Esquimalt & Nanaimo (1999)

Company History: The original E&N began construction in 1884 for the purpose of providing rail service to Canada’s Vancouver Island. It became a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific in 1905. It ran from Victoria to Courtney with a branch to Port Alberni (about 145 miles in total.) In 1996, CP separated the E&N into a new company called E&N Railfreight. During the winter of 1998-99, Canadian Pacific sold much of their E&N Railfreight subsidiary to the RailAmerica shortline group. RailAmerica brought back the original Esquimalt & Nanaimo name and even resurrected the traditional elk-and-shield E&N logo which was applied to their group paint scheme of red, silver and blue. However, competition from improved highways and the closing of the large pulp mill in Port Alberni caused RailAmerica to lose interest in the line. In 2006, they sold the operation to Washington Group (parent of Montana Rail Link and Southern Railway of British Columbia) who now operate the line under the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island name.

Successor/Parent History: RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada. In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group.
On July 23, 2012, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced that it intended to purchase RailAmerica. They assumed control on December 28, 2012.
Map Courtesy of Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

Brief History: Canada is a North American country stretching from the U.S. in the south to the Arctic Circle in the north. Major cities include massive Toronto, west coast film centre Vancouver, French-speaking Montréal and Québec City, and capital city Ottawa. Canada's vast swaths of wilderness include lake-filled Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains. It's also home to Niagara Falls, a famous group of massive waterfalls.