Newfoundland Railway
Encyclopedia
The Newfoundland Railway was a railway
which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of 906 miles (1,458.1 km), it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.
to Halls Bay, 547 km (339.9 mi) to the west. Construction was started on the Avalon Peninsula
in August 1881 by a group of investors. Prince George
, was in 1882 stationed in the Maritimes
as a midshipman on the HMS Cumberland
and, during his time there, drove the last spike into the Harbour Grace Railway. By 1884, the Newfoundland Railway Company had built 92 km (57.2 mi) west to Whitbourne
before going into receivership.
The same investors continued to build a 43 km (26.7 mi) branch line from Whitbourne to Harbour Grace
(the Harbour Grace Railway), which was completed by October of that same year.
The colonial government undertook to build a branch from the junction at Whitbourne to the ports of Placentia
and Argentia
between 1886 and 1888.
The colonial government sought new investors to continue the stalled project to Halls Bay and in June, 1890, Scottish
-born Montreal resident and railway engineer/contractor Robert Gillespie Reid
agreed to build and operate the line. By 1892, Reid's workers were approaching the halfway point at the Exploits River
when the government changed the terminus from Halls Bay approximately 400 km (248.5 mi) further west, first to St. George's and finally to Port aux Basques
. The route itself was diverted inland up the Exploits valley and over the Gaff Topsails
(some of the highest elevation terrain on the island) and away from the coast once on the north bank of the Exploits River. This extension to the system was initially operated as the Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway and for it, Reid was granted land totalling 13 km²/km (5,000 acre
s per mile).
The new line west to Port aux Basques was completed between 1894 and 1898. At the same time, Reid proposed a ferry
service across the Cabot Strait
from Port aux Basques to North Sydney, Nova Scotia
, and contracted for a steamship to be built in England
. The Bruce arrived in the fall of 1897, before the line was completed to Port aux Basques, so her initial runs to Cape Breton Island
were made from Little Placentia Sound
. On June 29, 1898 the first passenger train arrived at Port aux Basques and the Bruce set sail with passengers for North Sydney.
Later that same year, the colonial government persuaded Reid's company to take over operation of the bankrupt Newfoundland Railway Company and its sister Harbour Grace Railway, as well as the government-owned Placentia branch, in order to unify the system across the entire island (known as the Railway Contract of '98). The Reid company agreed to operate the lines for 50 years, in exchange for outright ownership and land grants. They also purchased the government drydock in St. John's and the telegraph system. The Reid company purchased eight new steamships to operate as coastal ferries around the island and into Labrador
.
Controversy followed the awarding of so many assets to Reid, and in 1901 the contracts were modified to place everything under a limited liability corporation, named the Reid Newfoundland Company
.
Reid's railway development in the colony began to attract attention to the potential of the island's natural resources. In 1903, the Reids partnered with a St. John's businessman, Harry J. Crowe, to purchase timber rights in Botwood
, Norris Arm
, Gambo
, Gander Bay
, and Point Leamington
. In 1904, British investors named Harmsworth declared their intention to build a pulp and paper
mill in Grand Falls and on January 7, 1905, the Anglo Newfoundland Development Company (AND) was formed, based on a partnership between the Harmsworths, Reid and the colonial government. Botwood was expanded through the construction of deepwater wharves and warehouses for shipping the finished pulp. To link the two, AND built the narrow gauge Botwood Railway (built to the same gauge as the Reid Newfoundland Company trackage) beginning in 1908 and completing it in 1909. It would later be renamed the Grand Falls Central Railway.
Reid died in 1908 but his company set the pace for development in Newfoundland's interior mining and forestry industries, although the entire operation continued to suffer losses. In 1909 and into the 1910s, the colonial government contracted for additional branch lines to be built. Some of the major works included:
). Some of the lands that had belonged to the Reid Newfoundland Company were used by the government as part of a deal to develop a pulp and paper mill in Corner Brook
.
The railway was initially called the Newfoundland Government Railway but was soon shortened to the Newfoundland Railway in 1926. It would remain the property of the colonial government until Confederation
on April 1, 1949 when it was transferred to the federal government's Canadian National Railway.
In 1925, the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) perfected a method for recovering individual metals in ore
and entered into partnership with AND to develop a mine
at Buchans
, which was connected to the Newfoundland Railway by the Millertown Railway, also narrow gauge.
