History of the Caraquet Railway Company

Incorporated1874 (37 Vic. Cap 76)
Mileage68 miles

The Caraquet Railway Company was incorporated in 1874. The railway was built from 1874 to 1878 and eventually stretched from Gloucester Junction on the Intercolonial main line near Bathurst, N.B. to Shippigan, N.B.

A tragedy occurred on December 17, 1887. A plow train extra went off the McIntosh Bridge spanning the Caraquet River, and eight men were killed. A coroner's jury quickly found that the accident was caused by ice damage to the bridge.

On August 4, 1888 the Bathurst station and freight shed of the Caraquet Railway Company were destroyed by fire.

On October 10, 1892 the railway bridge at Barnesville was destroyed by fire, caused by sparks from the St. Lawrence lumber mill close to the bridge.

The Caraquet Railway Company merged with the Gulf Shore Railway Company on April 13, 1911 and formed the Caraquet & Gulf Shore Railway Company. Their combined trackage stretched from Gloucester Junction on the Intercolonial main line near Bathurst, N.B. to Tracadie, N.B. with a branch line from Pokemouche Junction to Shippigan, N.B.


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