THE R.P.O. NEW SLETTER

OF THE CA ADI ^1^ R.Y.U. STUDY GROUP

Volume 19 - 1-+o.5 whole No.92 May, 1991

Here is another iewfoundland Issue - thanks to Don -r,ilon.

MV Caribou P.A.B.- Sydney MV John Hamilton Gray P. A. B. -Sydney

MVAtlanticFreighter P.A.B.- Sydney MV Ambrose Shea -Sydney

MV Sir Robert Bond

These , and the ships shown on Page 10, are those in service in December , 1986. They represent a large Federal Government expenditure in a modern fleet operated by Ltd. to service the coasts of and Labrador . For example, C;-,,,RIBOU was placed in service in May , 1986, at a cost of :x120 million ^,dn . ..../2 -2-

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Trepassey

A Synopsis of Newfoundland 's Railway History by OMER LAVALLEE

The termination of rail operation in 's tenth use throughout the British Empire. The original terminal in St. province which occurred in the autumn of 1988 marked the end John's was at old Fort William, on the hill where the of well over a century of railway service in Newfoundland. The Newfoundland Hotel now stands, above the harbour. need for rail transportation was first advocated by the press in the 1840s, but three decades elapsed before a survey for the LOCOMOTIVES ARRIVE trans-island line was carried out in the 1870s under the supervision of Sandford Fleming of Canada. On 5 December 1881, the first locomotive arrived on hoard the SS "Merlin". This was the first of a number of second-hand THE " RAILWAY" 4-4-OTs, originally built in England by R. & W. Hawthorne- Leslie & Co., which had become surplus to requirements of the The first concrete action came on 17 April 1880 when the Prince Edward Island Railway which was of the same gauge as Newfoundland government passed an act authorizing the raising the Newfoundland line. About the same time, the line acquired of $5 million for construction of a railway from St. John's to the its first new engine, an0-6-OT named "A.L. Blackman", also built head of Notre Dame Bay. by Hawthorne-Leslie. On 20 April 1881, an agreement was concluded with a The Blackman syndicate floated bonds in Great Britain to construction syndicate headed by Albert Blackman of New York, finance the road. While the first section, between St. John's NY to build 547 km (340 miles) of railway between St. John's (Fort William) and Avondale, 60 km (37.5 miles), was not and Hall's Bay on Notre Dame Bay, with a branch from opened to revenue traffic until 1 May 1884, an experimental Whitbourne to Harbour Grace, 53 km (33 miles). The line was train made a run over the line between St. John's and Donovans, to be known as the Company, and the 17 km (8.5 miles) on 16 January 1882. contract terms included land grants of 3 256 ha/km (5,000 The railway was laid with 14.5 kg/m (35 pounds/yard) iron acres/mile) and cash ($180,000 per annum for 35 years). rail. Construction was pushed on and the whole 154 km (96 Construction was commenced on 9 August 1881 on the Southern miles)-long line was opened through to Harbour Grace on 1 Division (St. John's to Harbour Grace). When winter arrived, November 1884. The last spike was driven by HRH Prince 32 km (20 miles) of route had been graded and 6 km (10 miles) George (later HM King George V) who was then visiting of track laid. Newfoundland while as a midshipman aboard HMS The selection of 1 007 mm (42 inches) for the gauge came "Cumberland". During construction, the line ran out of money almost routinely. By 1880, that width was either proposed or in and defaulted on its bond interest. 6 DECEMBER 1989 •• a a/3 -3- Responsibility for operating the line, known unofficially as by the government at a loss, while the system west of the "Harbour Grace Railway" to distinguish it from other Whitbourne was in the hands of Reid. Therefore, Reid was projects, was then assumed by the government , though it was induced to take over operation of the whole system for a filly- only purchased and taken over legally in 1896. year period, for an additional land grant of 1 257 ha/kin (5,00 acres per mile) of line operated. THE PLACENTIA RAILWAY He was required to pay $1 million upon execution of the contract, and at its termination would retain ownership of the In view of the financial difficulties encountered by the railway, though releasing one-half of the lands acquired by him privately-owned "Harbour Grace Railway", the government under the contract. A contract incorporating these terms was decided to build further extensions under its own auspices. In signed with Reid on 3 March 1898. 1885, it authorized building of the Placentia Railway from Reid also purchased the government telegraph lines and Whitbourne, on the "Harbour Grace Railway", to Placentia on undertook the construction and operation of coastal vessels in Placentia Bay, 42 km (26 miles). This line was opened on 2 connection with the railway. He also undertook to pave Water October 1888. Street in St. John's and also build and operate an electric street railway. All of these agreements were confirmed by an Act HALL'S BAY RAILROAD passed on 15 March 1898.

