The Roberval and Saguenay Railway Company is owned by Rio Tinto Alcan (previously Alcan Aluminium Ltd.) to serve its four smelters, alumina refinery, petroleum coke calcining plant and port, as well as other primarily forestry-based industries including the newsprint mill in Alma built by the Price Bros. in the 1920’s and the mill in Kenogami in the Saguenay region. There are two isolated subdivision; the mainline 19 mile ARPA Subdivision between Port Alfred and Arvida, and the 10 mile Alma Subdivision between Saguenay Power and Alma. The R&S was granted running rights over the CN between Saguenay Power and Arvida in the fall of 1975. In the mid-1990’s this agreement was changed. R&S gave up running rights in turn for switching CN’s customers in Arvida and the CN moves cars between Arvida and Saguenay Power (at St. Bruno) once a day in each direction. Interchange is performed at Saguenay Power and Arvida. R&S running rights now are limited to light engine moves to get units assigned to the Alma Sub. to the Arvida shops.
Finally found a good picture of the Baie Des Ha! Ha! RR and locomotive #1
Roberval - Saguenay
Roster electric and steam
Predecessor Ha! Ha! Bay 1 a 2-4-2T Tractive effort 13,740 lbs. MLW 3/1910
New cost $7,000 Became Roberval Saguenay 1.
Sold in 7/1940 to Aluminum Company of Canada.
Courtesy of Rio Tinto Alcan, Ian Stronach Collection
It was sold to the Aluminum Company of Canada in 1940 but then ??.. have to assume it was scrapped at some point, probably sometime after it worked heavily in the war effort.
The R&S had several tank locomotives and this one, #15 was saved and is on display today.
Note the added on wooden sided tender. Actually I like the original older version appearance better.
15 0-4-0T (acq. 1/1928 ex Quebec Development Co.104) Built as Alma & Jonquiere 1
t.e. 14,400 MLW 64710 1923 Arvida 1938
15 0-4-2T (built as 0-4-0T see above) Port Alfred. Sold 1951 to Alcan, Chute du Diable. Courtesy of Rio Tinto Alcan, Ian Stronach Collection
15 preserved at old pulp mill museum in Chicoutimi. 7/16/2011 Marc G. Vallieres
Glad to see #15’s still around. I was puzzling over what looked to be extra tanks built onto the saddle tank, that is, wondering what they were for since the original saddle tank is still in place.
Then it hit me. Ballast? It is a 0-4-0 after all and may have needed the extra weight on the drivers depending on what kind of switching they wanted it to do.
Very likely related to the extended bunkerage … and look at what kind of company the ‘revised’ version was working for.
I think of the same considerations for the N&W M2 Automatic, for cognate reasons. The locomotive was intended to operate far away from fixed water and fuel supply, perhaps for an extended period; what you see may be an attempt to get added fuel and water together.
One great perceived advantage of early diesels in switching was their ability to run long periods of time, including idling, without having to drop work and go ‘be serviced’ with either fuel or water. The same would apply to contracting or construction service, particularly ‘out in the woods’. Even if there’s a reasonably adjacent source of clean water (which there usually is, in that region of Quebec) it would take time to go there, drop a hose, arrange pumping, etc.
It looks to me as if the tank was extended before the additional frame lengthening and wheel relocation took place. That might well have been to increase average adhesion in the ‘original service’ or to better balance the engine.
Other steam on the R&S. Would have to say they kept their locomotives pretty darn good looking for an Industrial line.
#9 and #10
9 acq. 1919 (ex P&LE) Cyl. 18" x 24" Drv. 50" Pittsburg Locomotive and Car Works 1899
Arvida c.1940 Bill Thomson Collection
4-6-0 10 (acq. 7/1920 ex T&NO 105) Cyl. 19" x 24" Drv. 56" Press. 180 t.e. 23,760 CLC 689 3/1906
Acquired from Canadian Equipment Co. (D) looking brand new at Bagotville shop. Retired 1932.
Courtesy of Rio Tinto Alcan, Ian Stronach Collection
#12
12 0-6-0 acq. 3/1926 ex Alton and Southern (Alcoa-owned) Alco Cooke 1902 Scrapped 3/1953 Courtesy of Rio Tinto Alcan, Ian Stronach Collection
Another hidden gem in Quebec. Now I knew about #49 at Exporail and #47 in Scranton but I did not know about #46!
Suburban 4-6-4F
46 (acq. 8/2002) with display train of CP equipment! 401676 40’ box car, 415043 ex 400213 tank car and 434065 van.
Note: 46 long displayed in front of Canadian Steel (later, Quebec Steel Products) in Longueuil.
Originally preserved by H. J. O’Connell, Ltd. Contractor, Dorval.
Former QCR Valley Junction. August 13/2017
49 one of only six such Forney type tank engines especially built for GTR’s Montreal suburban (commuter) service.
Montreal 3/29/1958 Joseph Testagrose collection
Preserved indoors at Exporail. August 2003 Pierre Lacombe
