Cumberland Railway & Coal

Company History: The CR&C was formed in 1883 (although with “Railway & Coal” reversed only to be changed the following year) to acquire the properties of the failed Springhill & Parrsborough Coal & Railway Company. The company mined coal at Springhill, Nova Scotia and moved that coal with their own railroad to the port of Parrsborough on the Bay of Fundy. They also connected with the Intercolonial Railway at Springhill Junction. A Canadian policy of restricting coal imports from the USA resulted in growing business for the CR&C. Aside from a terrible coal dust explosion and fire that killed 125 in 1891, the future was bright. In 1910, the company was sold and became a subsidiary of Dominion Coal Company followed by various successors. In the 1950s, railroad dieselization and changes in home heating began to soften demand for CR&C coal. In 1956, a runaway mine tram caused an explosion that killed 39 miners. Two years later, a drop off in export coal sales led the company to close the railroad line to Parrsborough. After that, all coal traffic was interchanged to CN at Springhill Junction. Also in 1958, a huge mine collapse killed another 74 miners. Mining operations were phased out and the southern end of the railroad was cut back to Southampton where blueberry packing houses continued to use the railroad. The last CR&C train ran in 1962.

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