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Caption: CARIBOU CROSSING - Travelling with four University of Toronto friends - including the late James A. Brown - to celebrate Canada's Centennial by riding Newfoundland's endangered passenger train 'Caribou', John Freyseng of Ontario was able to capture some amazing narrow gauge images. Here he photographs CN Train No. 102, the eastbound Caribou with NF210's 919 and 911 about to cross one of the 131 bridges at Bear Cove, just an hour into its 22-hour, 547 mile journey to the provincial capital of St. John's. Besides the two units, this train had a steam generator unit, express boxcar, baggage, cafe car, four coaches, diner and four sleepers. During World War two, engines crossing Bear Cove Bridge, had to extinguish their lights for fear that U-Boats patrolling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence might torpedo the abutments, thus shutting down the mainline. Just two years later on July 2, 1969, the Caribou would cross this bridge for the last time. This and other 1967 John Freyseng photos can be seen in my upcoming TRAINS OF NEWFOUNDLAND, to be released by Flanker Press in both hard and softcover editions on September 9, 2022.
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Outstanding!
sdfourty
Interesting to see on google maps that there was a subsequent realignment between the time this photo was taken and abandonment, unless the Newfoundland T’Railway organization made that modification after the rails were lifted.
A major storm on October 20, 1974 struck the area and damaged the bridge and washed out several hundred feet of track near Cape Smokey. Work crews were forced to relocate the right of way much further inland to avoid any future storm damage and erosion.
Such awesome Canadian scenes, just recently, Banff in winter and now this, perfect summer day on the Caribou.
Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome! However the credit must go to my friend John Freyseng for taking the time to travel all the way to Newfoundland and capturing what he did so beautifully over those four days in 1967.
Thank you all for your comments, I feel so fortunate to have travelled to Newfoundland in June 1967. Had just started new employment in March, and managed to persuade my employer to allow me a week’ vacation for this trip even though I had only been on the job for just 3 months, John