At the same time, construction commenced on the "Hall's TRANS-ISLAND RAILWAY OPENED Bay Railroad" to serve mines in the general area of Notre Dame Bay. After grading had been completed between Placentia Jct., Almost five years was required to build the railway through 11 km (7 miles) west of Whitbourne, and Rantem , and 40 km to Port-aux-Basques, the opening taking place on 29/30 June (25 miles) and 26 km (16 miles) of rail laid, the work was 1898. The first train left St. John's on the former date at 1920 abandoned as too expensive after spending $465,000. It was (7.20 PM) taking 27 hours and 25 minutes to travel to Port-aux- resolved that future railway construction would be done under Basques, where it arrived at 2245 (10:45 PM) on 30 June, an contract, the line to be administered by the Board of average speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). The connecting steamship Commissioners previously established. Tenders were called for SS "Bruce" left an hour later for North Sydney, NS, inaugurating this work. The successful bidders were Robert G. Reid and a combined rail-steamer passenger service which was to last for G.H. Middleton of Montreal, who signed a contract on 16 June more than seven decades. 1890. On 30 April 1898, a branch was opened between Notre Dame Jet. and Lewisporte on Notre Dame Bay, 15 km (9 miles). NEWFOUNDLAND NORTHERN & WESTERN RAILWAY On the following 1 September a "cutoff for the Harbour Grace branch was completed between Junction and Tilton, and The contract provided for building and equipping the the branch extended 10 km (6 miles) from Harbour Grace to "Newfoundland Northern & Western Railway' between Placentia . At the same time, the section between Blaketown Jct. and Hall's Bay, 422 km (262 miles), completing it within five and Tilton was abandoned. years for the sum of $15,600 per mile. Reid and Middleton reimbursed the government $90,000 THE REID NEWFOUNDLAND COMPANY for the work already done in 1889, and received the Placentia Railway free of charge. Middleton withdrew from the partner- In 1900, Reid sought to organize his Newfoundland ship in May 1892. The NN&W was opened between Placentia interests into a company rather than hold them personally, but Jet. and , 309 km (192 miles), on 1 October 1893. as his land grants had resulted in perceived encroachment upon By this time, it had become apparent that the private property, his charter was refused until the 1898 contract potential in the Hall' s Bay area would not justify a railway. The could be modified to the satisfaction of all concerned. alternative was to continue the line from Norris Arm to the west The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated on 2 side of the Island, thence parallel to the coast to a terminal at August 1901 with a capital of $25 million. Reid's three sons also Port-aux-Basques, 880 km (547 miles) from St. John's. This were members of the new board of directors. The Act harbour was the point nearest to Canada where steamer incorporating the company also embodied a new contract which connections could be made with North Sydney NS, 160 kin (100 provided that the railway would revert to the government at the miles) away. end of the fifty-year term. Another contract, signed on 16 May 1893, entrusted Reid Reid purchased the drydock at the head of St. John's with the maintenance and operation of the Newfoundland harbour, which had been built by the government in 1884. The Northern & Western Railway between Whitbourne and Port- railway terminal at old Fort William had been destroyed by fire aux-Basques, 793 km (493 miles), and also of the Placentia on 31 March 1900 and Reid decided to relocate terminal Railway, 32 km (20 miles), for a period of ten years from 1 facilities to a new location near the drydock site at the head of September 1893. In return, Reid was to receive a grant of 1257 the harbour. A 12 km (7 miles) connection was built from the ha/km (5,000 acres per mile) in alternate sections. main line at Western Jct. (Donovan's) to the new terminal which was opened in January 1903. The old line was then abandoned. NEW CONTRACT DEATH OF SIR ROBERT REID Poor economic conditions in Newfoundland late in the 1890s led the government to consider consolidating all railway This basic network proved adequate for most of the operation under one administration. Under the 1893 Reid ensuing decade. In the interim, Sir Robert Reid died in 1907 and contract, operation of the railway system was fragmented with he was succeeded by his son (later Sir) William D. Reid. the line between St. John's and Harbour Grace being operated In 1909, the Reid company concluded an agreement with

