of the trains was legendary.
"He was only a child when he
got on" was the punch line of
a joke where a PEI Railway
conductor asked a woman why
she was trying to give him a
child’s ticket for her full-
grown son. The trains got
through in all but the worst
weather, and life in many

communities revolved around
the railway station and the
bustle that surrounded
arrival and departure times.
The railroad was the largest,
single employer of PEI – a
steady source of well paying
jobs. Communities prospered
or faded, depending on how
close they were to the main

line. Reciting the stations
along the line – in order –
became a favourite memory
exercise for Island
schoolteachers.
   Since the last engine
rumbled off to the mainland
one cold February night in
1989, the railroad has just
been a memory of the Island.

Elmira Railway Museum
explores these memories and
highlights some of the
aspects of the railroad and
railroading on Prince Edward
Island.