THE LOCOMOTIVES OF THE THURSO AND NATION
VALLEY RAILWAY
The TNVR was progressive in its approach to the diesel locomotive, having
been one of the first railways in Canada to convert to 100% diesel operation
in 1947. It pursued a policy of using light locomotives, not only because
of the light steel rail in places but also because these kept wear and tear
on the track to a minimum. The General Electric 70 ton locomotive became
the mainstay of the locomotive fleet, adapted by the Thurso shop forces for
the needs of the logging railway. The locomotive fleet is described here
in the order in which it was acquired by the railway.
Throughout this document additional information is identified through hyper
links to other documents. In each case there is a hyper link to return you
to the same location in this document.You may either scroll through or use
the following links to go directly to the locomotive concerned:
CANADIAN PACIFIC
The first locomotive to run over the line was leased
from the Canadian Pacific Railway in the fall of 1925. This was done to speed
up construction in advance of the acquisition of the company's first locomotive.
Nothing definite is known about this locomotive although the following Canadian
Pacific locomotives were on lease to the contractor, Anglin Norcross between
September and December 1925.
3008 built by CPR on 7/88. 2-6-0 class J2a assigned to Trois Rivières,
on lease Nov-Dec 1925.
3010 built by CPR on 8/88. 2-6-0 class J2a assigned to Smiths Falls, on
lease Oct-Nov-Dec 1925
3039 built by Canadian Locomotive Company on 6/90. 2-6-0 class J2b assigned
to Ottawa, on lease Sep-Oct 1925.
7336 built by CPR on 7/94. 4-6-0 class D3k assigned to Carleton Place,
on lease Sep-Oct-Dec 1925.
Other Canadian Pacific locomotives worked on the line from time to
time:
#216, a 4-6-0 built in December 1891, worked on the TNVR in the
1920s. #216 was scrapped in July 1933.
#3294, a 1901 2-8-0, was borrowed one time when all of the TNVR locomotives
were marooned on the north side of a washout. #3294 was scrapped in May 1929.
#1:1
The first locomotive acquired was a tank engine in
late 1925 from Singer (USA). It was an 0-6-2T built in 1902 by Baldwin Locomotive
Works for the Standard Oil Company where it was #2. It was later sold to
Singer for their Elizabethport, New Jersey plant. #1 worked on the construction
of the line and handled all of the traffic until the arrival of #2 in 1927.
It ran semi-permanently coupled to a flatcar which carried additional coal
and water in a wooden tank. In this bizarre form the locomotive made several
round trips to Baie de l'Ours, mile 23, to bring out veneer logs for shipment
to St-Jean, Québec.
#1 fell into disuse around 1929 and was left to rust on the siding
behind the old car shop where it lasted until the mid 1930s. When it was cut
up by Zagerman's of Ottawa the boiler was found to be in relatively good
condition. Boiler inspectors had repeatedly cut the working pressure to the
point where the locomotive could hardly move itself.
A switching order to Damien Lafleur on June 4,
1936 makes reference to an old locomotive tank. Parts of a steam locomotive
are said to have been tipped into Cairo Lake at mile 27.75. If this was the
case, parts of #1 could have lasted until 1936.
#2
#2 was purchased new from the Montréal Locomotive Works in February
1927. It worked mainly on the southern part of the line below Singer. A normal
12 hour day would consist of a trip to Singer, mile 26, with the empties
and a return with the loads. It would then switch the Thurso yard. In this
work it would burn between 6 and 7 tons of coal (in those days costing $14.00
per ton) and would evaporate 10,000 gallons of water.
The 2-6-2 wheel arrangement was unusual in Canada as only three such
locomotives were built.
For all of its time at Thurso #2 only had one regular engineer. It
was Park Smith who ran in the locomotive
and finally saw it replaced by a diesel. Great
attention was paid to its appearance.
