John where the ceremonies continued. in 1999, the Dorchester was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame. Due to its unique status as the first locomotive used in Canada, it was recognized for its contribution to the railway industry as "Rolling Stock" in the "National" category. Growth and eventual merging Regular operations commenced on July 25 and while freight traffic was stagnant on the line for many years, passenger traffic and excursions proved extremely popular early on, with many extra passenger trains being hauled by horses until additional locomotives arrived in 1837. Charles Dickens even rode the line. The line was extended south along the Richelieu River valley in 1851 to Rouses Point, New York and the following year saw a more direct routing built from the St. John-Laprairie line to St. Lambert, directly opposite Montreal to avoid the indirect journey up and down the St. Lawrence River from Laprairie. This latter line effectively reduced the line into Laprairie to branch line status and it would be later abandoned. The C&SL merged with the Montreal and New York Railroad in 1857, formerly known as the Montreal and Lachine Railroad, with the new company being named the Montreal and Champlain Railroad. The Grand Trunk Railway leased the M&C in 1864 and purchased it outright in 1872. In 1923 the GTR was nationalized and the ex-M&C, née-C&SL trackage was incorporated into the Canadian National Railways (CNR). CN (post-1960) continues to operate the majority of this historic route, running from an interchange connection with the Delaware and Hudson Railway (now owned by Canadian Pacific Railway) at Rouses Point, New York, through Saint-Jean and on to Saint-Lambert. The line from Rouses Point to Brossard is now CN's Rouses Point Subdivision. Culture C&SL Railroad was immortalized by Canadian country music artist Orval Prophet on his "Judgement Day Express" album (1973) with the song "Champlain and St. Lawrence Line" In 1986, for the World's Fair Exhibition in Vancouver called Expo 86, the Molsons donated a functional replica of the steam engine used to ferry travellers and goods on the C&SL Railway. Gallery See also History of rail transport in Canada List of defunct Canadian railways Plateway Rail tracks Wagonway References External links The North America Railway Hall of Fame Orval Prophet- Champlain and St. Lawrence Line Defunct Quebec railways Defunct New York (state) railroads Grand Trunk Railway subsidiaries Portages in Canada Portages in the