How CPR Moved
Locomotives & Rolling Stock to Its
Dominion Atlantic Railway

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

Any locomotives being transferred to and from CPR subsidiary Dominion Atlantic Railway in Nova Scotia after being outshopped from Angus in Montreal. Locomotives would travel dead Montreal to Fairville, New Brunswick (later called Lancaster) at Saint John N.B.

CPR ran several transfers a day from Lancaster or Fairville to East Saint John to CN's Island Yard. CP/DAR power would then be run dead to Moncton, then to Truro N.S. Locomotives would then travel dead on DAR to Windsor then onward to Kentville, DAR's headquarters and railway shop and roundhouse. The same would apply if power was being deadheaded back to Montreal.

In my time, while residing in Moncton (on the CN) from the early 1940's observed just about everything from 4-6-0's of 500 series, D-10's of 900 and 1000 to 1100 series, plus 4-6-2's of 2500 and 2600 series. Vans and passenger equipment to private DAR official car "Nova Scotia", CPR business cars through Moncton enroute to DAR or direct on CN to Halifax. Many official cars of CP I have seen.

CPR freight destined to the DAR came in to Fairville or now called Lancaster. Freights from Montreal would drop off freight, and be picked up by transfers to East Saint John, and travel on CN freights to Moncton and Truro to connect with traffic on DAR to Annapolis Valley points or as far as Yarmoutn. Any CP Halifax destined traffic would continue on CN. CP/DAR freight terminal and in later years CP trucking arms CP Express, CP Transport, Smith Transport, Highland Transport were all located on Kemp Road in Halifax. At one time CP Express were located at the Halifax passenger station--some pickup trucks were lettered CP Express, others Dominion Atlantic.

Dominion Atlantic passenger locomotives were turned around at the Halifax station--the turntable was located outside the train shed on the south side if one was to start walking towards the ocean passenger terminal pier #21.

Many memories when I was in the Merchant Marine starting in 1946. DAR's mixed passenger #96 originating at Kentville would arrive Halifax station at 1220PM, normally with a 4-6-2 of 2500 class, after using the turntable, the locomotive would sit at the westend of the station outside the train shed until departing back to Kentville on train #97 at 1435.

During the war years and after June 1945 bringing troop movements into Halifax from Saint John off CP and westbound Halifax-Saint John then CP westward--the Halifax coach yards were crowded with CP passenger cars--head-ends, dining cars, sleeping cars.

The majority of all military movements were operated eastward/westward via Saint John on CPR to and from Montreal--due to the St. Lawrence route of CN, the waters being infested by enemy U-Boats.

The CPR main-line through the State of Maine to and from Saint John was noted during the war years as the "busiest single track line in North America". Many a night I spent at McAdam, N.B. and Saint John on the CPR during the war years.

At Saint John Union Station-trains ran steady one after the other--with no let up. What killed passenger service on the DAR was one's love for the automobile, government subsidized highways, and later came the the trucks eating into DAR's freight business. In fact, trucks killed the railway business on both CP and CN in the Maritimes.

In the 1960's the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the containership age with Canadian destined import and export traffic--the shipping lines who prefer Montreal, including Canadian Pacific's container fleet. CP now plan to make the Port of New York a major CP "Hub".

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©1999 Donald Scott, all rights reserved.