This book is designed to give the reader a brief history of the Newfoundland Railway, particularly the period from the 1930s up to the 1980s. It outlines some of the trials and tribulations encountered by the Railwaymen. It tells of men who carried on through the hard, sad and happy times; it is a tribute to the warmth, humour and vitality of a people whose lives have formed a rich and vital chapter in the history of the Newfoundland Railway. It is not a complete story. To tell that I am sure would fill many books.
The author has been faced with the problem of having to write an account that will provide the reader with a mental picture of how the Railwaymen struggled to perform their allotted day by day tasks, in both land and sea operations of the Railway service.
Some of the dates of operations, accidents, collisions and derailments quoted in this book are approximations, the result of data from archives, newspapers and oral sources, which may not be quite accurate.
The fact that no women figure prominantly in these stories is not the result of bias, but reflects the work tradition of the early days of railroading when such work was considered "men's work". Attitudes have changed in recent years and today - where trains still run in Canada - women are employed as train persons, both in road and yard service.
All Prices are in Canadian Dollars
