The Railways of Canada Archives -- Canadian Pacific In The Maritimes - Part IV Fan Trip To Norton, NB, and Saint John, NB

Canadian Pacific In The Maritimes - Part IV
Fan Trip To Norton, NB, and Saint John, NB
February 9, 1955

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

CPR Norton, NB

Morning.
At Norton, N.B. 4-4-0 136 was spotted inside CP's one-stall roundhouse with the weather about 5 below zero. Combination coach (wood)3269 was pulled up close to the locomotive shed. I then spotted the other railway (CN) early morning Saint John-Moncton-Charlottetown passenger train #44 (this train number as far as Moncton) then changes to another train number Moncton-Cape Tormentine before going on ferry to Borden and Charlottetown, powered by 4-6-2 5273 (no feedwater heater).

This train picks up passengers from CPR's Montreal-Saint John train #40 arriving Saint John Union Station at 0645 which makes connections with CPR's "Bay of Fundy Service" 4,000 ton "Princess Helene" for Digby, N.S. connecting with CPR subsidiary Dominion Atlantic passenger trains #98 eastbound Yarmouth via Digby to Halifax, and westbound Halifax-Yarmouth passenger #95 usually with 9 cars and powered by G-2 Class 4-6-2's of 2500 and 2600 series.

Getting back to CP at Norton, N.B., Nearby was a CP caboose used by engine and train crews-a home away from home, also a snow plow and grader. Shortly afterwards 4-4-0 136 backed out of the engine shed, and coupled onto wood combination coach 3269 and backed to the station-dead-end tracks for CP.

The Norton station is used by both railways, although owned by CN. CP crews were busy loading mail, express and some bagge off CN eastbound train #44. CN train #43 passenger from Moncton to Saint John went westbound earlier. Again express, mail etc. being loaded. From Moncton, a lot of T-Eaton Company mail-order traffic being put aboard.

All ticketing for CPR is done by the CN agent . At about 0900 or so 4-4-0 136 with its combination coach departed for Chipman, about a 44 mile run. Watched this train commencing climbing the grade out of Norton, with its good sounding whistle and clanging bell and bellowing lots of steam.

Along the way 136 would do local work, picking up box cars and finally arriving Chipman anything from seven to eight cars. At Chipman heavier power and more cars on the mixed-passenger would be added and would continue to the Fredericton area (South Devon) with a 4-6-0 D-10 Class sometimes a 1100 series even to a 2-8-2 of 5200 series. Other 4-4-0s 29 and 144 being maintained at Chipman.

Saint John, N.B.
February 9, 1955.

Late Morning.
Bay Shore Yard-West St. John.

* Symbol denotes steam with Tuscan Red-Grey-Gold-Black paint scheme.

Locomotives observed either inside or outside roundhouse:

4-6-0 431, Heavy 4-6-2 *2332(Smoke Deflectors), semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2 *2394, light 4-6-2 2629, 2-8-0 yard engines 3641, 3692, 2-8-2's 5321, 5354(12 wheel tender)5357. Not too much steam inside roundhouse. Latest new power operating into the Saint John area east of McAdam-Light modern 4-6-2's 1227, 1267 both freight, 2-8-2's 5178, 5179, 5188, 5388, light modern 4-6-2 1225. Note 2-8-2 5388 from Western lines. 2-8-0 yard engine 3692 new.

Presently light modern 4-6-2 1267 being assigned to Boston-Saint John "Gull" from Vanceboro, Maine and return(passenger)replacing 1255(normally 1256). Locomotive 1255 supposed to be in McAdam or Montreal Angus Shops for repairs. light 4-6-2 2629 assigned to Fredericton-Saint John local passenger replacing light 4-6-2 2621. 2-8-0 yard engine 3632 former Glen coach yards witcher at Montreal. 2-8-0 switcher 3692 ex Cote St. Luc Yard Montreal yard engine. 2-8-2 in New Brunswick ex Cote St. Luc Montreal assigned locomotive. Believe 2-8-2 5178 ex oil-burner from B.C. later years converted to coal-burner.

Ocean Terminals West St. John, N.B.

Canadian Pacific Steamship's 19,000 ton Trans-Atlantic liner "Empress of Australia"(2nd) in from Liverpool, England, plus CPS 10,000 ton express-cargo liner "Beaverlake" in from London, England and European Continent. CPR very busy this winter at West St. John yards area and ocean terminals. Following yard engines observed at Bay Shore Yards.

West St. John:

2-8-0's 3632, 3638, 3641, 3692, 3700, 3742, 3738, 3750, 3753, heavy 0-8-0's 6600, 6602. Other 0-8-0's 6928, 6936, 6935. A number of these yard engines work back and forth from West St. John Ocean Terminals and Bay Shore yard, Lancaster Yard and transfers to downtown Saint John and east to Island Yard at East Saint John.

Lancaster-just west of downtown Saint John.