, and major American military bases were constructed in Stephenville
(Ernest Harmon AFB
), Argentia
(NS Argentia
) and St. John's (Pepperrell AFB), in addition to Canadian and British defence facilities in St. John's. Given the lack of roads and all-weather highways in Newfoundland during the 1940s, and the U-boat threat in the waters off-shore, the Newfoundland Railway became a vital, yet very obscure, supply link in the defence of the North Atlantic and the allied convoy system.
The Second World War also saw the Newfoundland Railway experience its most tragic loss, when the ferry Caribou
was torpedoed and sunk 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) off Port aux Basques by the on October 14, 1942. 137 passengers lost their lives and only 104 people survived the sinking. In honour of the lost passengers and crew, the Newfoundland Railway Employees Association had the entire workforce forego a day's wages as a donation to a public campaign to build a memorial near the Port aux Basques railway terminal.
(CNR, CN post-1960). CN became a major presence in Newfoundland's early years as a province, controlling the railway, dry dock services, many ferries and coastal boats, and the telegraph system.
The Newfoundland Railway's premiere cross-island passenger train, The Overland Limited was renamed the Caribou by CN, although it was known colloquially as The Newfie Bullet. CN maintained the Caribou until 1969.
CN made major capital improvements to the former Newfoundland Railway, upgrading the main line, bridges, and rolling stock, and replacing all steam locomotives with diesel units. Additional improvements were made to the ferry service, with new vessels and an expanded terminal at Port aux Basques. An additional indirect service improvement to the Newfoundland railway operations was made in 1955, with the opening of the Canso Causeway
, linking Cape Breton Island
with mainland North America and removing the need to ferry railcars destined for Newfoundland across the Strait of Canso
.
CN's Newfoundland operations continued to see significant traffic increases with its improved ferry and rail connections, but faced increased truck and bus competition on completion of the Trans-Canada Highway
across the island in 1965. New railcar capable ferries
were introduced; mainland standard-gauge railcars were ferried to Newfoundland, where their standard gauge bogie
s were replaced
with narrow gauge bogies in Port aux Basques
. This innovation was unsuccessful. The first casualty was the passenger rail service, which was abandoned in 1969 in favour of buses. CN began to demarket its own Newfoundland rail operations through the 1970s and began to rely on trucks for hauling cargo.
In 1979, CN reorganized its narrow gauge system into Terra Transport
, as a means to separate the subsidy-dependent Newfoundland rail operations from its mainland North America core freight rail system. Rail cargo traffic continued to decline, and all branch lines on the island were closed in 1984. In 1987, Canada deregulated
its railway industry, allowing abandonments to proceed with less red tape. The former CN subsidiary CN Marine
was reorganized into Marine Atlantic
in 1986 and 1 of the 2 railcar ferries was sold off, leaving the narrow gauge system with limited interchange ability at Port aux Basques in its final 2 years. In December, 1987 the provincial and federal governments signed a deal worth $800 million (CAD) for highway improvements, removing the provincial government's opposition to the pending abandonment of the railway. The railway was officially abandoned on September 1, 1988. Following abandonment, trains continued to operate, working with salvage crews to remove the rails from remote locations, particularly in the Gaff Topsails between the Exploits River and Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador
. The last train operated in Newfoundland in November, 1990.
Canadian National continued to operate its Roadcruiser Bus service and a CN Intermodal trucking operation in Newfoundland until 1996. With CN's privatization in late 1995, the company divested itself of all money-losing and most non-railroad interests, including CN Roadcruiser. Cross-island bus service was taken over by DRL Coachlines
of Triton, Newfoundland on March 30, 1996. The CN Newfoundland trucking operation continued until the Fall of 1996, and was then contracted to Clarke Transport.
. Numerous towns across the island have preserved railway equipment on display.
With a few exceptions, the roadbed of the entire of the main line is now the T'Railway Provincial Park
, a cross-island multi-use trail
for hikers, skiers, and users of ATVs and snowmobiles. The Trinity Loop Amusement Park operated a miniature train for tourists on Trinity Loop, one of the few remaining places on Newfoundland with tracks still in place. The park closed down and abandoned in 2005 due to lack of interest. Since then, all of the buildings have been heavily vandalized and Hurricane Igor washed away part of the park, including a large section of the rail bed - leaving parts of the tracks suspended precariously in the air. Local railway buffs have been pushing government to keep the park as an historic site but they said they were not interested. There is currently a sale in progress of the land, but the fate of the Trinity Loop is not yet known.
