay Railway facts for kids
The Columbia and Kootenay Railway (C&KR) was an old train line. It was run by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the West Kootenay area of British Columbia. This railway was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) long. It followed the Kootenay River, which was too rough for boats. The C&KR connected Nelson, a town on Kootenay Lake, to Robson. Robson was where the Kootenay River met the Columbia River, near Castlegar.
Building the C&KR Railway Lines
The C&KR train line began operating in 1891. A CPR official helped start the railway. The CPR then leased it for a very long time. The CPR built this first section to help move goods from mines. These goods were often going south by steamboat to the United States.
At Robson, CPR steamboats traveled north on the Arrow Lakes and the Columbia River. They connected to the main CPR train line at Revelstoke. But sometimes, the water in the Arrow Lakes was too low. Other times, ice made the boat trip impossible. This made the water route unreliable for moving goods.
The Slocan Valley Branch Line
In 1897, the CPR built another train line. This branch line went from South Slocan up the Slocan Valley. It ended at Slocan City on Slocan Lake. Boats then carried train cars and other freight across the lake. At the north end of the lake, another CPR line, the Nakusp and Slocan Railway, took the goods to Nakusp. From Nakusp, boats could go north to Revelstoke.
This branch line was also important for mining. It connected to the rich mining area around Sandon. This part of the railway was closed down in 1993. Today, it is a walking and biking path called the Slocan Valley Rail Trail.
Connecting Other Train Lines
In 1898, the CPR bought another railway called the Columbia and Western Railway. This was to the west of their existing lines. The next year, they made its tracks wider to match their own.
In 1900, the CPR built a new branch line to the east. This line, called the Procter branch, ran along the west arm of Kootenay Lake. Over time, these different sections became part of the CPR's main southern train line through British Columbia. Today, the railway is no longer used west of about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Castlegar.
