The Railways of Canada Archives -- Canadian Pacific In The Maritimes

Canadian Pacific In The Maritimes - Part I
The Mid-1930s to 1940s

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

During the winter months at the Port of Saint John, NB, rail traffic built up, for CPR when the St. Lawrence River was icebound, and for Canadian Pacific Steamship's Trans-Atlantic service both passenger and cargo operations, and staff were moved from Montreal and Quebec City.

Prior to five new 10,000 ton cargo-express ships were built in the late 1920's of the Beaver Class. There were other CP freighters plying Continental Europe and the UK. Plus for a period CPS ran a route to the West Indies with names commencing with "B". One ship was passenger cargo an M class. Before the four new Duchess Class passenger liners arrived in 1928-1929 of 20,000 tons, there were three Mont Class liners of 17,000 tons on the Atlantic run, plus other named liners, Missanabie, Megantic and Metapedia, plus others not to name.

CPR placed the new 4,000 ton Princess Helene, built 1930 in Scotland, on the Saint John-Digby, NS, run replacing an older ship, to connect with CPR Saint John arriving passenger trains from west and return--plus at Digby with its subsidiary Dominion Atlantic Railway east/west service. CPR boat trains met all incoming CP liners off the Atlantic run, and eastbound boat trains with passengers for eastbound Trans-Atlantic runs.

Checking CPS 1934 Trans-Atlantic winter schedule from and to West St. John, an arrival or departure about every four days. The Duchess of York was on the Liverpool-Glasgow-Belfast-Saint John run--eastbound via Halifax to same ports--in opposite directions with the Duchess of Atholl. The liners Montrose, Montcalm and Montclare covered the same routing.

The Duchess of Richmond operated Southampton, Eng. via Havre, France, to Saint John and eastbound like other CP liners via Halifax on their return. CPR boat trains from Montreal and other points--CPR had another boat train service running over CN from Saint John via Moncton to Halifax.

Checking a 1927 CPR employees timetable--CP in and out of the old Saint John station had a passenger train about every five minutes--suburban service to and from Grand Bay, Westfield Beach, Welsford and intermediate points--plus its Fredericton-Saint John service, others to and from Woodstock, and the through service to and from Edmundston.

Out of CPs West St. Station a through passenger service both ways to St. Andrews and St. Stephen. CPR's main-freight power on the main line was with the P1 2-8-2 5100s, 2-8-0s of 3700 class, and 4-6-0s. On passenger trains the largest of passenger power would have been 4-6-2 G-2s of 2500 and 2600s.

With the outbreak of World War II, many changes in motive power would be coming, increased freight traffic and passenger traffic.

In 1937 earlier, new from its builder Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston, Ont. streamlined Jubilee 4-4-4 #2929 arrived in Saint John, and ran in service between Saint John and Fredericton. A good number of the 5100 class 2-8-2s still had the "Half Moon" headlight situated in front of their stack.

After the breakout of the war, CPRs main-line through the State of Maine became known as the busiest single track line in North America. Canadian troop movements would soon start moving to England. CPR's Montreal-Saint John line was the chosen route for military movements--the reason; the CN line along the Gulf of St. Lawrence was immune to enemy submarines. CP troop trains eastbound would be taken over by CN for the run via Moncton to Halifax.

December 10, 1939 Canadian Pacific's 42,500 ton Flagship of the fleet "Empress of Britain" (2) left Halifax for Southamton, England with some of the first Canadian troop movements overseas. The Empress of Britain for security reasons after her regular Southampton-Cherborg, France-Quebec City run was ordered to tie-up at Quebec to wait for further orders.

After a month or so, the "Britain" was ordered to sail for Halifax. The cruise season beginning in December was cancelled--usually a World Cruise each year. A day prior on Dec. 9, 1939, a number of troop trains came in from Saint John from CPR, about 10 CN cars added to the CP consist and left powered by lettered "Grand Trunk" 2-8-2 #3447. CPR eastbound troop trains from west arriving Saint John Union Station commenced being double-headed.

One CP liner not mentioned of the Atlantic service calling at Saint John in the 1930s was the 20,000 to Duchess of Bedford--this ship was assigned during the winter months operating New York-Bermuda. Other CP Duchess liners were rotated on the Bermuda run--or West Indies cruises with the Empress of Australia (1).

After the through troop train from CPR arrived Moncton, NB from Saint John-with additional CN cars attached to the train--with Canadian Army's Moncton 8th Battery Regiment, with my brother-in law included, departed with Grand Trunk 2-8-2 #3447 for Halifax and board Canadian Pacific's 42,500 ton "Empress of Britain "(2nd) for Southampton, England her home port.

