1882 the juggernaut of the pro-amalgamation forces could not be stopped. In the final tally, the votes for amalgamation were a landslide, with 1,072 shareholders controlling 83,409 votes supporting amalgamation and eight shareholders controlling only 1,100 votes not supporting amalgamation. Amalgamation occurred at 2300 hours on August 11, 1882.
The first board of directors of the amalgamated company, split as one-third Great Western-affiliated and two-thirds Grand Trunk-affiliated, included:
Sir Henry W. Tyler, MP
Sir Charles L. Young
Baronet Lord Cland J. Hamilton, MP
Robert Young
Robert Gillespie
William U. Heygate
James Charles
Right Honourable David R. Plunket, MP
Honourable James Ferrier
Viscount Bury
Henry D. Browne
Colonel E. Chaplin
John Marnham and
Major Alexander G. Dickson, MP
Just two weeks after the August 12, 1882, amalgamation, the last ticket was sold at the Great Western Railway Toronto depot on Saturday night, August 26.
Posted on the door was a single note reading “Go to Union Station.” The dining room was locked and the staff had departed. The freight house would continue to be used. It would become a bonded freight warehouse for the Grand Trunk.
The loss of the Great Western as an independent line was bemoaned by the editor of the Acton Free Press in its editorial pages on August 17, 1882. Within this editorial the author warned that the Grand Trunk would become a virtual monopoly in the province of Ontario, since it would be years until the Canadian Pacific Railway would play any significant role in rail transportation in southern Ontario. The loss of the Great Western would be especially injurious to the large tract of counties that had formerly enjoyed the advantage and competition of two railway companies. The public could now expect higher freight and passenger rates, fewer trains, and less accommodation for local traffic. The Grand Trunk would only have its own interests to keep in mind in the future: “One can now only hope against hope that greater consideration will be given by the Grand Trunk than has heretofore been seen with other monopolies.”
***
The Appendix provides details of the ten extant Great Western stations in Ontario. These were built between 1855 and 1890. Half were of brick and half were of frame construction. Seven of ten are in either good (1) or excellent (6) condition, with the remainder in unknown (1), fair (1), or poor (1) condition at present. Details of two extant Detroit and Milwaukee/Detroit, Grand Haven, and Milwaukee stations in Michigan are also provided (1 each being in excellent and poor condition at present). The presence of these stations is a tribute to local citizens who organized and overcame sentiments to demolish these historic structures and then arranged for their restoration and subsequent use.
Table 2-1. Comparative Traffic Growth Over the First Two Years After Opening of the Great Western Railway
In addition, average weekly traffic receipts rose from £5,773 in 1854 to £13,633 in 1856. To convert £ to U.S. $, multiply by 4.87.
Table 2-2. Elevation Profiles of the Great Western Railway and its Affiliated Lines
Table 2-3. Summary of the 1859 Great Western Railway Public Timetable
Table 2-4. Summary of Great Western Railway Operations and Financials for 1860
Table 2-5. Summary of the Great Western-Affiliated Railway Mileage, Effective March 6, 1874
Abbreviations: WG&B = Wellington, Grey, and Bruce; G&G = Galt and Guelph; L&PS = London and Port Stanley; NA = not available (under construction); Jct. = Junction
Note that this summary from the chief engineer does not include Suspension Bridge to Windsor main line or siding mileage.
Table 2-6. Capital Expenditures of the Great Western Railway (1870–74, Inclusive)
Also done in these years: 20,020 tons of iron rails re-rolled, 22,916 tons of steel rails purchased, 707,225 ties purchased.
a Includes £113,513 ($552,808) for interest during construction and discounts.
b Included “doubling-up” of main line from London to Glencoe (79.25 miles); installation of sidings at virtually every station; improvements in roadbed; new station works/yards at Clifton, London, and Windsor; new car shops at London; new wharf at Sarnia; new warehouse at Detroit.
c N=113
d Passenger/baggage (N=74), Freight (N=2,119), Platform (Flat) (N=524)
e Michigan and Saginaw
f Saved £50,000 ($243,500) annually in bridge tolls
Table 2-7. Summary of the 1875 Great Western Railway Plus Affiliates’ Public Timetables
