Montreal and Southern Counties Railway trolley car, Canada, mid-1950s

The Montreal and Southern Counties Railway (often abbreviated M&SCRC or M&SC) was an electric interurban/streetcar line that operated for nearly 47 years providing a transport link between Montreal and various communities on the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River.  The railway began operations on 1 November 1909 and officially shut down on 14 October 1956, following declining ridership.

Originally built by the Grand Trunk Railway, the system came under the control of the Canadian National Railway in 1923 when Grand Trunk was absorbed. 

The main interurban line ran 47 miles (75 kilometers) from Old Montreal, crossing the Victoria Bridge into St. Lambert, and extending deep into the countryside all the way to Granby, Quebec. A shorter, dedicated suburban branch also served the city of Longueuil. 

In Montreal and dense suburban hubs, the M&SC shared tracks directly with local streetcars, running right down the middle of the street. In rural areas, it transitioned to its own separate, dedicated right-of-way where it could pick up speed.

Car #600 belongs to the 600-series fleet built around 1917 specifically to handle the long-distance expansion line to Granby, Quebec and features a heavy wood and steel composite frame painted in the dark green Pullman livery of the Canadian National Railway system. 

The roof line includes a "deck roof" profile with small clerestory windows for ventilation. These were primarily single-end cars and because they only had a driving cab at one end, they were frequently coupled back-to-back in trains of two or three cars so they could be driven in either direction without needing a turnaround loop.

Because these cars traveled through freezing Quebec winters, they were equipped with a Peter Smith coal-fired heating stove. Located inside the main cabin, this stove fed heat directly into a series of forced-air pipes running along the floor boards to keep passengers warm. 

M&SC had 4 dedicated express freight cars and 4 milk cars. Because the line ran deep into the agricultural South Shore communities, these cars were vital for hauling farm produce and daily milk jugs straight into Montreal every morning.