Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway

Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
Company type	Railway company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1884
Defunct	1987
Fate	Merged into Canadian Pacific Railway
Headquarters	Hamilton, Canada
Area served	Southern Ontario
Key people	Perce Hankinson (Vice-President and General Manager)
Products	Rail transport services
Owner	Canadian Pacific Railway (90% from 1977)
Parent	Canadian Pacific Railway, New York Central Railroad (until 1977)

The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was a railway headquartered in Hamilton that served the Southern Ontario region from 1892 until 1987. Despite its name, the line never extended to Toronto or Buffalo but included branch routes to Dunnville and Port Maitland.

History

Originally chartered in 1884 by the Ontario Legislative Assembly, the railway was intended to connect Toronto with the International Railway Bridge. The charter contained a clause forbidding mergers or leases with other railways, a limitation that ultimately proved impractical. The first company was unable to finish the line before the charter expired, leading to a renewed authorization under new management that mandated completion by 1894.

Operations commenced in 1892 when the TH&B assumed control of the unfinished Brantford, Waterloo & Lake Erie Railway segment between Brantford and Waterford. The railway reached Hamilton by October 1894 and extended to Welland on December 30, 1895.

In 1895, ownership shifted to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC and its subsidiaries (Michigan Central Railroad and Canada Southern Railway) held a majority stake of 73%, while CPR owned 27%. The TH&B depended on track rights over its parent companies’ lines to access Toronto and Buffalo.

The TH&B was a pioneer in North America for implementing Absolute Permissive Block Signalling on single-track routes in 1911, significantly improving operational safety and efficiency by reducing collision risks.

Passenger services ceased on April 26, 1981, coinciding with Amtrak’s introduction of the Maple Leaf. In 1977, CP Rail purchased NYC’s share (then part of Conrail), raising CPR’s ownership to 90%. The TH&B was fully absorbed into CPR's network in 1987.

While the Hamilton–Welland corridor remains operational, the stretch westward from Hamilton through Brantford to Waterford was abandoned following infrastructure damage during the 1980s. Some industrial track sections near Brantford continue under the management of Canadian National Railway.

Amid escalating expenses and declining profitability throughout the 1980s, TH&B’s merger into CPR was completed on January 1, 1987.

In May 2001, a portion of the former TH&B Dunnville Subdivision (now known as CP’s Dunnville Spur) south of Smithville was discontinued due to deteriorated wooden trestles. Presently, trains utilize the former NYC CASO Subdivision from Welland westward to reconnect with TH&B lines toward Port Maitland via Dunnville.

Paint scheme

The railway adopted a yellow and black color scheme beginning with boxcars in early 1952, extending it to cabooses by 1954. These colors paid tribute to the local Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team.

Railway stations

The original Hamilton station for TH&B, constructed in 1885 at James and Hunter Streets, was replaced following track elevation projects aimed at reducing delays caused by increasing automobile traffic.

The second station in Hamilton (built between 1932–33) was notable as Canada’s first example of the International Style. After renovations in 1996, it serves as the Hamilton GO Centre, providing both bus and train services for GO Transit.

TH&B’s Brantford station at 60 Market Street South was transformed into a restaurant in 1970 but is currently unoccupied. In 2019, despite opposition from its developer-owner, City Council designated its oldest portions as historic.

Originally built in 1895 and reconstructed around 1903 after a fire, Smithville station underwent restoration in 1996. It now functions as home to the West Lincoln Historical Society and operates seasonally as a tourist information centre.

The Jerseyville station along with preserved TH&B steam locomotive #103 are exhibited at Westfield Heritage Village, near Rockton, Ontario. The locomotive was moved there in 1977 after being displayed for many years in Gage Park.

Perce Hankinson

Perce Hankinson embarked on his railway journey in 1917 with the Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) and realized a significant career milestone when he was named Vice-President and General Manager of the TH&B on June 7, 1965. After dedicating 53 years to the railway industry, he retired but later rejoined the TH&B, contributing an additional 16 years as a member of its Board of Directors. Hankinson stepped down from the board on June 2, 1987, at the age of 85, marking the end of an impressive 68-year tenure in railroading. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored in 2001 by induction into the North America Railway Hall of Fame under the category "Local: Railway Workers & Builders."

Diesel locomotives

The TH&B was among the pioneering Canadian railways to fully transition to diesel power. Starting in January 1948, it procured four NW2 diesel switchers from General Motors Electro-Motive Division, assigned numbers 51 through 54. By autumn 1950, the fleet expanded with four Canadian-manufactured GP7 road switchers from GMD (numbers 71-74), followed by an addition of four SW9 switchers in December of the same year. The last trio of GP7 units arrived during summer 1953 (75-77). To facilitate passenger service between Toronto and Buffalo, three GP9 locomotives were acquired in early 1954 (numbered 401-403), completing the diesel roster without further purchases before the railway ceased operations.

Although dieselization was largely complete, some steam locomotives remained active into the late 1950s. Engine 102 continued serving work trains until its retirement in September 1959, while #42 functioned as a standby yard engine until December 1958. Engine 42 was restored in 1998 and is currently exhibited at Lindsay Memorial Park in Lindsay, Ontario. Unfortunately, its accompanying wooden caboose was destroyed by arson in 2008.

TH&B Navigation Company

The TH&B Navigation Company managed a car float operation connecting Port Maitland, Ontario with Ashtabula, Ohio.

Cultural references

Quebec-born singer-songwriter and producer Daniel Lanois pays homage to TH&B locomotives in his 1989 track "Under a Stormy Sky" from the album Acadie. The lyrics evoke the railway’s presence during his formative years:

"I hear the T.H.& B. the diesel turning, calling you and me to the city of steel, smokestack - spinning wheel come with me Bebette, oui under the stormy sky"

External links