Exploring The Old Newfoundland Railway

I posted this in the 'Travel' forum, but thought it might be of interest of some folks on this forum, too...



I've spent a fair amount of time exploring the old Newfoundland Railway 'Branch Lines' on an offroad motorcycle, this past year. Many of the old Newfoundland Railway branch line routes were decommissioned as far back as the 1930s, and nature is slowly reclaiming these old railbed routes.

Here are a few of my photos from trips spent exploring the old branch lines on my motorcycle during the summer of 2006



Engine number 900 left to the wolves...



The Bonavista line at Trinity Bay...





Engine number 900's horns...



Bonavista branch line trail...



Caplin Cove railway bridge...



Argentia branch line railbed...



Railway bridge near Western Bay...



Clarenville Tunnel...



Avondale Station : The oldest surviving station in Newfoundland...

Anybody know why CN 900 was abandoned rather than pulled out with the last train? Even for scrap value, it would be worth a bit of money. And parts value would have been even greater.

Do you have any side/profile shots of the engine?

How come NewFoundland got rid of their rail system?
I understand that the country is quite rugged and I would
think that rail would be better than road for many
applications.

CN 900 is one of many of the old engines that are still in existence. The others have been restored or scrapped. CN 900 is slated to be sent to the scrapyard, if no one takes her before the new year. At least that is my understanding of her future.

This is the closest I have to a side view shot of CN 900. Not much help, I know...





Here is a side view shot of CN 932, however, as she now sits at the end of the line in Bonavista Newfoundland...





The Newfoundland railway was flawed in many ways, and destined to fail...

The population density in areas where the branch lines ran, were not sufficient to economically sustain the service. The 'Trepassey Line', for example, was laid in 1911, and decommissioned in 1932. The Trepassey Line was the longest of the many branch lines.

The narrow gauge track was the greatest flaw. Cars coming off ships from mainland Canada, where they did not use narrow gauge rails, had to have the trucks swapped out from under them before they could roll on the Newfoundland railway system. This meant highway transport quickly became far more economical than the rail system.

The rails of the main line were finally taken up in the 1980s.

Are the trails official and maintained? Is there a map available? Curious.

Thanks! (Possible destination for the XR650L)

Ken...

The only offical and maintained trail is the main line. It's pretty boring, being a mostly inland route. The branch lines are the real gems.

Here's is a a link to a very detailed map of the Bonavista Branch Line, which is my favorite of them all. This is the map I used to find my way through it, this year. Your XL650 is the perfect tool for the job. The file size is quite large, so be patient while it loads...

http://www.nova4x4.com/uploads/082406/b ... gmap03.jpg


Here is a link to a small map of the entire, and now defunct, Newfoundland rail system...

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/image ... map_12.gif


If you let me know if and when you plan to be here on your bike next year, my buddies and I would be very happy to act as your guide through some of these branch line trails we love so much to ride. We plan on continuing our adventures on the old rail trails, next year.

If you arrived on the island at the Ferry port of 'Argentia', you could connect with the rail trail system from there. A ride from Argentia to Bonavista would be an excellent choice. It's about 300 kms form point to point.

RailroadBiker wrote:CN 900 is one of many of the old engines that are still in existence. The others have been restored or scrapped. CN 900 is slated to be sent to the scrapyard, if no one takes her before the new year. At least that is my understanding of her future.

This just posted to the Nfld_Rwy Yahoo Group (Nov 10/06)

Clarenville Heritage is saying this morning that they now have enough funds to move the 900 to Clarenville.

Great!

What was the gauge for the railway? What are the cars/locos behind 900? Is there any surviving rail left behind in Newfoundland? No tourist/museum
trackage? This is great stuff for us in the "lower 48". Thank you! The locos in the pictures appear to be standard gauged. At least in size if not wheel gauge.

CBRy wrote:What was the gauge for the railway?............The locos in the pictures appear to be standard gauged. At least in size if not wheel gauge.

The railway was 3'-6" guage. The locomotives are narrow gauge and resemble a GP9. There are several exhibits across the Island of preserved equipment but unfortunately nothing is operating. Here is a link to some photos I took last year of the well maintained equipment in Corner Brook.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse. ... id=1442804

(In this set of photos you will also see the ferry from Nova Scotia, the RR yard at the ferry that is now paved over, and the former CN locomotive shop buildings still standing)

And a link to the Railway Station Museum in St. John's

http://www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca/

http://www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca/links2.htm

I also explored along the abandoned line into the former US Air Force Base at Stephenville. The US had their own Narrow Gauge locomotives that connected with CN.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse. ... id=1447750

Here is a link to an excellant article posted in the Rail Travel Forum by a fan visiting from the US describing what's left to see along the railway.

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5233

Here's some links to photos of the xCN Locomotives still in service in South America 18 years after abandonment.

http://trainsofthewesternworld.fotopic. ... 50662.html

http://trainsofthewesternworld.fotopic. ... 50680.html

http://trainsofthewesternworld.fotopic. ... 50676.html

http://trenes.4t.com/carga/norte/20050111-0928-37.htm

http://trenes.4t.com/carga/norte/20050111-0932-15.htm

RailroadBiker wrote:Ken...

The only offical and maintained trail is the main line. It's pretty boring, being a mostly inland route. The branch lines are the real gems.

Here's is a a link to a very detailed map of the Bonavista Branch Line, which is my favorite of them all. This is the map I used to find my way through it, this year. Your XL650 is the perfect tool for the job. The file size is quite large, so be patient while it loads...

http://www.nova4x4.com/uploads/082406/b ... gmap03.jpg


Here is a link to a small map of the entire, and now defunct, Newfoundland rail system...

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/image ... map_12.gif


If you let me know if and when you plan to be here on your bike next year, my buddies and I would be very happy to act as your guide through some of these branch line trails we love so much to ride. We plan on continuing our adventures on the old rail trails, next year.

If you arrived on the island at the Ferry port of 'Argentia', you could connect with the rail trail system from there. A ride from Argentia to Bonavista would be an excellent choice. It's about 300 kms form point to point.

Thanks!

---Ken

RailroadBiker wrote:Ken...

The only offical and maintained trail is the main line. It's pretty boring, being a mostly inland route. The branch lines are the real gems.

Here's is a a link to a very detailed map of the Bonavista Branch Line, which is my favorite of them all. This is the map I used to find my way through it, this year. Your XL650 is the perfect tool for the job. The file size is quite large, so be patient while it loads...

http://www.nova4x4.com/uploads/082406/b ... gmap03.jpg


Here is a link to a small map of the entire, and now defunct, Newfoundland rail system...

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/image ... map_12.gif


If you let me know if and when you plan to be here on your bike next year, my buddies and I would be very happy to act as your guide through some of these branch line trails we love so much to ride. We plan on continuing our adventures on the old rail trails, next year.

If you arrived on the island at the Ferry port of 'Argentia', you could connect with the rail trail system from there. A ride from Argentia to Bonavista would be an excellent choice. It's about 300 kms form point to point.

Thanks!

---Ken