The Newton Subdivision has as its origin:
- Palmerston to Listowel: Wellington, Grey & Bruce (W.G. & B.Ry.), which opened its line from Palmerston to Listowel on its way to Kincardine on December 19, 1872; and
- The Stratford & Huron Railway (S. & H.Ry.), which opened from Stratford to Listowel on December 5, 1877.
The S. & H.Ry. originally connected with the W.G. & B.Ry. at Listowel until it undertook to construct its own line north to Wiarton. The two sections rejoined after the Grand Trunk Railway (G.T.Ry.) takeover Great Western Railway (G.W.Ry.)—the leasor of the W.G. & B.Ry.— on August 12, 1882.
Coming eventually...
Diagram showing location of train phone wires
Face direction named: Count cross arms from the top down.
Look East
Stratford to PalmerstonTrain phone wires marked
Note—
Emergency telephone wire must be hooked up as close as possible to the pole, first scraping any corrosion off the pole line wire in order to establish contact with the train dispatcher.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1855-03-19 | S. & H.Ry. company formed to build from Stratford to Southampton (Province of Canada Act 14 Vic. Cap. 184)[Bowers-1983, p. 18; Stevens-1960, p. 464]Hopper gives the date as May 19, 1855[Hopper-1962, p. 323], which could be a typographical error. |
| 1856-05-16 | CNWR incorporated to build from Southampton to Toronto[Bowers-1983, p. 14]. |
| 1864-06-30 | CNWR becomes the W.G. & B.Ry., incorporated to build from Guelph to Southampton and Owen Sound[Bowers-1983, p. 16; Stevens-1960, p. 456]. |
| 1869-06-15 | G.W.Ry. leases W.G. & B.Ry.[Stevens-1960, p. 457; Trout-1970, p. 157]. |
| 1871-02-15 | W.G. & B.Ry. authorized to build the "Southern Extension" from Palmerston to Kincardine by way of Listowel[Bowers-1983, pp. 17 & 162] |
| 1872-12-19 | W.G. & B.Ry. opens from Palmerston to Listowel[Bowers-1983, pp. 17 & 162] |
| 1873-03-29 | Consolidation and amendment to original 1855 Act of Incorporation and subsequent Acts (Ontario Act 36 Vic. Cap. 87) authorize S. & H.Ry. to construct from Stratford to Southampton with branches to Kincardine and Owen Sound[Hopper-1962, p. 323]. |
| 1875-09-07 | Listowel Mayor D.D. Campbell, Reeve Thomas E. Hay and others visit Stratford re: S. & H.Ry.[The Globe (Toronto), Wednesday, September 8, 1875, p. 1]. |
| 1877-03-21/1877-03-28 | S. & H.Ry. tenders various construction packages (grading, fencing, ties and bridging) for Stratford to Listowel[The Globe (Toronto), Wednesday, March 21, 1877, p. 4, c. 10] |
| 1877-12-05 | S. & H.Ry. opens from Stratford to Listowel[The Globe (Toronto), Thursday, December 6, 1877, p. 4]Bowers gives the date as 1877-12-20[Bowers-1983, p. 162]Stevens states that forty-three miles of tracks, from Stratford to Harriston by way of Listowelwere open on 1877-12-20 but a February 5, 1879 article in The Globe (Toronto) states that Listowel is the terminus of the line.. |
| 1881-03-04 | G.B. & W.Ry., P.D. & L.H.Ry. and S. & H.Ry. merge to become the G.B. & L.E.Ry., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the G.T.Ry.[Hopper-1962, p. 324; Stevens-1960, p. 467]. |
| 1882-08-12 | G.W.Ry. and G.T.Ry. amalgamate[Bowers-1983, pp. 19 & 162; Cooper-2001, p. 394]. |
| 1882-09c | S. & H.Ry. between Listowel and Harriston abandoned[Bowers-1983, pp. 19-21 & 162; Stevens-1960, p. 465]. |
| 1923-01-31 | G.T.Ry. becomes part of C.N.Ry.s[Bowers-1983, p. 162; Cooper-2001, p. 394] |
| 1995-04-04 | CNR authorized to abandon Stratford to Palmerston thirty (30) days from the date of this order[CTA Order No. 1995-R-122] |