Some of the rolling stock was converted to a narrower gauge (914 mm, 36 inches) and sold to the White Pass and Yukon Route
railway, which coincidentally reopened for service in 1988. Gravel cars used by WP&YR are still painted in CN orange; unconfirmed information indicates that some Newfoundland passenger cars were converted into passenger cars of vintage appearance for WP&YR.
Technically, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador still has railway transportation, although it is not provided on the island of Newfoundland. The Quebec, North Shore, and Labrador Railway operates between Sept-Îles
, QC and the mining region of Labrador West
. A former QNSL line, now owned and operated by Tshiuetin Rail Transportation
, serves the former mining town of Schefferville, QC
, passing through Labrador. QNSL also connects with Newfoundland and Labrador's other active railway, the Wabush Lake Railway
.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of 906 miles (1,458.1 km), it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.
Early construction
In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Legislature recommended that a narrow gauge railway be built from the colonial capital in St. John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
to Halls Bay, 547 km (339.9 mi) to the west. Construction was started on the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
in August 1881 by a group of investors. Prince George
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, was in 1882 stationed in the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
as a midshipman on the HMS Cumberland
HMS Cumberland (1842)
HMS Cumberland was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 October 1842 at Chatham Dockyard.She carried a crew of 620 men. In March 1854 she sailed to the Baltic Sea as war with Russia was imminent . Cumberland was involved in the attack on Bomarsund, Finland in...
and, during his time there, drove the last spike into the Harbour Grace Railway. By 1884, the Newfoundland Railway Company had built 92 km (57.2 mi) west to Whitbourne
Whitbourne, Newfoundland and Labrador
Whitbourne is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in Division No. 1.Whitbourne, Newfoundland’s first inland town, is named after Sir Richard Whitbourne, one of the most colourful early settlers of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador who wrote a book about...
before going into receivership.
The same investors continued to build a 43 km (26.7 mi) branch line from Whitbourne to Harbour Grace
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador
Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the sixteenth century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about 45 km northwest of the provincial capital, St. John's...
(the Harbour Grace Railway), which was completed by October of that same year.
The colonial government undertook to build a branch from the junction at Whitbourne to the ports of Placentia
Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Placentia is a town on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the amalgamated communities of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia...
and Argentia
Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Argentia is a community on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on a flat headland located along the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula on Placentia Bay...
between 1886 and 1888.
Robert G. Reid
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-born Montreal resident and railway engineer/contractor Robert Gillespie Reid
Robert Gillespie Reid
Sir Robert Gillespie Reid was a Scottish railway contractor most famous for building large railway bridges in Canada and the United States...
agreed to build and operate the line. By 1892, Reid's workers were approaching the halfway point at the Exploits River
Exploits River
The Exploits River is a Canadian river in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It flows through the Exploits Valley in the central part of the island of Newfoundland....
when the government changed the terminus from Halls Bay approximately 400 km (248.5 mi) further west, first to St. George's and finally to Port aux Basques
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador
Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...
. The route itself was diverted inland up the Exploits valley and over the Gaff Topsails
Gaff Topsails, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gaff Topsail is an abandoned railway settlement located in the interior of Newfoundland, Canada, between the communities of Millertown Junction to the east and Kitty's Brook to the west...
(some of the highest elevation terrain on the island) and away from the coast once on the north bank of the Exploits River. This extension to the system was initially operated as the Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway and for it, Reid was granted land totalling 13 km²/km (5,000 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s per mile).
The new line west to Port aux Basques was completed between 1894 and 1898. At the same time, Reid proposed a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service across the Cabot Strait
Cabot Strait
Cabot Strait is a strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Cape North, Cape Breton Island. It is the widest of the three outlets for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, the others being the Strait of Belle Isle and Strait of Canso...
from Port aux Basques to North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
, and contracted for a steamship to be built in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Bruce arrived in the fall of 1897, before the line was completed to Port aux Basques, so her initial runs to Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
were made from Little Placentia Sound
Little Placentia Sound
Little Placentia Sound is a small natural bay located within Placentia Bay on the Avalon Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
. On June 29, 1898 the first passenger train arrived at Port aux Basques and the Bruce set sail with passengers for North Sydney.
