It’s been 50 years since CN’s 3’-6” gauge ‘Caribou’ completed its last run across the Island of Newfoundland between Port-aux-Basques (Port oh Bask) and St. John’s overnight on July 2-3 1969. This was North America’s last full-service narrow-gauge passenger train with coaches, sleepers, diner and lounge. A sample consist from the ‘60s:
GMD NF210
GMD NF210
Steam Generator
Storage Mail (wood boxcar)
Baggage/Express
Diner (as lounge)
Coach (Corner Brook set-out/pick-up)
Coach (Corner Brook set-out/pick-up)
Coach
Coach
Coach
Diner
Sleeper (as Crew Dorm)
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper (Corner Brook set-out/pick-up)
Sleeper (Corner Brook set-out/pick-up)
CN had introduced a new fleet of ‘Roadcruisers’ si
We spent part of the summer of 1968 driving up and down the west coast, neatly missing this train (although fascinated by other operations on the narrow gauge). I will always have a ‘soft spot’ for the island and its people.
Lady Firestorm and I were in Argentia Nfld. in 1992 and saw one of those ferrys arrive and dock. The ship-handling was superb! We were VERY impressed!
Newfoundlanders had a joke about the “Bullet,” which really wasn’t much of a bullet, as far as speed went. Goes like this…
A woman riding the “Newfie Bullet” yells at the conductor “Mister Conductor! MISTER CONDUCTOR! I’M GOING INTO LABOR!”
“Well Missus,” responds the conductor, “If you knew your time was comin’ why’d you get on the train?”
“WHEN I GOT ON THE TRAIN I WASN’T PREGNANT!”
I went looking and found a 23 minute film on the Newfoundland Railway, pre-abandonment. Not dated but I’m guessing it’s from the '70s from the way the people are dressed and the very annoying graphics at the beginning of the film. It’s pretty good though.