Canadian Pacific Steamship's "Empress Special" from Montreal to West St.John Ocean Terminals-passengers for CPS "Empress of Australia" departure for Liverpool, England. On the power end: Semi-streamlined 2-8-2 5454 with a total of 11 cars. Mail and express special arrived earlier for Empress of Australia.

A number of yard engines working Lancaster Yard.

Back at Bay Shore Yard-West St. John

Freight arriving from west: 2-8-2 5215

Freight arriving from west 2-8-2 5323

Freight outbound-westbound double-header-2-8-2 5354-semi-streamlined 2-8-2 5454

Freight outbound -westbound double-header-Heavy 4-6-2*2332-2-8-2 5357. Total 50 cars.

All power runs west as far as McAdam, N.B.

Usually all freight westbound out of Bay Shore are assisted by a a pusher-helper. Mixed Passenger arriving off "Shore Line" from Bonny River-4-6-0 491-five box cars and wood combination-coach. A station located next to roundhouse.

Going back a few hours, at Saint John Union Station, on the west side of station at Mill Street freight shed 2-8-0 switcher 3752. The second Montreal train #42 "Atlantic Limited" was due at 1140 and on time, by surprise instead of a heavy semi-streamlined 4-6-2 of *2390 or *2400 series, train #42 pulled into the station with semi-streamlined 2-8-2 5459 a power change made at McAdam as usual.

Included in the consist of passenger equipment, two new stainles-steel "Manor" series sleeping cars which are regular asssigned equipment, plus heavy-weight sleepers. At 1225 the "Gull" from Boston was pulling in, with a stranger light-modern 4-6-2 1267 with 8 cars. The following consist: CP streamlined light-weight 3600 series postal-express, Maine Central express car, Boston & Maine baggage, two Maine Central coaches, (normally Maine Central stainless-steel coaches, Two CP "R" class sleepers, one Boston & Maine stainless-steel sleeper.

Remarks: CP 3600 series postal-express comes out of Montreal on train #42, taken off at McAdam. The Maine Central postal car from Boston on the "Gull" is taken off at McAdam, and CP postal car from #42 added to the "Gull" for Saint John-about a 40 minute layover.

Back at Union Station, Saint John, after the "Gull" arrived, semi-streamlined 2-8-2 5459 backed westbound from track #7 which is outside the train shed enroute to Lancaster, where 5459 would switch over south/west to the line to Bay Shore roundhouse. On track #5 was the other railway's train #14 6 cars powered by a 4-6-2 5200 series to Moncton and connections to Halifax.

I had plans to go to Ocean Terminals at West Saint John to watch the departure of Canadian Pacific's 19,000 ton "Empress of Australia" (2nd) depart for Liverpool, England-but got tied up talking to the roundhouse foreman Jim Leask, so observed the "Empress of Australia" outbound past the Bay Shore Yard.

At 1630 back at Union Station in Saint John, heavy 4-6-2 semi-streamlined *2394 was backing into the station from Bay Shore for westbound train #41 "Atlantic Limited" for a 1700 departure to Montreal. Train #41 was hauled in from the coach yards from eastend earlier.

Westbound train #41 with the following consist: Streamlined light-weight express-baggage, streamlined light-weight 3600 series postal-express, two streamlined light-weight 2200 series deluxe coaches, one 2100 series streamlined coach, heavy-weight dining car, a heavy-weight "Lake" series buffet-parlor-compartment-bedroom sleeper, two new "Manor" series stainless-steel sleepers, a heavy-weight sleeper, and wood business car #36.

Yard engine 2-8-0 3752 came from the freight shed, thundering past the train shed, then coupled on the rear of the "Atlantic Limited" being the pusher out of the station west up the stiff grade as far as the Reversing Falls Bridge and back up to the Union Station area.

Train #41 departed at 1700 with 11 cars. More cars added at McAdam which would be head-ends at this time of year. Some sound with pusher 3752 thundering through the train shed and beginning to pick up speed for the grade.

On another track was the westbound Fredericton local (65 mile run) powered by light 4-6-2 2629. This train runs with up to 5 cars-no helper or pusher required.

The second Montreal train #39 with a departure at 2000 is assisted by a helper/pusher, and the westbound Boston "Gull" a 2030 departure also assisted by a helper/pusher. Montreal westbound Train #39 is the CPR/DAR boat connection from Digby, N.S. via CPR's Bay of Fundy Service "Princess Helene."

CN's train #13 from Moncton with connections from Halifax also makes connections with the two CPR westbounds. In the mornings after train #40 arrives from Montreal at 0645, CP's westbound passenger for Edmundston departs at 0700 via Fredericton Jct.-McAdam (power change) then continues on the North Line to Woodstock-Aroostook and intermendiate points to Edmundston. Usually light modern 4-6-2 1255 has been handling this service Saint John-McAdam and return. The Edmundston passenger over the same route arrives Union Station at 2230.

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