Daniel Chase Corbin had significant funds, and access to investors, gained through his experience in the building, operation, and sale of small railroads.

In February 1889, Corbin became general manager, senior officers were largely the New York financiers, and Edward J. Roberts was appointed as chief construction engineer.

Before leaving for New York to buy steel rails, four locomotives, and passenger and freight cars, Corbin instructed Roberts to build as fast and cheaply as possible.

Not only were unlimited curves allowed to fit the topography, but also to avoid the costs of blasting and filling, large tree stumps were to be left in the ground.

A brick depot was rising on the north bank of the river for joint use by the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, and the SF&N.

Corbin and Roberts were able to rescue valuable papers from their rented offices, before the building ignited in a blaze that scorched 32 city blocks.

[2] Colville–Little Dalles was completed in August 1890, where the line connected northward with the Columbia and Kootenay Steam Navigation Company (C&KSN), incorporated in 1890.

The C&KSN boats reached to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) at Revelstoke, and gave access to the West Kootenay mining area.

[2] The first prong was to Boundary opened on June 26, 1893,[4] connecting with the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway (N&FS) to become the first American railroad incursion into the West Kootenays.

The Troup Junction landing near Nelson would receive Slocan and Kootenay Lake ores by steamboat for transport south on the N&FS and SF&N to American smelters.