Later that same year, the colonial government persuaded Reid's company to take over operation of the bankrupt Newfoundland Railway Company and its sister Harbour Grace Railway, as well as the government-owned Placentia branch, in order to unify the system across the entire island (known as the Railway Contract of '98). The Reid company agreed to operate the lines for 50 years, in exchange for outright ownership and land grants. They also purchased the government drydock in St. John's and the telegraph system. The Reid company purchased eight new steamships to operate as coastal ferries around the island and into Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
Controversy followed the awarding of so many assets to Reid, and in 1901 the contracts were modified to place everything under a limited liability corporation, named the Reid Newfoundland Company
Reid Newfoundland Company
The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated in September 1901 and was the operator of the Newfoundland Railway across the island from 1901 to 1923. For a time it was the largest landowner in the country. The company was founded by Sir Robert Gillespie Reid of Scotland, a businessman who had...
.
Reid's railway development in the colony began to attract attention to the potential of the island's natural resources. In 1903, the Reids partnered with a St. John's businessman, Harry J. Crowe, to purchase timber rights in Botwood
Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest: Point LeamingtonNorth: Northern ArmNortheast: Bay of Exploits, Burnt Arm, LaurencetonWest: Division No. 6, Subd. CBotwoodEast: Bay of Exploits, Division No. 6, Subd. A...
, Norris Arm
Norris Arm, Newfoundland and Labrador
Norris Arm is a town in north-central Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 6, on the Bay of Exploits.According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:*Population: 911*% Change : approx. 8.1%*Dwellings: 510...
, Gambo
Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gambo is a town in northeastern Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 7 on Freshwater Bay.According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:*Population: 2,084*% Change : approx...
, Gander Bay
Gander Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander Bay is a collection of communities along Route 330 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The communities include Clarke's Head, Victoria Cove and Stoneville....
, and Point Leamington
Point Leamington, Newfoundland and Labrador
Point Leamington is a small community of about 650 people located north of Botwood and Grand Falls-Windsor. The town is located on the shores of Southwest Arm, New Bay. Many residents commute daily to Botwood, Bishop's Falls, and Grand Falls-Windsor for full time work. Others work seasonally in...
. In 1904, British investors named Harmsworth declared their intention to build a pulp and paper
Pulp and Paper
Pulp and Paper is the name of the largest United States-based trade magazine for the pulp and paper industry. See also: Paper engineering, Pulp and Paper Merit Badge...
mill in Grand Falls and on January 7, 1905, the Anglo Newfoundland Development Company (AND) was formed, based on a partnership between the Harmsworths, Reid and the colonial government. Botwood was expanded through the construction of deepwater wharves and warehouses for shipping the finished pulp. To link the two, AND built the narrow gauge Botwood Railway (built to the same gauge as the Reid Newfoundland Company trackage) beginning in 1908 and completing it in 1909. It would later be renamed the Grand Falls Central Railway.
Reid died in 1908 but his company set the pace for development in Newfoundland's interior mining and forestry industries, although the entire operation continued to suffer losses. In 1909 and into the 1910s, the colonial government contracted for additional branch lines to be built. Some of the major works included:
- a line to BonavistaBonavista, Newfoundland and LabradorBonavista is a town on the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Unlike many Newfoundland coastal settlements, Bonavista was built on an open plain, not in a steep cove, and thus had room to expand to its current area of 31.5 square...
- a line to TrepasseyTrepassey, Newfoundland and LabradorTrepassey , is a small fishing community located in Trepassey Bay on the south eastern corner of the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was in Trepassey Harbour where the flight of the Friendship took off, piloted by Amelia Earhart...
- extend the Harbour Grace line through CarbonearCarbonear, Newfoundland and LabradorCarbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2006, there are 4,723 people living in Carbonear, down from 4,759 in 2001.-History:...
to Bay de VerdeBay de Verde, Newfoundland and LabradorBay de Verde is an incorporated town in Conception Bay on the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The first recorded inhabitants at Bay de Verde arrived in 1662. Bay de Verde became an incorporated town in 1950.-Geography:Bay de Verde is the northern... - several smaller branches, some of which were graded but rails were never installed
Nationalization
By the early 1920s, the Reid Newfoundland Company's losses were mounting and in 1923 the colonial government passed the Railway Settlement Act which cancelled the operating contract for the entire system, passing the railway into government control (a form of nationalizationNationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
). Some of the lands that had belonged to the Reid Newfoundland Company were used by the government as part of a deal to develop a pulp and paper mill in Corner Brook
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Corner Brook is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada....
