The steam locomotive, invented in Great Britain in the early 19^th century, was based on a simple principle: coal heated water, producing steam that powered the traction mechanisms. Coupled to railcars, the locomotive ran on iron rails, or “railways.” An emblem of the Industrial Revolution, this mode of transportation transformed travel by making it possible to move goods and passengers efficiently.

The head office of the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Railroad was located in this building from 1847 to 1850. Brought into service in 1836, the rail line linked La Prairie to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu on the South Shore, opening a faster corridor to New York. The project was financed largely by brewer John Molson, who died before it was inaugurated. The company also enjoyed significant privileges, including the operation of ferries on the river and the use of Montréal’s wharves for storing and transferring goods.

This was only the beginning of Montréal’s story with the railway. In November 1847, the first line linked Lachine to Bonaventure Station. The train changed everything: travel became faster, and goods moved more easily. At the time, rail embodied progress, modernity and civilization. For Montréal, it also heralded a colossal undertaking: the Victoria Bridge, which you see here.

In 1852, spurred on by Francis Hincks, the Grand Trunk Railway Company was born. By merging several lines, it built the largest railway network in the Province of Canada. Montréal, Toronto and other major cities were now linked by rail. The Grand Trunk’s expansion also brought spectacular technical challenges, such as the construction of the Victoria Bridge. Linking Montréal directly to the South Shore, it was, at the time it was designed, one of the longest bridges in the world! This monumental project unfolded from 1854 to 1860 and required the labour of about 3,000 workers, most of them Irish. You can see it here in summer and in winter.