A group of prominent wealthy Canadian businessmen met in 1880. They realised that for Canada to not only survive but expand, a railway system had to be devised and developed to cover the country, from coast to coast.
They then decided to take this a stage further, planning a world-wide transport system. This would help encourage emigrants to Canada. People could travel on CPR liners from Europe and then across the country on CPR trains. Over the following century these ideas were developed and extended, incorporating trains, passenger ships, cargo ships, hotels and, eventually, aircraft.
Development of the Canadian Empresses
Pre-eminent in this history were the Atlantic and Pacific Empresses. These were ships with the highest levels of reliability and comfort, offering the safest standards of travel. They laid the foundations for the profitability of the company.
Growth and decline
This second volume covers the war service and losses and the rebuilding after 1945. It follows the efforts of Canadian Pacific to survive in the fifties and sixties and the closing down of the Empresses. Finally there is a brief look at the final years of the last ships. Hundreds of photos illustrate the detailed text. Dozens of brochures and items of ephemera are reproduced, bringing the liners to life.
184 pages. £38.00 plus shipping
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