‘Tuesday Night at the Museum’ returns to the L&A County Museum & Archives in Napanee on January 24th at 7pm. Those in attendance will hear about the fascinating history of The Bay of Quinte Railway, one of the most successful private industries in Canadian history.

The year was 1881. The Rathbun enterprises in Deseronto had grown from humble beginnings fifty years earlier to a booming industrial complex including the largest door and window factory in Canada, ship yards, locomotive works, an iron foundry and brick works. To secure a strong position in the economy, The Bay of Quinte Railway and Navigation Company was conceived to move goods from their factories and ship out vast quantities of lumber milled from the rich timber resources harvested in the hinterland to the north of Deseronto and Napanee.

Steve Manders, author and photographer will chart the story of this ambitious railway scheme from its 1881 charter to mergers with other railway lines including the NTQ (Napanee, Tamworth and Quebec Railway.  The line would later merge with the Canadian Northern Railway Company, then Canadian National.  Steve has now finished writing a book  about the Kingston and Pembroke Railway, including a chapter on the Bay of Quinte Railway.  The book, due for release in 2017,  includes hundreds of his original photos, maps and stories.

Tickets are only $3 each and are available at the door. Tuesday Night at the Museum is a monthly programming feature at the L&A County Museum & Archives, located at 97 Thomas Street East in Napanee. For more information, please visit www.CountyMuseum.ca or call 613-354-3027.