.
The railway was initially called the Newfoundland Government Railway but was soon shortened to the Newfoundland Railway in 1926. It would remain the property of the colonial government until Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
on April 1, 1949 when it was transferred to the federal government's Canadian National Railway.
In 1925, the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) perfected a method for recovering individual metals in ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
and entered into partnership with AND to develop a mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
at Buchans
Buchans, Newfoundland and Labrador
Buchans is a Canadian town located in the central part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the northwest shore of Red Indian Lake on the Buchans River....
, which was connected to the Newfoundland Railway by the Millertown Railway, also narrow gauge.
Wartime
Although the railway saw an increase in traffic during the First World War, it was extensive military-related construction in the late 1930s and early 1940s which proved the worth of the Newfoundland Railway as a strategic asset. An air force base was developed adjacent to the main line in GanderGander, Newfoundland and Labrador
Gander is a Canadian town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor...
, and major American military bases were constructed in Stephenville
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
(Ernest Harmon AFB
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The base was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1941 under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom....
), Argentia
Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Argentia is a community on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on a flat headland located along the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula on Placentia Bay...
(NS Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
) and St. John's (Pepperrell AFB), in addition to Canadian and British defence facilities in St. John's. Given the lack of roads and all-weather highways in Newfoundland during the 1940s, and the U-boat threat in the waters off-shore, the Newfoundland Railway became a vital, yet very obscure, supply link in the defence of the North Atlantic and the allied convoy system.
The Second World War also saw the Newfoundland Railway experience its most tragic loss, when the ferry Caribou
SS Caribou
The SS Caribou was a passenger ferry used by the Newfoundland government's ferry service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia....
was torpedoed and sunk 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) off Port aux Basques by the on October 14, 1942. 137 passengers lost their lives and only 104 people survived the sinking. In honour of the lost passengers and crew, the Newfoundland Railway Employees Association had the entire workforce forego a day's wages as a donation to a public campaign to build a memorial near the Port aux Basques railway terminal.
Canadian National
Newfoundland became the 10th province of Canada on March 31, 1949, and the Newfoundland Railway's assets were transferred to the control of the federal Crown corporation Canadian National RailwayCanadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CNR, CN post-1960). CN became a major presence in Newfoundland's early years as a province, controlling the railway, dry dock services, many ferries and coastal boats, and the telegraph system.
The Newfoundland Railway's premiere cross-island passenger train, The Overland Limited was renamed the Caribou by CN, although it was known colloquially as The Newfie Bullet. CN maintained the Caribou until 1969.
CN made major capital improvements to the former Newfoundland Railway, upgrading the main line, bridges, and rolling stock, and replacing all steam locomotives with diesel units. Additional improvements were made to the ferry service, with new vessels and an expanded terminal at Port aux Basques. An additional indirect service improvement to the Newfoundland railway operations was made in 1955, with the opening of the Canso Causeway
Canso Causeway
The Canso Causeway is a rock-fill causeway in Nova Scotia, Canada.The causeway crosses the Strait of Canso, connecting Cape Breton Island by road to the Nova Scotia peninsula...
, linking Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
with mainland North America and removing the need to ferry railcars destined for Newfoundland across the Strait of Canso
Strait of Canso
The Strait of Canso , is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Island....
.
CN's Newfoundland operations continued to see significant traffic increases with its improved ferry and rail connections, but faced increased truck and bus competition on completion of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
across the island in 1965. New railcar capable ferries
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
were introduced; mainland standard-gauge railcars were ferried to Newfoundland, where their standard gauge bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s were replaced
Bogie exchange
Bogie exchange is a system for operating railway wagons on two or more gauges to overcome difference in the track gauge. To perform a bogie exchange, a car is converted from one gauge to another by removing the chassis containing the wheels and axles of the car, and installing a new chassis with...
with narrow gauge bogies in Port aux Basques
Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador
Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...
. This innovation was unsuccessful. The first casualty was the passenger rail service, which was abandoned in 1969 in favour of buses. CN began to demarket its own Newfoundland rail operations through the 1970s and began to rely on trucks for hauling cargo.
