Canadian National In The Maritimes - Part I
Moncton, NB, Mid 1930's

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

Moncton, NB, a far cry from what it is today--for Canadian National. The city was and still is a major rail centre, but with many cutbacks that will come later in a future post. Quite young then, but if one is interested, one never forgets.

Moncton was put on the map when the Intercolonial Railway was built with British funds, later to end up as the Canadian Government Railway and in the 1920's ending up as Canadian National. Some say even today the railway would have been better off today as the Intercolonial.

To the mid-1930s the major repair shops for the Maritimes was located in Moncton-- covering all locomotive, passenger car and freight cars being repaired there for an area covering east of River du Loup, Quebec, all New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

During hard times in the depression years, like my father and others were on short-time working in the repair shops 10 to 15 days a months. I don't know how people survived.

The Moncton roundhouse had 40 stalls, I would presume one of the largest on the CN System outside of Montreal Turcot's 65 stalls . (Largest roundhouse in North America supposed to have been on the Delaware & Hudson).

During hard times through the mid1930's near the roundhouse there were four tracks of dead steam locomotives of all types--with a good number put back into service for the winter months to handle export/import and the grain traffic when the St. Lawrence River froze up for shipping.

Being CN, the Intercolonial Railway influence was still around, observing wood-coaches, locomotives with the ICR imprint on passenger coach trucks, parts of locomotives like 4-6-2 #5503 . Moncton was the bread and butter of the Canadian National and before that-- the ICR (and later CGR) was the bread and butter of the local economy.

On CN main-line passenger service between Montreal and Halifax in the 1930's , CN's own passenger locomotives took over from former Canadian Goverment power. The first of the 4-8-2 6000s handled the Maritime Express and Ocean Limited ex- ICR named trains.

Locomotives of the 6000 class 4-8-2s assigned Cambellton-Moncton-Halifax built in 1923 were #6005, #6006, #6007, #6008, #6009, #6010, #6011, #6012, #6013, #6014, #6015, #6016, #6017 and #6018. Locomotives running east from Cambellton, NB, were changed at Moncton east and west with other 6000s taking over. 4-8-4s of the 6100 class, when new, came to the Maritimes running on freights Cambellton-Moncton-Halifax changing power at Moncton. They were #6100 to #6119 being booster equipped.

Other freight power, all hand me downs, were the 2-8-2s 3200 and 3300s. Also ex-Grand Trunk 2-8-0s of 2500 and 2600 class. 4-6-2s of 5500 class some ex-ICR were assigned to passenger runs in the Maritimes. Not forgetting 4-6-0s of 1100 class--only a few of 4-6-0 types to mention. There were 2-6-0s of 400 number series. Other passenger runs were the 4-6-2 5200 class ex-CGR that the 4-8-2 6000s replaced on the Maritime Express and Ocean Limited.

I can remember when the 5200s were outshopped at Moncton with smoke-deflectors and on them with the CN logo. One of the first ones with logo on smoke-deflectors was the 5256. The 5200s were assigned to Halifax-Sydney, NS, passenger runs, Moncton-Saint John, NB. A late morining passenger Moncton-Saint John, NB, ran with the lighter 4-6-2 5500s.

About 1937, or 1938, CN brought into service some new day-coaches of the 5100 and 5200 series--some what of a streamlined style--not smooth sides but with ribbots.

During the winter months one could observe a number of passenger extras through Moncton, NB, with CPR passenger equipment eastbound or westbound off CP Steamship's Mont Liners and Duchess Liners from and to the UK and Continental Europe. These ships also called at their main Canadian base for the winter months at West St. John.

In 1939, during the Royal Visit to Canada in June prior to the Royal Train arriving from west, was the pilot train powered by 4-8-2 #6036 which made the odd run on passenger trains to and from Halifax. The pilot train was made up of CN and CP cars. Afterwards was the Royal Train with 4-8-2 #6028, a CN Central Region locomotive, in lightblue and dark blue paint scheme. The Royal train in same scheme made up of joint CN-CP cars. The Royal train and pilot train continued on after about an hours stop at Moncton. Canadian Pacific Steamship's Flag Ship the 42,500 ton "Empress of Britain" (2nd) Sailed from Halifax back to Southampton, England. Just a few months later we would be into World War II.