I was told the troops crossed the Atlantic in luxury--CP had no time to convert the liner for trooping, as the ship was all set up for its annual World Cruise, beginning in January after cruising out of New York to the West Indies. The CP flag ship was only 8 years old and CP was considering a new sister ship of the same tonnage for its Trans-Pacific service to be called "Empress of Hawaii", and plans to replace the Empress of Asia and sister ship Empress of Russia. The same time ordering new liners for its subsidiary Canadian Australasian Line on the Vancouver-Hawaii-Fiji-New Zealand-Australia run--namely the liners Niagara and Aorangi. The Empress of Canada (1) on the Orient run was a fairly new ship, and the Empress of Japan (2) was a new ship only 10 years old.

The Princess Helene on the Bay of Fundy Saint John, NB-Digby, NS, service commenced being escorted by Royal Canadian Navy and RCAF aircraft back and forth each day on its daily runs. Dominion Atlantic Railway's passenger and auto ferry plying between Kingsport and Parrsboro Nova Scotia the "Kipawo" was taken over by the Canadian Navy after the outbreak of the war.

Troop trains over the CPR running east of Montreal through Maine to Saint John and CN to Halifax commenced in increasing numbers, on a 24 hour basis at times. CPR passenger equipment almost never seen before were running on the military movements. The Grand Class arch roof bedroom-compartment sleepers along with same accomodation Glen Class cars. Classy dining cars, CP wood passenger refers of 5500, 5600 and 5700 series, heavy-weight arch roof baggage or express equipment. Colonist cars of the 2700 and 2800 series, several different types of sleeping cars.

These trains could be seen running from 18 to 25 cars. A number of G-2 class 2500 series passenger locomotives still had open cabs, such as #2503, #2504 and #2598. They went into Angus Shops Montreal for overhaul and upgrading and came out with all-weather vestibule cabs. Locomotive #2504 received a new modern tender. Some of the G-2s that were running on the "Gull" Saint John-Boston passenger run (CP to and from Vanceboro, Maine, I remember were #2500, #2598, #2611 and #2657, but there were others.

On the McAdam-Saint John sector of Montreal-Saint John passenger trains #39, #40, #41 and #42 were 4-8-2s #2900 and #2901, the first 4-8-2s built 1914 by CPR, and the only ones in Canada. After CN was formed in the 1920's, CN ordered their first 4-8-2s of 6000 class which entered service in 1923. CPRs subsidiary the Soo Line in the USA, had 24 of them in the 4000 series that came out in the 1920s.

CPRs 4-8-2 #2900 handled train #42 "Atlantic Limited" eastbound out of McAdam shortly after 0900 after a power change from Brownville, Jct. Maine--arriving Union Station Saint John at 1140. Westbound train #41 "Atlantic Limited" departed Saint John at 1700, arriving McAdam around 1925. A power change was made. Locomotive 4-8-2 #2901 departed McAdam on train #40 at 0430 arriving Saint John at 0630. Westbound #2901 departed Saint John on Montreal train #39 at 2000 arriving McAdam at 2225--again a power change. These two locomotives were well maintianed always clean like the other CP passenger power.

The Fredericton-Saint John local was usually handled up to 1942 by Streamlined 4-4-4 Jubilee #2929, or by 4-6-2s of 2500 and 2600 series. On the Saint John McAdam portion of through passenger service to Edmundston trains were powered by 4-6-2s of 2500 and 2600 series. Freight service on the McAdam-Saint John freights were handled by 4-6-0s of 800, 900, 1000, 1100s, 2-8-0s of 3700 series. One was #3737, plus 2-8-2s of 5100 series.

Most 5100s that operated east of Montreal were taken into Angus Shops Montreal for upgrading and re-equipped with higher capacity tenders-and a new modern style, the same as the semi-streamlined heavy 4-6-2s 2300 series that commenced going into service in 1938 on its Western Lines, and new semi-streamlined 2300 and 2400 series soon to arrive from Canadian Locomotive Works in Kingston, Ontario that commenced in 1942.

On the Montreal-Megantic sector of through passenger trains to Saint John, during the 1930s CP were running with heavy 4-6-2s of 2300 to 2329 series, and 2330 series, some being smoke-deflector equipped and in the tuscan red-grey-gold-black scheme. Between Megantic-BrownvilleJct. Maine-McAdam, NB these heavy trains were powered by light 4-6-2s of 2500 and 2600s.

During January 1940, Canadian Pacific Steamships was still running a limited Trans-Atlantic passenger service to Britain. My sister sailed out of West St. John, NB, for Liverpool, Eng., on the Duchess of York, with a naval escort to Halifax, to take on more passengers. The CP liner left Halifax for Liverpool without an escort all the way to Liverpool. That year only a few months later, the Duchess of York was torpedoed and sunk off the North African coast.

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