In 1979, CN reorganized its narrow gauge system into Terra Transport
Terra Transport
Terra Transport was the name for the Newfoundland Transportation Division, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian National Railway , created in 1979 as a means to organize the company's operations on the island of Newfoundland.-Background:...
, as a means to separate the subsidy-dependent Newfoundland rail operations from its mainland North America core freight rail system. Rail cargo traffic continued to decline, and all branch lines on the island were closed in 1984. In 1987, Canada deregulated
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
its railway industry, allowing abandonments to proceed with less red tape. The former CN subsidiary CN Marine
CN Marine
CN Marine was a Canadian ferry company headquartered in Moncton, New Brunswick.-History:CN Marine was created by parent Canadian National Railway in 1977 as a means to group the company's ferry operations in eastern Canada into a separate operating division...
was reorganized into Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
in 1986 and 1 of the 2 railcar ferries was sold off, leaving the narrow gauge system with limited interchange ability at Port aux Basques in its final 2 years. In December, 1987 the provincial and federal governments signed a deal worth $800 million (CAD) for highway improvements, removing the provincial government's opposition to the pending abandonment of the railway. The railway was officially abandoned on September 1, 1988. Following abandonment, trains continued to operate, working with salvage crews to remove the rails from remote locations, particularly in the Gaff Topsails between the Exploits River and Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador
Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador
-External links:*...
. The last train operated in Newfoundland in November, 1990.
Canadian National continued to operate its Roadcruiser Bus service and a CN Intermodal trucking operation in Newfoundland until 1996. With CN's privatization in late 1995, the company divested itself of all money-losing and most non-railroad interests, including CN Roadcruiser. Cross-island bus service was taken over by DRL Coachlines
DRL Coachlines
DRL Coachlines is a motor coach bus company operating in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Wholly owned by DRL Group of Triton, NL, the bus company provided charter services before taking over CN Roadcruiser services on the island of Newfoundland in 1996.-Inter-city service:*...
of Triton, Newfoundland on March 30, 1996. The CN Newfoundland trucking operation continued until the Fall of 1996, and was then contracted to Clarke Transport.
Legacy
Currently, the former Newfoundland Railway station in St. John's hosts the Railway Coastal MuseumRailway Coastal Museum
The Railway Coastal Museum is a transportation museum located in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is located in the historic Newfoundland Railway Station on Water Street and contains exhibits detailing the history of the Newfoundland Railway and the history of coastal water transportation in the...
. Numerous towns across the island have preserved railway equipment on display.
With a few exceptions, the roadbed of the entire of the main line is now the T'Railway Provincial Park
Newfoundland T'Railway
The Newfoundland T'Railway Provincial Park is a rail trail in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Protected as a linear park under the provincial park system, the T'Railway consists of the railbed of the historic Newfoundland Railway as transferred from its most recent owner,...
, a cross-island multi-use trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
for hikers, skiers, and users of ATVs and snowmobiles. The Trinity Loop Amusement Park operated a miniature train for tourists on Trinity Loop, one of the few remaining places on Newfoundland with tracks still in place. The park closed down and abandoned in 2005 due to lack of interest. Since then, all of the buildings have been heavily vandalized and Hurricane Igor washed away part of the park, including a large section of the rail bed - leaving parts of the tracks suspended precariously in the air. Local railway buffs have been pushing government to keep the park as an historic site but they said they were not interested. There is currently a sale in progress of the land, but the fate of the Trinity Loop is not yet known.
Some of the rolling stock was converted to a narrower gauge (914 mm, 36 inches) and sold to the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railway, which coincidentally reopened for service in 1988. Gravel cars used by WP&YR are still painted in CN orange; unconfirmed information indicates that some Newfoundland passenger cars were converted into passenger cars of vintage appearance for WP&YR.
Technically, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador still has railway transportation, although it is not provided on the island of Newfoundland. The Quebec, North Shore, and Labrador Railway operates between Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles, Quebec
For the islands in north of Brittany, see JentilezSept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec, Canada. It is the northernmost town in Quebec with any significant population...
, QC and the mining region of Labrador West
Labrador West, Newfoundland and Labrador
Labrador West refers to a region in western Labrador in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador containing the twin towns of Labrador City and Wabush...
