Canadian Rail a No. 416 MAY· JUNE 1990 CANADIAN RAIL ISSN 0008·4375 PUBLISHED BI-MONTH l Y BY THE CANADIAN RAILROAD HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION EDITOR: Fred F. Angus For YOlif membership in Ihe CAHA, which includes a CO-EDITOR : Douglas N. W. Smith subscription to Canadian Ra il , write 10: PROOUCTION A. Stephen Walbridge CA HA, P.O. Box 148, 51. Constant, Que. J5A 2G2 CARTOGRAPHER: William A. Germaniuk Aates: in Canada: $28. LA YOUT- Fred F. Angus outside Canada: $24. in U.S. lunds. PRIN TING: Procel Pri nting r-------- TABLE OF CONTENTS JAMES GOOD AND THE TORONTO LOCOMOTIVE WORKS FRITZ LEHMANN 75 ERA ENOS WITH LAST TRAIN TO MEDICINE HAT PETER MEHRER 9. NEWS1E ON THE TRAIN DOUG SMITH 98 WINDING ITS WAY INTO OUR HEARTS 102 CRHA COMMUNICATIONS 104 THE BUSINESS CAR 105 Canadian Rail Is continually in need of news, stories, historical data. photos. maps and other material. Please send all contributions 10 the editor: Fred F. Angus. 302; Trafalgar Ave. Monlreal. P,Q. H3Y 1 H3. No payment can be made lor contributions, but the contributer win be given credit for material submitted. Material will be returned to the contributer il requested , Remember "Knowledge Is of tittle value unless it is shared with others". NATIONAL DIRECTORS Frederick F. Angus Hugucs W. Bor in J . Chrislopher Kyle Douglas NW. Smith A.C . Ba!lard Robert Carlson W illiam La Surf Lawrence M. Unwin Jack A. Beatty Charles De Jean Bernard Martin Richard Vjbe~g Walter J . Bedbrook Gerard Frechelle Robert V.V. Nicholls A. Stephen Walbticlge Alan C . Blackburn Oavid W. Johnson Andrew W. Panko John C . Weir The CRHA has a number of local divisions across the country. Many hold rsoutar meetings and issue newsletters. Further information may be obtained by writing to the FRO~'T COVER: ThtjirSf locomo- division. KEYSTONE DIVISION 111'f' huiff ill Crmmla was lllf' NEW BRUNSWICK DMSION 1. ~ Bav -r(JI'Ol//(JH. j (lllll'J POBox lie:.! ~ Man. RJK QM.I bl/ilt by GOQd for Sa<rtll Jo/WI N Ii. E2l 407 CAlQ,t.,RV , SOtITl-t WESTERN OMSION Ihl' DllfllriO Sill/COl' GIld HI/rOil ill ST LAWRENCE VALLEV O!YISION I5Q ·!l1DO (1" II... N£ 1853. This photo shows it shortly po B<n Z2. S1a1ooo "S" c.lQat)o . AIbe!1a T2A 5Z8 ~PO K3B3J!I ROCKY MOUNT AlN DIVISION b~forl! if was .1'crappt'd in i S81. F~w. RIDEAU VALLEY ONiSlON PO. 8o~ "02. SWIon "C" if ally. other photos art kllow/I (Jf ~,AbI<Ia T.58 2NO PO Bo:c 962 J(lm es Good /()(:om()til·t'.f. Srruth·. Falla. 0nL >(7" 5A.5 SELKIRK OIVlSION KINGSTON OIVIS ION P.O. I\Qx 3V Reve!s1d<e. B C 2S0 P.O 110:< ,ro. SUllocn"A" vee CAOWSNEST" KETTLE VA.LLEY DIVISION On! K7M 5P9 ~"'" PO. Be>: 400 As part ot its activities, the CRHA TORONTO" VORK OIVlSlON Crlnbrock. S.C V1C.H9 operates the Canadian Railway Museum P.O Box !io(IoI\l, TI/ITIMIII 'A­ NELSON ELECTRIC TRAMWAY SOCIETY al Delson I St. Constant, Que. which is TOtOr1IO. c.w.. MlSW lPJ 123 v..... StrNI NIAG"RA DIVISION NeIIooI1,B.c. V1 L 2VB about 14 miles (23 Km.) from downtown P.O 8rn5\l3 PRINCE GEORGE RAIlWAY MUSEUM Montreal. It is open daily Irom late May to Sl.~ . ~ l2R 6W8 PO 1IolI2<tOB early Oc1ober. Members. and their WINDSOR-ESSEX DIVISK)N Pmc:ot a-v.. B.C. vm 2M Immedia1e famities, are admluecl free of 300 c.t.na Road East PACIFIC COAST DIVISION charge. _ On\. N9G 11.2 POlio:< 1000, SIaticn -A" V~ """, Be VM: ZPl 00A1. OF THE ASSQC1AT1QN THE CCl.LECTlOH. PRESERV.\T10N AND DISSEMINATION Of ITeI.1S RB..AT1NG TO 1l£ HISTORV OF RAILWAYS IN CANAOA MAY - JUNE 1990 CANADIAN RAIL Page 75 James Good and the Toronto Locomotive Works By Fritz Lehmann Department of History University of British Columbia Vancouver, B.C. James Good (1814? - 1889) is in one sense the best­ assessment rolls very clearly show that he took over Amos Nor­ known man among the Canadian steam locomotive manufacturers, ton's Union Furnace in 1840. That is, this foundry, on the east side and yet we really know little about him.l Because his "Toronto" ofYonge Street just north of Queen Street, is listed on the 1839 rolls beat the Kinmond brothers' earliest product, by five months, to the in the name of Norton. An advertisement dated Feb. 17, 1840 distinction of being the first locomotive built in Canada, Good announced that JAS. GOOD & CO. had purchased the Norton achieved a hazy fame while the Kinmonds and other rivals remain Foundry (and made PLOUGHS). This ad was still appearing when in obscurity. He is the only locomotive builder, thus far, honoured another ad briefly appeared in a second newspaper, dated July 2, by inclusion in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography; and it is 1840, stating that Norton's Foundry was taken over by Medcalf & clearly the primacy of his "Toronto" that earns him this recogni­ Co.