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The '''Grand Trunk Railway''' was a Canadian railway system based primarily in Ontario and Quebec, with 13,000 km of operations over much of Canada and 1900km in neighboring parts of the U.S.  It was Canada's most important railway for many years, and in the 1860s competed with the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] for the status of longest system in the world.  It never made big profits, and indeed much of its business was connecting American cities via its lines in Ontario.  It overexpanded by building a route to the Pacific and was nationalized by the federal government in 1919. It is now part of the Canadian National Railways.   

The '''Grand Trunk Railway''' was a Canadian railway system based primarily in Ontario and Quebec, with 13,000 km of operations over much of Canada and 1900 km in neighboring parts of the U.S.  It was Canada's most important railway for many years, and in the 1860s competed with the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] for the status of longest system in the world.  It never made big profits, and indeed much of its business was connecting American cities via its lines in Ontario.  It overexpanded by building a route to the Pacific and was nationalized by the federal government in 1919. It is now part of the Canadian National Railways.   

==History==

==History==

[[Image: GT1891.jpg|thumb|599px|system map 1891]]

[[Image: GT1891.jpg|thumb|599px|system map 1891]]

American executive Charles Melville Hays (1856–1912) joined the Grand Trunk in 1895 as general manager (and in 1909, president, based in Montreal).  Hays was the architect of the great expansion during a colorful and free-spending era.  He upgraded the tracks, bridges, shops and rolling stock, but was best known for building huge grain elevators and elaborate tourist hotels such as the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. Hays blundered in 1903 by building a subsidiary the '''Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company''' some 4800 km long; it reached Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia in 1914. The government built and the Grand Trunk operated the National Transcontinental  to link the main Grand Trunk with its Pacific subsidiary. The very expensive subsidiary was far north of major population centers and had too little traffic.  Nearing bankruptcy in 1919, the entire system was nationalized, In 1923 the government merged the Grand Trunk, the Grand Trunk Pacific, the Canadian Northern and the National Transcontinental lines into the new '''Canadian National Railways'''.

American executive Charles Melville Hays (1856–1912) joined the Grand Trunk in 1895 as general manager (and in 1909, president, based in Montreal).  Hays was the architect of the great expansion during a colorful and free-spending era.  He upgraded the tracks, bridges, shops and rolling stock, but was best known for building huge grain elevators and elaborate tourist hotels such as the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. Hays blundered in 1903 by building a subsidiary the '''Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company''' some 4800 km long; it reached Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia in 1914. The government built and the Grand Trunk operated the National Transcontinental  to link the main Grand Trunk with its Pacific subsidiary. The very expensive subsidiary was far north of major population centers and had too little traffic.  Nearing bankruptcy in 1919, the entire system was nationalized, In 1923 the government merged the Grand Trunk, the Grand Trunk Pacific, the Canadian Northern and the National Transcontinental lines into the new '''Canadian National Railways'''.

The Grand Trunk name survived on Grand Trunk's former United States lines; in 1928, Canadian National Railways consolidated its lines in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois into the [[Grand Trunk Western Railroad]], a separate company owned by the CNR.  The Portland line also kept the Grand Trunk name until acquired by a shortline operator in 1989.

The Grand Trunk name survived on Grand Trunk's former United States lines; in 1928, Canadian National Railways consolidated its lines in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois into the [[Grand Trunk Western Railroad]], a separate company owned by the CNR.  The Portland line also kept the Grand Trunk name until acquired by a shortline operator in 1989.

* [http://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/railroad.htm Guide to Railroad History online]

* [http://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/railroad.htm Guide to Railroad History online]

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