The Railways of Canada Archives -- Canadian National In The Maritimes - Part II: Memories Of Canadian National, 1930-40s

Canadian National In The Maritimes - Part II
Memories Of Canadian National, 1930-40s

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

CN prior to 1940s from the information years ago, supplied by my father--46 years on the railway, that a few 2-8-2s of the 3500 series, plus the odd 2-10-2 4300 made a few runs into Moncton, NB.

Locomotives outshopped by Moncton Shops made trial runs to the old Franklin Yard hardly used in those days until the outbreak of World War II. They also went out on the main-line running east as far as Painsec Jct.; running light, and back to the shops. Other trial runs were made from Moncton to Springhill Jct. in Nova Scotia--a 55 mile run with a light train.

Passenger locomotives like the 4-8-2 6000 series were out on trial runs also on light freights and back to Springhill Jct. There were a good many branch lines out of the city, going west on the Moncton-Saint John line--at Salisbury a line ran to Hillsborough through to Albert, the Albert section was discontinued. On the Moncton-Hillsborough line there was a dail except Sunday mixed passenger with 4-6-0s of 1100 series up to the late 1950s--have seen double-heading.

The Buctouche line east of Moncton commenced at Humphry , three times a week with a mixed passenger again powered by 4-6-0 1100s, at times either #1148 or #1152. I can remember the locomotive engineer Leo Melanson--always with a cigar. Not to mention the run two trains a day except Sundays; Moncton-Shediac-Pt. du Chene , where the line cut off east of Moncton at Painsec Jct. part of the old Intercolonial Railway--I knew qite a number of the crew who worked these trains.

Out of Saint John, NB, CN had a daily except Sunday passenger train via Moncton-Sackville-Cape Tormentine--then via train-passenger ferry to Borden, PEI, and terminating at Charlottetown. This train departed Saint John around 0715 after a connection with CPR train #40 from Montreal arriving at 0630. Power was with a 4-6-2 5200 class, with the power running to Cape Tormentine. At this centre CN yard work was done by 0-6-0 7300 class, placing the passenger trains and box cars on and off the ferry.

At Borden, PEI , another yard engine handled the passenger and freight on and of the ferries. Usually a 4-6-0 handled this passenger train to and from Charlottetown. Years ago radio station CFCY in Charlottetown always announced "The Island Train" will be arriving at 1830. One could travel by train on PEI from one end of the Island to the other.

CN's Cape Tormentine line cut off the main-line at Sackville. That station years ago was a beehive of activity. In those days the two ferries on the PEI route (9 miles across the Northumberland Strait) was the old "Prince Edward Island" and the quite new "Charlottetown", both owned by the Federal Government and operated by Canadian National.

CN had other trains--wooden coaches--between Sackville and Cape Tormentine to connect with Montreal-Halifax passenger trains. On the Charlottetown-Saint John through passenger train, known as train #13, Moncton-Saint John through coaches and the Halifax-Boston Pullman Company sleeper were attached coming off the westbound Ocean Limited enroute to Montreal. This train arrived Saint John to connect with two CPR westbound passenger trains-train #39 for Montreal and the "Gull" for Boston.

Yard engines back in the 1930s in Moncton: 0-6-0 #7374 worked switching the passenger trains at the station and coach yard. 0-8-0 #8335 worked at the east end of the yard switching and making up freights. This 0-8-0 was built in the Moncton Shops in 1927--my father had the honour constructing her. Moncton Shops had an 0-6-0 switcher of 7300 class. The freight shed and wharf track switcher was usually 0-6-0 #7308 still having the old slide valve gear. The west-end yard engine opposite the roundhouse, known as the Marsh Yard, was 0-8-0 #8414--just about spent all its life there. There were other 0-6-0s of 7300 series. I knew the fireman on 0-6-0 #7374 by the name of Mollins.

CN in Saint John, had a fairly good size roundhouse, about 20 stalls a hand me down from ICR and Canadian Government Railways. Prior to the fall of 1939, CN operated close to 12 passenger trains in and out of the port city. Six long-haul trains on the Saint John-Moncton route, local trains Sussex-Saint John, and Hampton Saint John. Plus three times a week a mixed passenger out of Union Station over CPR 15 miles to Westfield Beach, then the CN line which ended up at Centreville in Northwestern, NB.

Out of Saint John CN would have a pusher 0-6-0 7300 class, and on the point with ex-Grand Trunk 2500 or 2600 class 2-8-0. CN out of Moncton had a local ex Sundays on the main-line to Campbellton, NB--a gas-electric and wood coach. The two Jitneys as they called them on this run were #15833 and #15834.

Two small railroads on the CN main-line to Halifax, one was the Maritime Railway at Nappan, NS., and at Springhill Jct., the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company. At Oxford Jct, NS is where the CN Oxford Short Line commenced. The Maritime Express eastbound made the connection with again a gas-electric of 15000 series and wood coach, still equipped with the old gas lights--many times I travelled this line taking you to Pugwash Jct., back five miles to Pugwash on the Northumberland Strait, back to Pugwash Jct., Tatamagouche, Browns Jct., back into Pictou, again on the ocean, then off to Westville, Stellerton and New Glasgow. On returning to Oxford Jct., this train connected with the westbound Ocean Limited. At times on the Oxford Shortline 4-6-0s of 1100 class replaced the oil-electrics and also with light old 2-8-0s of 1900 class.

Truro on the way to Halifax was another busy rail-hub; the CN line to Stellarton, New Glasgow and on to Sydney--CN had a good passenger service originating and terminating at Halifax. CN connected with CPR subsidiary the Dominion Atlantic Railway at this railway centre with DAR incoming outgoing passenger service and freight service, also at Windsor Jct. and at Halifax.

At Halifax it was an important terminus for Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships, passenger and freight service to Boston via Saint John , Bermuda, a number of Islands in the Carribean to Barbados. CN at that time had five Lady passenger-cargo ships of 7,000 tons, plus pure freighters like the Chomady, and Canadian Victor. The lady passenger ships were: "Lady Nelson", "Lady Rodney", "Lady Somers", "Lady Hawkins", "Lady Drake". During the winter months Halifax was the main terminus.

CNS during the St. Lawrence navigation season served Montreal. On the railway side, CN had regular passenger service on the Nova Scotia South Shore Halifax-Bridgewater-Mahone Bay-Liverpool to Yarmouth, plus its freight service.

[ ARTICLES ]