The locomotive was examined by a man
from Canadian Pacific in late October 1942 and it was held at Thurso for
repairs to the running gear and driving boxes in November of that year. More extensive repairs were required in early
1945 and work on the firebox, tube sheet and ash pan was carried out by Canadian
Pacific at Angus Shops, Montréal. This created a crisis for the local farmers who received
cars of hay and feed by rail. Following correspondence with the Québec Deputy Minister of Agriculture
twelve cars of feed were given priority when the locomotive returned. Park
Smith was admonished for not looking after
the locomotive and it was suggested that this was the reason the locomotive
had to go to the CPR for repairs.
Until the coming of the diesels, #2 remained the principal main line
locomotive. It still had a few years left, however, and was sold in January
1947 to the Montréal Coke and Manufacturing Company at Lasalle, Québec.
It was presumably cut up when the company converted to diesel operation in
1954.
The principal dimensions of #2 were:
Cylinders 17" X 24"
Driving wheels 44"
Wheelbase:
- Driving 9' 0"
- Engine 24' 0"
- Engine and tender 45' 7 1/2"
Boiler pressure 180lbs/sq.in
Tractive effort 24,100 lbs
234 boiler tubes 2" diameter X 10' 6" long
Firebox 84 1/8" X 40 1/4"
Grate area 23.5 sq. ft
Weight:
- Leading wheels 13,600 lbs
- Driving wheels 98,400 lbs
- Trailing wheels 13,100 lbs
- Engine 125,000 lbs
- Tender 87,250 lbs
- Engine and tender 212,250 lbs
#53
From 1929 until 1931 the TNVR leased #53 from the Haskell
Lumber Company of Fassett, Québec. This was a 70 ton three truck shay
locomotive that was purchased new by Haskell in May 1908. No details of the
disposition of the locomotive are known although a geared locomotive was
used at Fassett until the late 1940s.
#3
#3 was a three truck Heisler geared locomotive built
new for the TNVR in May 1929. It weighed 70 tons in working order and was
built to the older Heisler design with slide valves, although it did have
an all weather cab. #3 was shipped from Erie, Pennsylvania without lettering
and it may have stayed that way for its working life.
The locomotive would have been hauled to Thurso on its own wheels with
the gears being removed from the axles. This would make the rest of the working
parts inoperative and it would roll freely in a train, just like a car. A
travelling engineer would have accompanied the locomotive to Thurso to ensure
proper lubrication and to put it into service upon arrival. He was required
to live in the cab and living quarters were provided by building a bunk in
the left hand side of the cab. A few shelves were installed for storing groceries
and other items. He was supplied with bedding, a stove, cooking utensils,
lantern and other articles. The bunk also served as a table and a nail keg
for a stool. Locks were provided on the doors to keep out thieves when he
was absent for any reason.
The Heisler locomotive was designed specifically for logging operations
with steep grades, sharp curves and light rail. The 70 ton model would negotiate
a 100 foot radius curve and operated on rail as light as 45 pounds per yard.
On level track it would haul 4352 tons while on 9% grades it could handle
108 tons. The capabilities of #3 had quite an influence on the construction
of the TNVR branch lines.
#3 was a powerful, but very slow, machine which took four hours to move
twenty cars to Singer from Thurso. For this reason it was generally restricted
to the operations north of Singer where it spent most of its time outside in the woods. At first an inspector
was sent into the woods to examine the locomotive as well as the steam log
loaders. This practice was changed in April
1936 when it was felt that the TNVR engineers were sufficiently experienced
to make the weekly inspections.
Being kept most of the time in the woods there was some concern expressed over the care taken by
the engineers. By November 1941 #3 was due for heavy work.
#3 was replaced by the first TNVR diesel, #4, in 1946 and was scrapped
at Thurso in 1947 by Zagerman's, a long established Ottawa firm. Some parts
of the locomotive are believed to have survived. A piece of steel which looks
suspiciously like a sand dome or a steam dome was left outside the Car Shop
and is currently doing duty as a sump in the floor of the Car Shop.
