HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM!!!

RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM
THE RAILWAY COASTAL
MUSEUM!!!
Can it really be 2014 already? Where
has the past year gone? And where
have the HOLIDAYS gone for that matter?
January is supposed to be all about fresh
starts and beginnings, exciting new goals
and ambitions, and making the new year
better than the last, but often it seems
like a trial just to drag your party-weary
body, stuffed full of turkey and Christmas
cookies, out into the snow to get back
into the old routine. What could be more
sobering than un-decking the halls and
taking down all those decorations that
were so excitedly hung just weeks
before? And doing it in the dark, no less!
Fear not! We may have had an exciting
2013 here at the RCM, but we are
confident that 2014 will be even better!
And we think we may be just the ones to
help you conquer those New Year’s
Resolutions.
Read on to find out how…
Keep toasty,
The RCM Staff
Volume #56 – January, 2014
Here are some
Tricky Train Trivia Teasers
to get your brain warmed up this January!
1. The first steam locomotive began running in what
century?
2. What train car typically held offices and sleeping
quarters for the train crew?
3. The Reverend W. Awdry wrote about what famous
train?
4. My job was to patrol up to 8-10 miles of track. Who
am I?
5. The Newfoundland Railway may have been
nicknamed the Newfie Bullet, but if I am riding the
‘Bullet train’ I am in what country?
6. What country is home to the world’s longest railway?
7. What city boasted the world’s first passenger railway
system?
8. Where would you find the world’s longest railroad
bridge?
(Flip to the last page to see how you did!)
Railway Coastal Museum | 495 Water St., St. John’s, Newfoundland | phone 709-724-5929 | www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca
RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2014
Let the Newfoundland winter begin…
We have already had a few rough winter days in St.
John’s this season- planes have been grounded, cars
have been slipping and sliding, and buses have been
delayed. Hopefully everyone has armed themselves
appropriately with snow tires and emergency shovelsbut how did our province’s harsh winters affect
transportation in the past?
According to Wiki Answers, St. John’s is the windiest
and foggiest city in Canada. Combine this with heavy
winter snowfall and unpredictable temperature
fluctuations, and it is no surprise that operating the
Railroad and Coastal Boat services in Newfoundland
and Labrador was not only a daunting job, but a
dangerous one. Constant vigilance was required of the
crew. Train routes could be blocked by snow, roadbeds
washed out by torrential precipitation and overflowing
rivers due to pendulum temperatures, and Coastal
Boat routes blocked by thick fog, ice conditions,
unexpected gales and changing tides. Train and Boat
passengers both were often marooned for days at a
time, and certainly were not put up in the nearest
Holiday Inn like waylaid travelers are today.
One section of the cross-province railway was
particularly notorious for difficult weather. The Gaff
Topsails, between Millertown and Kitty’s Brook, was
the highest section of track, and was barren with steep
grades. A path cut through the snow with walls 10-12
feet high could easily be filled within a few hours. In
1899, the Gaff Topsails were impenetrable for the
entire winter, prompting the Reid Company to
purchase the first of three rotary plows in 1904 (see
above right).
Pictured above: the rotary plow purchased by the Reid
Company in 1904. These plows were vastly superior to
the older ‘push plows’, but required two locomotives
to push them, extra water, coal, cook and bunk cars,
and crew in order to run.
Below, our model train emerges safely from the
treacherous Gaff Topsails. The model version of this
dangerous section of track cannot possibly match the
unpredictable, heavy weather conditions that the
real-life road crew had to deal with during the winter.
Despite the constant challenge of hazardous weather
conditions, the crews of the Newfoundland Railway
and Coastal Boat services struggled to provide a safe
and reliable service to the people of the province, who
so desperately needed it; they were largely- and
impressively- successful in doing so. At the time of
Confederation, after 60 years of Coastal Boat sailing,
only two lives had been lost to the frigid waters of the
North Atlantic.
Railway Coastal Museum | 495 Water St., St. John’s, Newfoundland | phone 709-724-5929 | www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca
—
RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2014
Let us help you make your New Year’s Resolutions come true!
In 2014, I promise to…
In 2014, I promise to…
learn something new.
spend more time with the kids.
And why not make it the rich history of our beautiful
province? Through our 42 themed exhibits, learn about the
men and women who worked hard to bring the Railway and
Coastal Boat services to Newfoundland and Labrador, as
well as the way that these services helped shape the social
and economic development of our home. Step back in time
and check out our life-sized train diorama, representative of
a train in the 1940s, and the station itself in which we are
located, built in 1903.
The RCM is a great place to do it. Your kids will learn
through interactive play with our model train and Thomas and
Chuggington play tables, as well as real artifacts they can touch!
Little Toot Tuesday begins again this month- that’s an afternoon of
fun every week at 2:00 for your little train enthusiast! For just the
regular price of admission, come on down for puppet shows, stories,
crafts and games! You may also want to consider a Little Toot
Membership; these memberships offer unlimited
visits for the year, including access to Little Toot
Tuesday and all Little Toot Special Events, as well
as 10% off in our gift shop!
In 2014, I promise to…
start a new hobby.
In 2014, I promise to…
Maybe model railroading is your next big thing? Come
down and check out our impressive model train- 11 by
16 feet- and get an idea of what a trip across the
province would have looked like, from St. John’s to
Port aux Basques.
be more social.
Book your next social event at the RCM! We offer sit down dinners for up
to 80 people, as well as standing cocktail receptions for up to 200. We
also do children’s birthday parties, complete with puppet shows, cake,
pizza, invitations, decorations, a treat for your loot bags, engineer party
hats, and a year-long membership and t-shirt for the birthday child!
In 2014, I promise to…
spoil one another.
In 2014, I promise to…
read more.
Our gift shop’s book section
houses everything from historical
books on the Railway and
Coastal Boats, to books by local
authors, to children’s books.
Visit our gift shop to see beautiful jewelry for both men and women.
We carry Latvian Amber pieces, as well as Labradorite, Vintage
Reproduction, and STEELX’s stainless steel, tarnish-free,
hypoallergenic line. Gorgeous pieces for every price range. Turn the
page to see this month’s gift shop specials.
Railway Coastal Museum | 495 Water St., St. John’s, Newfoundland | phone 709-724-5929 | www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca
RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2014
Shopper’s
Corner!
Fun for Little Toots!
The Chugger of the Month is…
Mtambo.
Spend $20.00 on any Chugginton
merchandise (that is trains, tracks,
books, etc.) and receive a free
WHATEVER HIS NAME IS train with your
purchase. These Chugger of the Month
deals are a great way to build your
Chugginton collection.

3. Thomas the Tank Engine! 4. The Section Man! 5. Japan 6. Russia; the Trans-Siberian Railway is 9259 km long!
Railway Coastal Museum | 495 Water St., St. John’s, Newfoundland | phone 709-724-5929 | www.railwaycoastalmuseum.ca
8. In China; the Wuhu Yandtze Bridge is over 6 miles long!
Speaking of doing more reading in
the new year… try out local author
Heather Smith’s new book, Bay
Girl. Described as “captivating”,
“real”, “gritty” and “honest”, Bay
Girl tells the story of 16-year-oldKit, who is forced to move with her
alcoholic father and family from
their rural Newfoundland
hometown to the big city.
7. London, England
1. The 19th century! 2. The caboose! With more automation and less crew cabooses are often not needed anymore.
Book Feature