. A former QNSL line, now owned and operated by Tshiuetin Rail Transportation
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc. is a Canadian short line railway that stretches 134 miles through the wilderness of western Labrador and northeastern Quebec. It connects Emeril Junction, Labrador with the community of Schefferville, Quebec on the interprovincial boundary...
, serves the former mining town of Schefferville, QC
Schefferville, Quebec
Schefferville is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. Schefferville is in the heart of the Naskapi and Innu territory in northern Quebec, less than 2 km from the border with Labrador on the north shore of Knob Lake. The town has an incorporated area of . It is located within the...
, passing through Labrador. QNSL also connects with Newfoundland and Labrador's other active railway, the Wabush Lake Railway
Wabush Lake Railway
The Wabush Lake Railway is a Canadian short line railway operating in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Opened in 1963, the railway operates a line running between Labrador City, Labrador, and Wabush, where it interchanges with the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway.The Wabush Lake...
.
Locomotives
| Number | Builder | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company Hawthorn Leslie and Company R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... T |
1881 | 1884 | former Harbour Grace Railway #1 - Sold 1898 to Botwood Railway |
| 2–6 | Hunslet Engine Company Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for... |
4-4-0T | 1872 | 85–89 | former Harbour Grace Railway # 2–6 purchased from Prince Edward Island Railway Prince Edward Island Railway The Prince Edward Island Railway was a historic Canadian railway.-Construction:Located wholly within the province of Prince Edward Island, construction of the PEIR started in 1871, financed by the United Kingdom... in 1881 - Scrapped 1889–1893 |
| 8–9 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
2-4-2 2-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... T |
7/1893 | 13566–13567 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 8–9 - Scrapped 1925 & 1934 |
| 10 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 0-4-2 0-4-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... T |
3/1894 | 13968 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 10 - Sold after 1900 |
| 20–22 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company | 2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
1882 | 1885–1887 | former Harbour Grace Railway # 7–9 - Scrapped |
| 23 | Hawthorn Leslie and Company | 2-6-2 2-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:... |
1888 | 2061 | former Harbour Grace Railway # 10 - Scrapped |
| 40 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-4-0 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
6/1893 | 13518 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 7 - Scrapped |
| 41 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-4-0 | 5/1891 | 11851 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 3 - Scrapped |
| 42 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-4-0 | 7/1891 | 12100 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 5 - Scrapped |
| 43 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-4-0 | 1889 | 10135 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 2 - Sold 1918 to Botwood Railway |
| 60 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-6-0 | 5/1891 | 11859 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 4 - Scrapped |
| 61 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-6-0 | 6/1893 | 13519 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 6 - Scrapped |
| 63 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-6-0 | 3/1894 | 13976 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 11 - Scrapped |
| 100 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 4-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular... |
10/1898 | 16244 | Renumbered # 1 in 1925 and assigned as the Saint Johns shunter until scrapped 6/1939 |
| 101 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1898 | 16245 | Scrapped |
| 102 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 4/1897 | 15309 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 13 - Scrapped |
| 103 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1898 | 16271 | Scrapped |
| 104 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1898 | 16272 | Scrapped |
| 105 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 4/1897 | 15308 | former Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway # 12 - Scrapped |
| 106 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 2/1900 | 17511 | Scrapped |
| 107 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 6/1900 | 17832 | Scrapped 1939 |
| 108 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 6/1900 | 17837 | Scrapped |
| 109–110 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 1/1908 | 32576–32577 | Scrapped 1939 |
| 111–112 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1911 | 1–2 | Scrapped |
| 113–114 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1912 | 3–4 | Renumbered CNR class F-3-a # 15–16 - Scrapped 12/1951 |
| 115–116 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1913 | 5–6 | Scrapped 1938 |
| 117 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1914 | 7 | Renumbered CNR class F-3-a # 17 - Scrapped 7/1953 |
| 118 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1914 | 8 | Scrapped 1938 |
| 119–120 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 4-6-0 | 1915 | 9–10 | Scrapped |
| 121 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1917 | 46636 | Scrapped 1938 |
| 122 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1917 | 46637 | Renumbered CNR class F-3-a # 18 - Scrapped 7/1953 |