The principal dimensions of #3 were:
Cylinders 16 3/4" X 14"
Driving wheels 36"
Boiler pressure 200 lbs/sq. in
Tractive effort 40180 lbs
Wheel base:
- rigid 56"
- total 39' 4"
Length overall 49' 4"
Capacity:
- water 3430 gals
- coal 10600 lbs
PLYMOUTH
There was a four wheeled Plymouth gas locomotive with
a Ford V8 engine. It carried Plymouth serial number 2924, a model DLB-6 that
was delivered to the National Cement Company at Pointe aux Trembles, Québec
on June 1, 1928. 2924 was replaced at the cement company by a heavier model
JLC (serial 2957) and was resold to Shawinigan Engineering at Shawinigan
Falls, Québec on August 2, 1928. From there it moved to Thurso on
May 17, 1933.
An account of the type of work originally entrusted to the Plymouth
is set out in the TNVR Diary. The Plymouth
lasted until the 1940s as a small switcher for the Thurso yard. It was used
in the construction of the line north of Duhamel and, with the arrival of
the Whitcomb, the Plymouth was sent to Duhamel where it was used as a shop
switcher for a number of years. It was likely scrapped in the early 1950s.
It did not carry a road number and seems to have been considered separately
from the road locomotives. Running this locomotive must have been quite exciting
as one could see the track and ties through the missing floorboards.
The Plymouth is one of the more unusual locomotives to have hauled a royal train!
WHITCOMB
The TNVR also had a small Whitcomb in the 1940s. This
was likely sent from St-Jean and was received in Thurso on June 25, 1946.
This locomotive was built new for Shawinigan Engineering in 1930 as serial
number 13053. The Whitcomb was likely replaced by #6 and probably scrapped
in the mid 1950s. No photographic evidence has survived.
#4
This 44 ton unit was
shipped by General Electric from Erie, Pa on
January 12, 1946. The severe Québec winter caused some initial
problems and #4 would not start well. General Electric representatives flew
up from Erie to see what could be done but #3 had to bring the diesel back
to Thurso. As a result of this a wooden two stall engine house was built
at Duhamel. The small diesel was used mainly north of Singer. It was equipped
with multiple unit control in 1949 to operate with #8.
#4 was wrecked at mile 49.5 on October 14, 1958
and was brought back to Thurso to be scrapped although the frame is still
used as flatcar #3. The first paint scheme is unclear but early photographs
show a light colour, probably grey.
#5
This was the first General Electric 70 ton end cab
long hood locomotive and was built as a demonstrator #7001. It was shipped
from Erie, Pa on October 1, 1946 and was photographed at Thurso on October
11. #5 was originally fitted with multiple unit controls but these were removed
in 1947. The unit was an initial success and, as a result of its acquisition,
#2 was sold. However, the Cooper Bessemer engine caused trouble and #5 went
to the Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway (in exchange for their first #355
which became #8) in 1949 as C> #355 (second use of this number) and later
#101. It moved to Sidbec Feruni at Contrecoeur in 1977 and was not scrapped
until 1983. When the TNVR was looking for another locomotive in 1981 it was
offered this unit. The offer was declined in favour of another unit which
turned out to be the second 70 ton unit built!
#6
Tiny 25 ton #6 was shipped new (with an August 1947
builders plate) on September 4, 1947 from General Electric for switching the
yard at Thurso. It replaced the small Whitcomb which then went to Duhamel
and
also went to the north end of the line
when #10 arrived. Its small length caused a few problems, particularly when
it was used to haul the 65 foot long passenger cars around sharp curves. The
wider swing of the passenger car coupler would derail the short locomotive.
A second hand engine was installed in June 1974 at which time it may have
acquired the builders plate from #9 which it carried as well as its own until
the time it left Thurso. #6 was not powerful enough to handle the three car
consists of long logs and it was sold in part exchange for #13. There was
a dispute over #13 which was missing a traction motor when it arrived at
Thurso and, because of this, #6 did not leave for the dealer, G. Silcott
of Worthington, Ohio, until November 6, 1983. In 1986 #6 was sold to the
Timken Company in Ohio as their #5706.