Moncton, was the hedquarters for the Atlantic Region--the General Office building on the front entrance and back entrance imprinted in the brick "ICR General Office" a behive-of activity--covered territory from Riviere du Loup, Quebec through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

During the mid-1930s, CN main-line passenger locomotives 4-6-2s of 5200 class and 4-8-2s of 6000 series had smoke-deflectors applied to them, as well as freight locomotives of 4-8-4s of 6100 series (#6100 to #6119).

I can remember CNs Montreal-Halifax "Ocean Limited" --the end car with open observation platform and observation-parlor sleeper. As an experiment, the end car above the windows had a orange or red band from end-to end. This particular train picked up the Boston-Halifax Pullman Company sleeper at Moncton--going east-west from Saint John-Moncton afternoon trains.

The Halifax Pullman Company sleeper came in and out of North Station, Boston on the through "Gull"; Boston & Maine, to and from Portland, Maine; Maine Central, Portland-Bangor-Vanceboro, Maine; CPR, Vanceboro, Maine-McAdam-Saint John, N.B. Out of Moncton on the NTR (former National Transcontinental Railway) that custs off at Pacific Jct. a few miles west of Moncton to Edmundston, N.B crossing into Quebec.

CN had a number of 2-10-2 4000s on drag freights (hand me downs from former CGR). I can always remember, certain evenings of the week, one who could tell the engineer by the way he blew the whistle, a freight coming into Moncton off the NTR--one engineer was a fellow by the name of Bannister--the howl of that whistle like a crying wolf.

There was one line--a branch line, about 8 miles--east of Moncton cutting off at Painsec Jct. to Shediac and Point du Chene. On Sundays a special "Beach " train departed Moncton at about 1230 arriving at Pt. du Chene around 1330. Return back to Moncton departing at 1900. This train operated from the end of June to Labour Day weekend. Usually the power was 2-8-0s of 2500 and 2600 class (ex-GT). This Sunday special ran with 22 to 25 wooden coaches. You could travel return for .25 cents.

There were two regular passenger trains on this line--depart Pt. du Chene at 0655--six cars off season and seven cars during the summer months. Usually handled by light 4-6-2 #5503 an ex-Intercolonial locomotive--this train arrived Moncton about 0735 and continued to the CN shops--as many shop staff living along the line.

4-6-2 #5503 would back its train to the coach yard and to the roundhouse a short turnaround. This locomotive would depart Moncton on a mixed passenger back to Pt. du Chene about 1045 after a connection with CN passenger from Saint John which connected with CPR train #40 from Montreal.

At Painsec Jct. #5503 and its train waiting for passengers off Montreal-Halifax "Maritime Express". At Shediac #5503 would place box cars at the freight shed and continue to Pt. du Chene. The turntable was a three minute walk from my folks summer cottage, and the four track yard. During the lobster season, before this train going back to Moncton, it would back down to the Pt. du Chene wharf and pick up--at least four to five passenger-refers--with other fish products--these cars would go to Moncton--be placed on the late afternoon passenger to Saint John--onto CPR "Gull" to Boston. Locomotive #5503 would depart Moncton Station at 1735, after backing to CN shops and to the Station. All trains were daily except Sundays.

One particular car on the noon passenger was ex-Intercolonial express-baggage-mail car #8029 which played a part in the "National Dream" with ex CPR 4-4- 0 #136. Pt. du Chene, NB, was an operating base for Pan American Airways (flying boats); Imperial Airways, later BOAC and now British Airways. This was a technical stop on Trans-Atlantic flights between New York and London, Eng. from June to the Fall--eastbound and westbound.

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©1999, Donald Scott, all rights reserved.