| 123 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1917 | 46638 | Scrapped 1939 |
| 124 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 10/1917 | 46691 | Scrapped |
| 125 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-0 | 2/1900 | 17510 | Scrapped 1939 |
| 150 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-8-0 2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... |
2/1903 | 21597 | Scrapped 1934 |
| 151 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-8-0 | 2/1903 | 21598 | Scrapped |
| 152 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 2-8-0 | 1916 | 11 | Renumbered CNR class L-5-a # 280 - Scrapped 4/1955 |
| 153 | Reid-Newfoundland Company Shops | 2-8-0 | 1916 | 12 | Scrapped |
| 190–195 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
1920 | 54398–54401 & 54466–54467 | Renumbered CNR class J-8-a # 590–595 - # 593 preserved and remainder scrapped 1957–1958 |
| 196 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-2 | 1926 | 59531 | Renumbered CNR class J-8-b # 596 - Scrapped 3/1957 |
| 197 | Montreal Locomotive Works Montreal Locomotive Works Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company... |
4-6-2 | 1926 | 67129 | Renumbered CNR class J-8-b # 597 - Scrapped 4/1957 |
| 198–199 | American Locomotive Company American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
4-6-2 | 1929 | 67941–67942 | Renumbered CNR class J-8-c # 598–599 - Sold 3/1957 to Botwood Railway |
| 1000–1001 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1930 | 68400–68401 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-a # 300–301 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1002–1003 | North British Locomotive Company North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were... |
2-8-2 | 1935 | 24297–24298 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-b # 302–303 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1004 | North British Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 | 1937 | 24436 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-b # 304 - Scrapped 3/1957 |
| 1005–1006 | North British Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 | 1938 | 24521–24522 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-b # 305–306 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1007 | North British Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 | 1941 | 24667 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-b # 307 - Scrapped 5/1957 |
| 1008 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 2-8-2 | 1941 | 69444 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-c # 308 - Sold 4/1957 to Botwood Railway |
| 1009–1013 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 | 1941 | 69736 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-c # 309–313 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1014–1015 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 2-8-2 | 1941 | 69695–69696 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-c # 314–315 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1016–1019 | American Locomotive Company | 2-8-2 | 1944 | 71963–71966 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-c # 316–319 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1020–1023 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 2-8-2 | 1947 | 75635–75638 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-d # 320–323 - Scrapped 1957 |
| 1024 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 2-8-2 | 1949 | 76333 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-d # 324 - Scrapped 8/1957 |
| 1025–1029 | Montreal Locomotive Works | 2-8-2 | 1949 | 76424–76428 | Renumbered CNR class R-2-d # 325–329 - # 327 sold to Botwood Railway and remainder scrapped in 1957 |
| 5000–5002 | General Electric General Electric General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States... |
B+B | 1948 | 29722–29724 | Narrow gauge version of GE 44-ton switcher GE 44-ton switcher The GE 44-ton switcher is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Electric between 1940 and 1956. It was designed for industrial and light switching duties, often replacing steam locomotives that had previously been assigned these chores... . Renumbered CNR class ES-4-a # 775–777 - Sold 1968 to Northern Railway of Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.... |
| 800–805 | General Motors Diesel General Motors Diesel General Motors Diesel was a Canadian railway diesel locomotive manufacturer.-History:General Motors Diesel, Limited, was created in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro Motive Division of General Motors located in the United States... |
A1A-A1A | 1956 | A923–A928 | GMD G8 EMD G8 The EMD G8 was a General Motors-built diesel locomotive of which 382 were built between 1954 and 1965 for both export and domestic use. They were built by both Electro-Motive Division in the United States and by General Motors Diesel Division in Canada for use in ten countries, being equipped to... . CNR class GR-9-b |
| 900–902 | General Motors Diesel | C-C | 1952 | A303–305 | GMD NF110. CNR class Y-4-a then GR-12-a |
| 903–908 | General Motors Diesel | C-C | 1953 | A435–A440 | GMD NF110. CNR class Y-4-b then GR-12-b |
| 909–934 | General Motors Diesel | C-C | 1956 | A897–A922 | GMD NF210. CNR class GR-12-g - # 912 & # 920 wrecked 9/1966 |
| 935–937 | General Motors Diesel | C-C | 1958 | A1450–A1452 | GMD NF210. CNR class GR-12-p |
| 938–946 | General Motors Diesel | C-C | 1960 | A1834–A1842 | GMD NF210. CNR class GR-12-x |
Further reading
- Harding, Les. The Newfoundland Railway, 1898–1969. A History. http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3261-5 McFarland, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7864-3261-5