C.A.R.T.S.
 Central Alberta Regional Trails Society
 
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The Calgary Edmonton Railway
 
After the arrival in Calgary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883, one of the most significant happenings in the history of Central Alberta occurred in 1885 when a charter was granted to the Alberta and Athabasca Railway Company to run a rail line from Calgary to Edmonton and on to Athabasca Landing. Construction was to start in the summer of 1887, run to Drumheller due to a potential oil find and along the west side of Buffalo Lake. This would likely have changed the principle corridor between Calgary and Edmonton.
 
When the company had trouble financing the project and oil was not found, a revised new charter was to take the railway near proposed Alberta Lumber Company facilities owned by the same principles as the railway and was to cross the Red Deer River near Innisfail. A townsite was laid out near the river and grading commenced in 1887 but stopped after a month due to continued financial problems. Again, the charter was revised with a new proposed route crossing the Red Deer River about 12 miles northeast of Red Deer Crossing near where River Bend Golf Course is today.
 
Again financial problems caused the charter to be extended with a new name, the Alberta and Great Northwestern Railway. Interests were sold to a new company, the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company in early 1890 and, once completed, was to be leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway for 6 years. Construction started north of Calgary the same year but a decision was yet to be made as to where it would cross the Red Deer River. Three routes had been surveyed, the one near Innisfail, Red Deer Crossing and the mouth of the Blindman River (17 miles downstream from the Crossing) -- the preferred route as it necessitated only one bridge instead of two.
 
In July 1890, James Ross, on behalf of the railway, met with Rev. Leonard Gaetz who was one of the largest landowners near the river, had a great deal of political influence and was one of the principle promoters of the region in Calgary and eastern Canada. When Rev. Gaetz offered to give the railway 600 acres of land (half of his holdings) to build the townsite and railway there, Mr. Ross gladly accepted.
 
Tracklaying commenced in September and reached the new Red Deer townsite in November. That month, the first passenger train ran from south of Red Deer (near present day Springbrook) to Calgary, as the four bridges needed to cross the meanering Waskasoo Creek had yet to be constructed. The bridge across the river was built over the winter and the line was completed to South Edmonton by July 1891. The first railway station in Red Deer was built that spring.

The Canadian Pacific Railway officially took over the railway in August, named all the numbered stations along the route, built a telegraph line and started carrying the mail, taking it away from the stage coaches along the C & E Trail.

The lease was later extended to year 2000. In 1904, the Red Deer yards were expanded as it became a divisional point and a station was built at Penhold.
 

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