.... % 4 BRANCHLINE 7 the government to build branches to Bonavisla, Heart's Content, railway and related operations in Newfoundland. In its place, Grate's Cove and , , Fortune Bay and the government organized the Newfoundland Government Bonne Bay. In return, the company was to he given $15,(XN) and Railway to operate it as a public work. The Reid company 4.(10) acres of land per mile (2,605 ha/km2). These lines were subsequently received $2 million in compensation. completed and opened as follows: On 9 June 1926 the railway was transferred to department of the Newfoundland government and renamed Section km miles Date "Newfoundland Railway". It remained under this jurisdiction Shoal Harbour- Bonavista 142 88 8 Nov. 1911 until surrendered to Canadian National Railways on 1 April 1949 St.John's-Trepassey 169 105 1 Jan. 1914 under confederation terms with Canada. Carbonear- Grate's Cove Victims of the Depression were the Trepassey and Grate's and Bay de Verde 60 37 1 July 1915 Cove/Bay de Verde branches, abandoned on 1 July 1931, and Blaketown - Heart 's Content 24 15 1 July 1915 the Heart's Content branch, closed on 1 July 1939. The The line from Northern Bight towards Fortune was remaining system made up of 1,135 km (705 miles) of main line completed only to Terenceville, 69 km (43 miles), and branches lasted until the 1980s, the Bonavista branch being when construction was abandoned. The rails were subsequently abandoned in 1983, followed by the Carbonear and Argentia taken up without scheduled operation ever having begun. The branches in 1984. proposed line from Deer Lake to Bonne Bay never materialized. IN DECLINE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES Despite massive capital investment in technological change The increased mileage, the additional motive power and such as conversion of the all-steam system to diesel operation rolling stock which was required, coupled with drastic increases during the 1950s , the elimination of break-of-bulk of freight at in costs of labour and materials brought about by inflation Port-aux-Basques by transferring standard-gauge mainland during World War I, conspired to put the Company, whose freight cars to narrow-gauge trucks, and finally concentration on control had passed in 1917 to another son of Sir Robert - H.D. moving freight in containers, traffic continued to decline. Reid - in bad financial condition. An advice to the government Highway competition, both passenger traffic and freight, was that the company could not continue to operate the railway due given a boost in 1965 with the completion of the Newfoundland to lack of funds resulted in the appointment of a joint Railway portion of the Trans Canada Highway system, paralleling the Commission to take over the railway on 13 August 1920. This railway. Driving time between St. John's, Port-aux-Basques and Commission comprised three representatives of the government intermediate points was reduced to about half that required by and three from the company, with the government providing the the trains. funds. A major psychological blow was the consequent elimination Early in 1921, Prime Minister Sir Richard Squires of of railway main line passenger service with the introduction,' Newfoundland approached Sir George Bury, a former vice- CN, of "Roadcruiser" bus service beginning on 2 December 196.. president of the Company, to analyze The last run of "The Caribou" occurred on 3 July 1969 when the the situation and make recommendations to the government. eastbound train arrived at St. John's. However, passenger Bury's report, submitted on 29 June 1921, made several service on mixed trains on the branches lasted until their recommendations, the most important of which provided for a respective abandonments in the 1980s. new contract with the Reid company, the appointment of a The whole of what in the 1970s became , general manager, and the establishment of a body similar to the a "profit centre" of Canadian National, ceased revenue Board of Railway Commissioners in Canada, strict supervision operations officially effective 1 October 1988. The 880 km (547 of all capital expenditures and payment of actual losses by the miles) closure was the longest single railway abandonment in government to the Reids up to a maximum $1.5 million. Canadian railway history. Track removal began on 12 October with the ceremonial THE MORGAN PERIOD removal of the first rail in the barren area known as the "Gaff Topsails". This process is continuing and should be completed The mandate of the joint Commission was terminated on before the end of this year. Some motive power and rolling 30 June 1921. In the interval, in the same year, the 5 km (3 stock has been sold and shipped to the Antofagasta (Chile) & miles) branch was opened between Argentia Jet. and Argentia. Bolivia Ry. Co. PLC for conversion to metre (39.3") gauge, and Bury's nominee as railway general manager was R .C. Morgan, other purchasers are in prospect. formerly superintendent of the CPR's Winnipeg Terminals. However, the arrangement was short-lived and in April 1922, the OTHER NEWFOUNDLAND RAILWAYS Reid company advised that it could no longer operate the railway, offering to surrender it to the government. Matters Several other entities operated revenue rail service in the came to a head on 16 May 1922 when all railway operations Island Province. The largest of these was the Anglo- were suspended. They were resumed a week later on 23 May Newfoundland Development Company (ANDCo) which in 1909 1922 after temporary financial arrangements had been made constructed the so-called " Railway" from its paper mill between the government and the Bank of Montreal. The at Grand Falls, through Bishops Falls to the ocean port of government then agreed to provide all funds necessary to Botwood, 35 km (22 miles). In 1910, the ANDCo purchased the operate the railway until 30 June 1923. "Millertown Railway", a lumber line built between Millertown Jct. on the Reid Newfoundland Company main line, PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL OPERATION Millertown, 31 km (19.5 miles), in 1901. Later, the Millerto, line was extended for 31 km (19 miles) southward to Lake On the latter date, the Reid company withdrew from all Ambrose for logging purposes; this branch was known as the

8 DECEMBER 1989 -5-

LEFT: CN Mired Train No. 205, powered by G8 Nos. 802 and 800, has descended the one-mile loop at Trinity, Newfoundland, and is skirting the shore of Trinity Bay enroute to Bonavista on Labour Day, 1971. Collection of Earl Roberts.