#1:2
The TNVR had a second locomotive which carried the
number 1. This was a small GE 25 ton locomotive which was built in 1949.
It was delivered new to Singer Manufacturing and went to Great Lakes Carbon
in January 1976..
#7
This 70 ton unit was acquired from General Electric
in July 1949 as a highly successful replacement for #5. By 1972 it was beginning
to show signs of its age and on April 24 that year it was taken out of service
with a badly worn crankshaft. A new Caterpillar engine was installed by November
1973 and, at the same time, it received new wheels and multiple unit connections
to allow it to work with the then recently acquired CN locomotives #11 and
#12. #7 made its first main line trip after rebuild on January 7, 1974. When
new, #7 was fitted with a hood that had a louvreless front. This has been
replaced with a louvred hood from the third CN 70 ton unit that was purchased
for parts in 1971. This CN unit also donated the multiple unit style hand
rails and running plate. This TNVR veteran is still hard at work having been
fitted with 26L brake equipment in November 1981. A major engine overhaul
was completed on September 24, 1984. #7 has carried the number 5131 as well
as its road number since August 1985.
#8
This General Electric 44 ton unit was purchased new
by the Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway as their #355 (first use of this
number) on December 21, 1948. It was found not to be powerful enough and
it was exchanged for TNVR #5 in July 1949. At Thurso it worked mainly north
of Singer, first with #4 and later with #9, since it was equipped with multiple
unit controls as built. By the early 1970s it began to suffer traction motor
problems and, following the acquisition of the CN 70 ton units, it was sold
to Donohue Charlevoix at Clermont, Québec in August 1972. #8 came
to an abrupt end when it was demolished in an accident on January 13, 1974.
#9
General Electric 44 ton locomotive #9 was purchased
new by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in November 1941 as their
#0805. Equipped with multiple unit control, it was subsequently acquired by
the Marquette Cement Company in September 1953 and was then sold through an
equipment dealer and later rebuilt by the GE Pittsburgh service shop. It
left the US plant on February 19, 1959 and arrived at Thurso on March 4,
1959 as a replacement for #4. With the arrival of the CN 70 ton units this,
already old, machine was scrapped, its frame being used as a flatcar for
several years until that, too, was scrapped.
#10
General Electric 50 ton unit #10 was purchased new
by the Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabethport, NJ as their #1 in September
1946. The employees didn't like the soft sounding steel bell with which it
was supplied and installed a bronze bell from the steam locomotive that it
replaced which it still carries. It arrived at Thurso on April 18, 1960. Some
reports suggest that it was used for a time at St-Jean but, more likely, it
came into Canada via St-Jean. Because of its side rods and the limited size
of the radiators, #10 was kept close to Thurso. The number 5132 was added
to the cab side in 1985. For a number of years #10 ran tilted to one side.
Just before the end, the tilt seemed to have corrected itself although the
shop staff claimed not to have done work on it. A closer examination revealed
a number of broken truck springs and the real reason for the apparent improvement
was that the track was off level thus compensating for the tilt.
#10 bent a coupling rod on the last day of full operation, 20 May 1986
and was not used after the closure of the main line in June 1986. It was
sold to Art Tommy of Wakefield, Québec in October 1988 for a proposed
tourist operation and was moved there early in the following year. It was
sold in running condition and came complete with bent coupling rods.
The locomotive saw no use until it was donated to the Bytown
Railway Society and moved to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in
Ottawa in September 2000.
The BRS has put it into operating
condition.
#11
Canadian National purchased this General Electric 70
ton locomotive new with multiple unit control in March 1950 and it worked
most of its time with CN on Prince Edward Island. It carried first #7803,
then #1529 and finally #29 before coming to Thurso in CN green on May 18,
1970. However, it did not make its first trip on the main line until September
20, 1971. On March 4, 1974 the original Cooper Bessemer engine block was declared
scrap having been damaged as a result of a broken connecting rod. A Caterpillar
D398 engine was installed and it made its break in run, with new wheels,
on July 10, 1976. A spare truck, from CN Moncton, was installed under #11
in July 1981 and a major engine overhaul was completed in August 1984. The
number 5133 was added to the cab side in August 1985 which it carries as
well as its road number. Upon closure of the main line in 1986 #11 was little
used.
