Old Time Trains

J. A. Dewar Co. Ltd.
Coquitlam
1909-1923

A brief history. Bryan Ness Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society

Screening, crushing and washing plant. Westminster Junction 1912.

J.A. Dewar Co. was a gravel operation founded by John Dewar in 1909. By 1912 they had built a private RR at Westminster Junction (now Port Coquitlam) to extract refined gravel from the present-day Lafarge Lake area. The private spur came off the CPR Mainline north track looping in a north-west direction at approxiamately present-day Mile 113.0 of the Cascade Sub. between Westwood St.(once known as Pipeline Road) and the Coquitlam Central WCE Station. The details of the Dewar operation were previously covered in the Canadian Engineering January 9, 1913. (See below).

Dock. Vancouver 1912.

Deeks-McBride Ltd took over the Dewar operation (date unknown) and continued to ship product from the Lafarge Lake area, initially with steam, later with a small gas-powered locomotive. Aerial photos from 1968 and 1975 show a section of the Deeks spur south of the Lougheed Hwy. still in place, likely used as a storage track for OCS equipment. The Lougheed Highway opened in 1949, no doubt impacting the Deeks operation, as the spur would have to cross the highway to the gravel pit. The derail sign on the CPR Mainline north track at approx mile 113. was still in place in 2009, now removed. The imprint of the roadbed was still visible near Christmas Way in the bush south of Coquitlam Chrysler as of a few years ago.

Dinky number 2 Davenport Loco Works 1181 12/1911 one of two 20-ton 0-4-0T's. Both scrapped 1923.

Three photos above: Port Coquitlam City Archives.

Number 3 was a 13 ton 0-4-0T CLC 1218 1914
Sold 1923 Abbotsford Lumber Mining & Development Co. 3.

The Canadian Engineer January 9, 1913

ENLARGE Map

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Old Time Trains © 2016

J. A. Dewar Co. Ltd.
Coquitlam
1909-1923

A brief history. Bryan Ness Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society

Screening, crushing and washing plant. Westminster Junction 1912.

J.A. Dewar Co. was a gravel operation founded by John Dewar in 1909. By 1912 they had built a private RR at Westminster Junction (now Port Coquitlam) to extract refined gravel from the present-day Lafarge Lake area. The private spur came off the CPR Mainline north track looping in a north-west direction at approxiamately present-day Mile 113.0 of the Cascade Sub. between Westwood St.(once known as Pipeline Road) and the Coquitlam Central WCE Station. The details of the Dewar operation were previously covered in the Canadian Engineering January 9, 1913. (See below).

Dock. Vancouver 1912.

Deeks-McBride Ltd took over the Dewar operation (date unknown) and continued to ship product from the Lafarge Lake area, initially with steam, later with a small gas-powered locomotive. Aerial photos from 1968 and 1975 show a section of the Deeks spur south of the Lougheed Hwy. still in place, likely used as a storage track for OCS equipment. The Lougheed Highway opened in 1949, no doubt impacting the Deeks operation, as the spur would have to cross the highway to the gravel pit. The derail sign on the CPR Mainline north track at approx mile 113. was still in place in 2009, now removed. The imprint of the roadbed was still visible near Christmas Way in the bush south of Coquitlam Chrysler as of a few years ago.

Dinky number 2 Davenport Loco Works 1181 12/1911 one of two 20-ton 0-4-0T's. Both scrapped 1923.

Three photos above: Port Coquitlam City Archives.

Number 3 was a 13 ton 0-4-0T CLC 1218 1914
Sold 1923 Abbotsford Lumber Mining & Development Co. 3.

The Canadian Engineer January 9, 1913

ENLARGE Map