--"Mr. Jas. Good on the Premises" while I.H. Medcalf re­ 6 tion.2 The Toronto newspapers recalled the accomplishment as the mained at his own business premises on Richmond Street. But by the end of the year, the 1840 assessment rolls show the foundry as most significant act in his long life. A full thirty-six years after that the property of "Good & Co." The "Company" was probably his pioneer Canadian-made locomotive was dragged through the streets father-in-law; in 1839 Good married Eleanor Bull, "eldest surviv­ to the rails of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad ing daughter" of Bartholomew (Bartley) Bull (1791-1878) ofDav­ Company, Good died. "JAMES GOOD OF FOUNDRY FAME," enport. Bull owned real estate and seems to have been in a position was the heading of the Toronto World's obituary, followed by, to finance his new son-in-law in this business venture; in fact, as "Death of a Well-known Citizen~ the Builder of the First Canadian late as 1863 Good was reported to be doing business in Bull's Locomotive. "3 name. 7 They were still, or again, partners. Both men were Irish­ His family thought he was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1814 born Methodists, so they had common ethnic and reJigious ties to and was thus in his seventy-fifth year at his death on September 11, reinforce the family ones. James Good was credited by one of his 1889. But he also gave his age on the Toronto Tax Assessment obituary writers as being "largely" responsible for "the planting of Rolls in 1868 as 51 and in 1876 as 58, which would indicate birth the New Connection Methodist Church in Canada", and was said years of 1817 or 1818. We have no infOlmation at present about his to have remained active in church affairs throughout his adult life, training or practical experience in Ireland. Presumably Good until deafness afflicted him in his declining years. learned his trade as an iron founder there, for he came to Toronto The foundry was assessed at 50 pounds on the city tax rolls in 1832, aged 18 (or less?). The first railway in Ireland, the Dublin for 1840, 1841 and 1842, despite a terrible fire on December 20, and Kingstown, opened only in December 1834, so Good had no 1841 : opportunity to learn about railway engineering before leaving home. The quality of foundry practice, on the other hand, may ... in the foundry of Messrs. Good & Co. , Yonge street, have been good. In 1848 the great engineer, Isambard Kingdom Toronto, the whole of which, with several frame houses adjoining, Brunei, somewhat surprisingly ordered the cast ironwork for his and property of considerable value, were consumed by the devour­ massive bridge over the Wye (at Chepstow on the Wales-England ing element.8 border) from a Dublin foundry, an indication that the work there Good not only lost his foundry, which was not insured, but his met the most demanding standards of the day.4 This was, of course, family lost their home--they were living in a frame house next door some years after Good had emigrated. to the foundry, owned by Thomas Ell iot (who was insured). The In later years James Good advertised his Toronto foundry papers complained (rightly!) of fire starting in foundries. Good seems to have done well, nevertheless, in these early years. His as "ESTABLISHED 1832".5 This seems to be stretching the truth rebuilt and expanded foundry after the fire was assessed at 150 a bit, however, unless we take this to mean that he began the practice of the foundry trade in Toronto in that year. The city tax pounds for 1843 (while the widow Stewart next door was contin­ ued at the same assessment, 28 pounds). In 1842 he was in Page 76 RAIL CANADIEN MAl - JUIN 1990 partnership with James Rogers Armstrong (1787-1873), perhaps arrived in Toronto with hi s family in 1850, he first worked for to bring additional capital for the rebuilding and expansion. James Good--and what a wealth of technical information and Armstrong is not listed as a partner of the 1843 tax rolls, and his experience could he bring to hi s Canadian employer! 12 Perhaps the own Toronto City Foundry, J.R. Armstrong & Co., also on Yonge two men did not get along, however, for Ham ilton soon left to work Street, first appears on the assessment rolls for 1846. briefly in Armstrong's foundry before striking out on his own.