#12
This General Electric 70 ton unit was also obtained
from the Canadian National Prince Edward Island operation on May 18, 1970.
Purchased new by CN with multiple unit control in May 1950, it carried road
numbers 7810, 1536 and finally 36. It, too, came to Thurso in CN green. The
Cooper Bessemer prime mover suffered damage on August 8, 1972 with seized
crankshaft bearings. A Caterpillar D398 engine was fitted and the first test
run was made on February 9, 1973 to mile 26 and back along with #11. The
wheels were turned at the Canadian Pacific Angus Shops in October 1974 and
26L brake equipment was fitted in January 1982. A major engine overhaul was
completed in December 1984. The number 5134 was added on the cab sides in
August 1985 although it still carried its road number. #12 was retained upon
closure of the main line in 1986 but the engine was sold in early 1992 when
it was decided to use #12 for parts to keep #7 and #11 going.
#13:1
A GE 70 ton was leased from United Railway Supply between July 1973 and January
1974. While on the TNVR it carried the number 13. When it was ready
to be returned, the dealer had to replace the sharp flanged wheels before
Canadian Pacific would accept it for movement. This was originally #91 from
the Québec North Shore and Labrador Railway.
FOR PARTS
In May 1970 the TNVR acquired for parts General Electric
70 ton locomotive CN #26. Purchased new as 7818 in May 1950, it subsequently
carried the numbers 7800 and 1526. The frame and trucks were used for a rail
mounted crane and other parts found their way on to the other 70 ton locomotives
#7, #11 and #12. This locomotive never ran on the TNVR. The fuel tank was
placed on a stand at Duhamel and was used for storage of diesel fuel until
the closure of the main line.
#13:2
This was the second General Electric end cab long hood
70 ton locomotive built and had a chequered career before coming to the TNVR
on December 30, 1981. The full history is not known but it seems that it
was bought new by the Saratoga and Schuylerville as their #4 and from there
it went in succession to:
Claremont and Concord
#11
Montpelier and Barre #23
Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington #23
New York City Transit Authority #13 then #20009 then #13
While in New York, #13 was used on those sections of
the South Brooklyn Railway where the clearances were adequate. It was stored
for some time on the property of Davidson Pipe although it was never owned
by that company. The movements between leaving New York and arriving at Thurso
are not known.
The original Cooper Bessemer engine was still in the unit on arrival
at Thurso. This was found to be unreliable and so a new Cummins, truck type,
turbo charged engine of 600 hp was obtained. Installation presented quite
a challenge to Edouard Hébert and the other masters of innovation at
the Thurso shop. The Cummins engine operated at twice the speed required by
the DC generator and a specially fabricated engine bed was required. In addition,
the new engine was much lighter so the weight reduction was made up in ballast.
Edouard added another new twist. #13 was intended for use in the
woodland operation where it would need to be left out, shut down, over the
weekend in extremely low temperatures. He incorporated a small Deutz engine
ahead of the Cummins radiator. This little unit drove a small pump which
circulated the crankcase oil through a heat exchanger, using the exhaust
from the Deutz engine for heat. This allowed the Cummins engine to be shut
down for long periods in sub zero weather and to be re-started easily.
As if it wasn't enough to install a truck engine in a diesel locomotive
the final indignity was to be found in the whistle that was fitted. This gave
a high pitched single note toot similar to that found in the Paris Metro.
As rebuilt, #13 was very distinctive! There can have been no other locomotive
quite like it!