BELOW: CN2-8-2s Nos. 323 and 314 head Train No. 2 "The Caribou" at Harry's Brook, Newfoundland, in June 1956, on the eve of dieselization. Both locomotives (fonnerly Newfoundland Railway Nos. 1023 and 1014) were retired in 1957. Photo by Robert Sandusky.

"Harpoon Railway" after a brook in the vicinity. Costa Rica. The Railway was built by the Buchans Mining Minor lines included one of 11 km (7 miles) operated by Company in 1928. It extended from Buchans Jct. on the the Newfoundland Iron Ore Company, opened in 1898 between ANDCo's Millertown Railway to Buchans, 31 km ( 19 miles). and Lower Island Cove and abandoned in 1901; Buchans trains using their own motive power , operated over the and the United States Air Force's 16 km (10 miles) line between Millertown line through to Millertown Jct. In 1957, the ANDCo White's Road (near Stephenville) and Harmon AFB completed divested itself of its railway lines, abandoning the section in 1941 and used as an industrial spur after 1963. There was between Buchan Jct. and Millertown plus the Harpoon Railway also a plant railway at Bowater's paper mill at , and turning over operations between Buchans Jct. and and 10 km (6.5 miles) of cable-operated tramway on Bell Island Millertown Jct . to the Buchan Railway. On 1 July 1957, the in , built by the Dominion Iron & Steel Co. in Botwood Railway was reorganized as the common -carrier Grand 1901 and abandoned in the 1930s. Falls Central Railway Co. An industrial line makes it still possible to see railways in In the 1960s, the Buchan mining and railway operations use in Newfoundland. Continuing in activity is the narrow-gauge came under the control of the American Smelting & Refining yard operation of Newfoundland Hardwoods Corporation at Company (ASARCO) which continued in use until the mine at , which uses three gas-mechanical locomotives Buchans was closed early in the 1980s when the whole line from running on about one kilometre (.75 mile) of track. This is now, Buchans to Millertown Jct. was abandoned. The Grand Falls at 53° 58" W. Long., the easternmost railway operation in North Central line was also abandoned and dismantled in the 1960s, America. ranch of its eauiament being sold to the Northern Railway of W >1 to -3 (-) o m o b of 0- 0 n Cti0 0 o 0. v n y m o A p oy x o m m o = 0 aE g c m 7 O n Dr O a «-I o cn m^° yCD o (D r- p m ^j0 nao 0 ,' rm ^a o^tr - m a a S^, a=r 'O n l `0 i O 0 m 7 0 1 H K n m G m Q o-'< < 3 5. fD Q Q 0 0 m ti Q K ti 1 0 CO C 0 m.v ? m "'0 0 n a° E ? 3 0 0 O .b CO m < 0 0 m C 8 m s C' 7 m a 0 o m ^ m z 0 ao m a

(1) Because of weather conditions, schedules are approximate.

(2) If weather conditions will not permit vessel to call at any port, vessel will proceed enroute.

(3) If further information required in detail on any particular service, please apply in writing to:

Passenger Sales Manager Canadian National Railways St. John's, Nfld.

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..1 10 N O Y) IC ^• m n aI .-. O - IO O 4C 'O tO O V) 0 Ol Ip P b n v p O N N T P ! Y IC IO CO 40 m m -10- More ships from the Marine Atlantic " Mariner", December, 1986 - Did you notice that several of them perpetuate the names of earlier ships with which we are familiar from markings of the past ? For example , N orthern Ranger on this page had a predec- essor which used both full -circle and split -circle markings with the name of the ship. I-iarine Courier was completed in May , 1985, at a cost of :-y3 Iviil.

MV Northern Ranger Labrador MV Marine Packer Labrador

MV Marine Courier South Coas t MV Marine Runner South Coast THE CA3C0SE - We welcome three new members into the Study Group - John H.Perry-Hooker ;Stuart L.Cohn Arthur J.3runet Doe Corner RR1,3ox74,Mt.Olive Rd. 1054 Yuill St.SE Wells River, VT 05081- Zirconia, NC 28790 Medicine Hat,AB U.S.A. 0662 U.S.A. T1A CZ2 - They have all opted for a years free membership as new members of B1^APS. Let's hope they enjoy it as much as most of us do.

Jim Miller has raised a good point. Recently the Squared Circle Study Group has decided to include the two and three-ring "Orb" cancels within their working area. Jim asks whether the R.P.O. Study Group might consider doing a similar thing with the various Airport, A.M.F. and Air Mail Section markings of Canada. Our late member Joe Purcell and your Editor published a preliminary listin of these in "Topics" back in 1975, so the framework is there, and a section could be added to future Annexes and Catalogues to cover them. What do the Members think 7