IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0064 CPR
Held at: National Maritime Museum
Title: Canadian Pacific Railway Co
Date(s): [1901-1913]
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 3ft:91cm
Name of creator(s): Canadian Pacific Railway Co
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The Canadian Pacific Railway Co was incorporated in 1881. Its prime responsibility was to build a transcontinental railway from Montreal to Vancouver. This was completed in 1885. In the meantime, in 1883, the company built three steamers for use on the Great Lakes and to assist in the construction of the railway. During the latter half of 1886, seven sailing vessels were chartered to bring tea and other goods from China and Japan to Port Moody, near Vancouver. Early in the next year, more vessels were chartered for a regular service and in 1889 orders were placed for three 6,000 ton vessels, the EMPRESS OF INDIA, the EMPRESS OF JAPAN and the EMPRESS OF CHINA. In 1902 C P R bought out the Canadian interest in the Elder Dempster Co, the Beaver Line, and started their first transatlantic service. With the entry of the C P R into the North Atlantic service, competition soon became very keen with the Allan Line. In 1915 the Allan Line was taken over by the C P R and a new company, the Canadian Pacific Ocean Service took over the operation of the two fleets.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co, comprising Official Logs, 1901 to 1913, originally part of the records of the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, who gave them to the company in 1970. The collection includes log books of three of the 'Empress' line, the Empress of India, the Empress of Japan and the Empress of China as well as of other company ships of the pre-First World War period. The papers are a number of printed pamphlets, time tables and short histories. (Section 3: CPR/: 3ft: 91cm)
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Conditions governing access:
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Finding aids:
Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
The records were presented by the company in 1970.
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jun 2011.
Date(s) of descriptions: 2010-08-26