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| Railway Bell,located at the Ferryland Museum |
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The new branchelines, although popular in the older areas of settlement which
they were to serve, did not open new areas or encourage new industries of note. The
longest, at 104 miles, the Trepassey branch was constructed 1911-13, providing a rail connection to St. John's from Trepassey
on the east coast of Southern Shore.
Isn't it amazing how long the shadows of our past can last?
Sir Michael
Cashin represented Ferryland district from 1893 until 1923, when he was forced to resign owing to ill health. It was through
the help of Sir Michael Cashin that the railroad to Trepassey was brought about,Sir Michael Cashin turned the first sod of
the Trepassey branch line at Waterford Bridge on May 12th, 1911.
The railway was a great help to economy of the southern
shore during the building and operation of the railroad.
On the 3rd day December 1911 the road was opened and the
rails were laid to 3 miles inside of Ferryland, when the work on the road closed until the spring 1912. Late 1912 the road
was opened to Trepassey.
The Railroad came thru many communities along the coast such as Cape Broyle and Mobile.This
endevor was and is the first and only railroad to Trepassey.The Reid Nfld Railway finished the railroad to Trepassey in 1912,
but the railway was not open for freight or passenger service until 1913. From 1913 until the late 1920s operations on the
railway carried on good,but in 1931 the railroad closed for good. The rails were taken up in 1933.
and from 1933 -
2007 no info or surveying of this line was ever made public,so this is where we come in,enjoy the site folks,this is the only
Full Website on the internet showing how this railway was built and maintained,and how it looks today,after 70+ years since
this branch line was abandoned
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