Transcribed, courtesy of the Provincial Archives, tidbits of "History" about "Newfoundland Railway" ENJOY! Information on The Newfoundland Railway General Timeline 1884 Harbour Grace Railway 1890 Placentia Railway 1893 Hall's Bay Railway 1897 The Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway 1898 (The Reid-Newfoundland Company) 1923 Newfoundland Government Railway 1926 Newfoundland Railway 1949 Canadian National 198x Terra Transport - CN derivative formed to operate railway 1884, November 1 - The Harbour Grace Railway, the first railway on Newfoundland, is opened for traffic between St. Johns and Harbour Grace. The last spike was driven by Prince George, later to become King George V, who was at the time visiting Newfoundland as a midshipman aboard H.M.S. Cumberland. 1898, June 29 - First through passenger train across Newfoundland leaves St. Johns at 19:20 and arrives Port aux Basques at 22:45, June 30. 1949, April 1 - Newfoundland becomes the tenth province of Canada and the Newfoundland Railway becomes part of the Canadian National system. This narrow gauge system had been operated by the island government since 1923. 1969, July 2 - Canadian National abandons Newfoundland passenger trains 101-102. 1988, October - The last part of the railway on Newfoundland, operated by CN Rail, is abandoned. 1988, December 18 - 10 units of Terra Transports 900-series were shipped to Chile's "Antofagasta & Bolivia Railway" aboard the SS "Conti Almania". Units were to be converted to metre gauge upon arrival. (Units 910, 911, 915, 916, 921, 926, 929, 936, 944, 945). A number of gondolas and piggyback flats were also shipped. 1989 - 23 NF210 units remain on Terra Transport's roster. (Units 914, 917, 919, 922-925, 927-928, 930-935, 937-943, 946). Locomotives have been promised to the communities of Port aux Basques, Bay St. George and Bishop's Falls. Units 909 and 918 have been retired. Specific Timeline (courtesy P. J. Byrne) Newfoundland Railway (Company Mark NFRR) Refered to as "Harbour Grace Railway" Survey 1880, Construction start August 16 1881. Completion 1884 to Harbour Grace. Placentia Railway (Newfoundland Government) Construction start 1886. Completion October 11/1888 Halls Bay Railway (No Mark other than company herald) Construction start 1890. Owned by R. G. Reid Sr. and G. H. Middleton - never opened. Followed into: Newfoundland Northern And Western Railway (NN&WR) Construction start 1893 to Grand Bay outside Port Aux Basques. Completion 1897. Amagalmated with NFRR 1898. Became: Newfoundland Railway (Mark N.R.) Robert G. Reid Sr. Cross island service began June 29 1898. Incorporated in 1901 as: Reid Newfoundland Company (Mark R.N. Co.) until 1923 sold for 2 million dollars to: Newfoundland Government Railway (Mark NGR) until 1926. Reorganized by owner to: Newfoundland Railway (N.R.) until 1949. Transfered to Dominion of Canada and delegated to: Canadian Nation Railways (Mark CNR - later CN) until 1979. CN Newfoundland Transportation Division (Mark N.T.D.) until first Timetable issued in June 1981 as: Terra Transport (a Divison of CN - Mark TT) Last run left Corner Brook and arrived in Bishop Falls 0300 Oct 1, 1988. Abandoned with last rail removed November 1990. First Spike driven to last spike pulled 109 years 3 months. First Spike driven by Henry Fitzpatrick (without ceremony) Aug 16, 1881 at Johhny Dwyer's Farm, Belvedre, St John's Last Spike removed by Hubie Hollett, Cannings Lane, Bishop Falls Nfld Nov 1990 General Information Most of the railway was designed by Robert Gillespe Reid, a bridge and railway builder with experience in Australia and North America. When the task was completed, his sons assumed the operation of the railway, as R.G. Reid had no interest outside the actual civil engineering work. Each son, in turn, served as president of the railway. In 1922, financial difficulties forced the railway to close down for a week, as it was unable to meet payroll obligations. The official name of the passenger train in Newfoundland was "The Caribou". The most-used nickname of the service was "The Newfie Bullet". It was often referred to as the slowest crack-passenger train in the world. In the early days of steam service, the train was often limited to 5 miles per hour along many areas of track. An average trip from St. John's to Port aux Basques would take 26 to 27 hours. This was shortened to about 22 1/2 hours by 1958. The train would run from 3 to 7 days per week. A typical consist would include a sleeper, diner, and an observation car. The final run of The Bullet in 1969 carried 350 passengers in 15 cars, pulled by three l200 HP locomotives, including #923. Including branch lines, the total narrow-gauge trackage on the island was very near 1000 miles. Fishing Specials would often run from St. John's to Argentia. Stops would be made at whatever locations were convenient to allow sport fishermen to disembark. Logging operations for the pulp and paper industry on the island could generate up to 120,000 cords of wood per summer, shipped for processing at Grand Falls. Drifting snow would often trap trains for days at a time. One incident had the train stuck for 17 days before it could finally be freed. South-easterly winds from the Table Mountains could gust to over 100 miles per hour, blowing the trains off the tracks. If it was judged unsafe to continue, the train would be stopped about 20 miles east of Port aux Basques, and the engine would proceed alone to check the wind conditions. When the railway was dismantled, the new highway was built along the existing right-of-way. This now places the tractor-trailers into the same danger from the winds that the train suffered. in 1986, the Federal Government of Canada offered the province of Newfoundland $800 million in a "Roads for Rails" deal. At that time, the Newfoundland government chose not to accept, as they had set aside $20 million to upgrade the train service. In 1988, the Newfoundland government took the original offer, spelling the end of the Railway service on the island. The Railway Society in Corner Brook has a diner, coach, diesel locomotive, and snowplow on display, along with a variety of memorobilia and historical information. They also are in proud possesion of #593, the last steam engine to run on the island. A small excursion service runs on the preserved trackage at Trinity Loop. It utilizes a few open coaches and a somewhat comical appearing, scaled-down charicature of G8 #802. #802 pulled the final train over the Bonavista Branch in 1988. To be continued: