Halifax and Southwestern Railway
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| Reporting mark | H&SW |
|---|---|
| Locale | Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Dates of operation | 1901–1918 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Bridgewater, Nova Scotia |
The Halifax and South Western Railway (reporting mark H&SW) was a historic Canadian railway operating in the province of Nova Scotia.
The correct legal name of this railway was the Halifax & South Western Railway. This is defined in various Acts of the Nova Scotia Legislature; for example 1902 c.1, Act respecting the Halifax & South Western Railway Co.; however Halifax & Southwestern Railway is also sometimes used.
The H&SW was created in spring 1901 when William Mackenzie and Donald Mann approached the provincial government with plans to finish the abortive plans for a railway from Halifax to Yarmouth along the province's South Shore. For many years, the line had significant curvature throughout its length, a result of the rugged local topography, which earned it the moniker, "Hellish Slow & Wobbly".
The H&SW wasn't the first railway to build on the South Shore of Nova Scotia as various charters for railway companies had preceded it.
The Nova Scotia Central Railway (NSCR) had opened its line between Middleton in the Annapolis Valley and Lunenburg, by way of Bridgewater, on December 23, 1889.
In 1893, the Coast Railway Company of Nova Scotia was incorporated under a charter to build a narrow gauge line between Yarmouth and Lockeport, by way of Barrington and Shelburne. Construction took place very slowly and what little trackage had been already built was converted to standard gauge in 1895. In 1899 the company was renamed the Halifax and Yarmouth Railway (H&YR) and received a new charter to build east from Lockeport to Liverpool, Bridgewater and Halifax. By 1903 the line had barely reached Barrington.
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