The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway
The Nanaimo and Esquimalt Railway was built on Vancouver Island in the 1880's between the towns of Esquimalt near Victoria and Nanaimo in the mid-island area. Nanaimo was an important source of coal, as well as lumber, and Victoria is the capital of the Province of British Columbia.

An important developer of the line was Robert Dunsmuir, who was the owner of major coal mines, and later member of the Legislature of the province. Vast tracts of land were granted to the E&N from the government as a subsidy for construction as this was the common practice in Canada during this era to open up the country.

The Railway started operations in 1886 serving as both a passenger and freight line.

Robert Dunsmuir's sons Alex and later James became the president of the railway after his death in 1889. James was the Premier of B.C. from 1900-02 and Lieutenant-Governor in 1906.

Proposals were made in 1902 by Mackenzie and Mann, railway developers that had been contractors during the construction of the CPR, and were by then beginning to put together the Canadian Northern Railway to purchase the E&N as part of a plan to build a railway across Canada to Bute Inlet then by ferry to Vancouver Island and again by rail to Victoria. Public opposition was high as more subsidies would be involved if the sale took place.

The railway was not a money maker and was finally sold to the CPR in 1905. The E&N was operated as a subsidiary and not fully integrated into the CPR system, trackage and railcars and locomotives were leased between the two companies.

Expansion took place to Port Alberni from Nanaimo opening in Dec 1911, and to Courtenay in 1914. It had been planned to build to Campbell River, however World War I stopped the construction. In addition a branch line from near Duncan reached to Cowichan Lake to serve the logging area.

Because the E&N is isolated from the main CPR system it was decided to introduce diesel locomotives to replace steam. The change over took place in 1949.

In 1979 Via Rail took over the passenger service between Victoria and Courtenay and has kept rail liners on the route, service is poor and the equipment is old, groups on the Island have formed to try to improve this situation.

In 1999 the CPR announced that it had sold some sections and leased parts of the E&N to RailAmerica, which now operates the E&N freight service.

In 2000 the Pacific Wilderness railway began a passenger service for tourist running between Victoria and the Malahat Summit on the E&N rails. They plan to extend their service to Nanaimo and talk of re-introducing steam power in the future.

This map shows the present day trackage of the E&N Railway, extending from Victoria to Courtenay with the Port Alberni line branching off at Parksville.
One train a day each way but you can't buy a ticket at the station.
Built by the CPR in 1920 in the Queen Anne style the second station in Nanaimo is still in use. It is not in great shape and the living quarters and most of the facility is closed. It is a designated historic site and has to be preserved.
Original E&N station at Nanaimo, built in 1885, demolished to make way for new station in 1920. Described by the Nanaimo Free Press as "large and commodious"
This bridge over the mill stream in Nanaimo was on the original line. When the E&N was first built there were many bridges and trestles were built of timber as time went on they were filled with rock and earth to lower maintenance costs. The cut rock and cement culvert and the filling of the river valley was completed in 1907 (date is carved in the rock above the arch) and below is the scene in 2000.
Victoria office of the E&N Railway at the time of the opening of service in 1886.
Engine number 1 of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway in 1886. This engine was destroyed in a accident Sept 15, 1900 near Ladysmith. Wellington Colliery trains shared the E&N tracks and both companies had an engine No. 1. When the dispatcher at Ladysmith was asked if No.1 had arrived so that No. 10 could leave he saw the Wellington engine in the yard and allowed E&N No. 10 to leave Northbound, unfortunately E&N No.1 was still southbound on the line and the two trains collided. In the accident the engineer and fireman of No.1 and the brakeman and a mine manager on No. 10 were killed.
A look at a CPR E&N locomotive in final livery. (1997)
RailAmerica ENR locomotive 344 leading a freight from Port Alberni to Nanaimo in May 1999. Recently the old E&N logo has been added the the engines. Picture taken at Whisky Creek.