Legget, pp. 103-104: «Although the latter [Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Railway] had its own line on the island of Montreal, it could not make connection with the railways on the south shore of the St Lawrence since the GTR owned the only crossing, the Victoria Bridge. The South Eastern Railway (a regional which connected with a line to Boston) on the other hand, had its terminus at St Lambert on the south shore but could not reach Montreal. The two lines decided to join forces. Rails were laid to the banks of the St Lawrence, downstream of the Victoria Bridge, at Hochelaga and Longueuil respectively, and a large train ferry was purchased to provide the connection between the two railways. ‘La Compagnie du Traverse de chemin de fer d'Hochelaga à Longueuil’ was organised to operate the train ferry and to provide also a winter crossing. This was the famous ‘Montreal Ice Railway’.

Despite much unfavourable advance comment, arrangements were made to lay a standard railway track on the solid ice of the River St Lawrence in January 1880, preliminary borings having shown the ice thickness to vary from 24 to 48 in. Timbers, 12 in x 12 in, were laid in crib-like formation to spread the load and on top of them standard ties were laid, to which were spiked lightweight iron rails. The line was completed from Longueuil to Hochelaga by 28 January and on that date loaded cars were hauled, by horses, from the south shore to the island of Montreal. The official opening took place on 31 January when a small locomotive (the W. H. Pangman) hauled two flat cars, equipped with seats for the many distinguished visitors, safely across the ice. The locomotive weighed 25 tons, the two cars about 8 tons each so that, with 250 passengers, the total load was about 60 tons. The ice railway was used, safely, until the end of March, the train ferry being able to take up its sailings again in mid-April. The same pattern was repeated during the next three winters but with the sale of the North Shore Railway and later of the South Eastern Railway to the CPR, better counsels prevailed and the necessity for this strange crossing disappeared.»