The engine was first fired up on December 21, 1982. It made its first main
line trip on February 6, 1983 and was left at mile 31 so that it could be
used for spotting empties for loading. The Cummins engine sounded very unusual
on a locomotive. #13 spent most of its time at the top of the line in the
log loading areas and only came to Thurso when it needed attention. It was
not equipped with multiple unit connections so that when moved to and from Thurso it ran as the third locomotive
in the consist where it would idle for most of the run. The brakeman
would go back and work the throttle for the uphill stretches. The number
5135 was added to the cab sides in August 1985 in addition to its road number.
With the closure of the main line in 1986, #13 was put up for sale
and was shipped to the Port Stanley Terminal Railway at Port Stanley, Ontario.
It passed through CP Rail's Walkley Yard, Ottawa, on July 23, 1990.
OTHERS
There was a diesel that
came from the Poinsett Lumber Company in the USA. This spread the curves
on the main line and did not last very long.
LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER SUMMARY
1:1 Baldwin sn 21012 9/1902 0-6-2ST
New - Standard Oil #2;
to Singer Manufacturing;
to TNVR 1925;
scrapped mid 1930s.
1:2 GE sn30425 9.1949 25T
New
- Singer Manufacturing, TNVR #1:2;
to Great Lakes Carbon Canada No#, 1/1976;
to SLC Carbon, Hickman, KY, 12/1992.
2 Montréal Locomotive Works sn 67209 1/1927 2-6-2
Acquired new;
to Lasalle Cole and Coke #3 (which became Montréal Coke & Manufacturing)
1/47.
3 Heisler sn 1577 4/1929 70T (B-B-B)
Acquired new; scrapped
1947.
4 General Electric sn 28485 12/1945 44T
Acquired new;
wrecked 10/58 at mile 49.5; frame to flatcar #3.
5 General Electric sn 28238 10/1946 70T
Acquired new;
to Canada & Gulf Terminal #101(355:2) in 7/49 in exchange for #8;
to Sidbec Feruni in 1977; scrapped 1983.
6 General Electric sn 29046 8/1947 25T
Acquired new; to Silcott,
Worthington, OH, 11/83;
to Timken #5706 1986.
7 General Electric sn 30179 6/1949 70T
Acquired new.
8 General Electric sn 29991 12/1948 44T
New - Canada & Gulf
Terminal #355:1;
to TNVR 7/49 for #5;
to Donohue Charlevoix 8/72;
wrecked and scrapped 1/1974.
9 General Electric sn 15027 11/1941 44T
New - NYNH&H #0805;
to Marquette Cement 9/53
to TNVR 3/59; scrapped 1971.
10 General Electric sn 28625 9/1946 50T
New - Singer Company
#1, (NJ);
to TNVR 4/60;
to Art Tommy, Wakefield, 10/88;
To Bytown Railway Society,
Ottawa, 9/00.
11 General Electric sn 30609 3/1950 70T
New - CN #29 (1529, 7803);
to TNVR 5/70.
12 General Electric sn 30616 5/1950 70T
New - CN #36 (1536, 7810);
to TNVR 5/70.
13:1 General Electric sn 31171 11/1951 70T
New - QNS&L #91;
to United Rly Supply #900, 12/69;
to TNVR #13:1 lease 7/73;
to Union Carbide, 1/74.
13:2 General Electric sn 28239 10/1946 70T
New - Saratoga &
Schuylerville #4;
to Claremont & Concord #11;
to Montpelier & Barre #23;
to Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington #23;
to NYCTA #13 (20009, 13);
to TNVR #13:2, 12/81;
to Port Stanley Terminal, 7/90.
53 Lima Shay 1956 5/1908 70T (B-B-B)
Leased from Haskell Lumber
1929-31.
NO# General Electric sn 30624 5/1950 70T
New - CN #26 (1526, 7800:2,
7818);
to TNVR for parts 5/70.
NO# Plymouth sn 2924 6/1928 DLB-6
New - National Cement;
to Shawinigan Engineering, 8/28;
to TNVR 5/33; scrapped c1950.
NO# Whitcomb sn 13053 6/1930
New - Shawinigan Engineering;
to TNVR 6/46; scrapped mid 1950s.
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