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Caption: NARROW GAUGE FIRE PATROL - Now travelling westward 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 continued to shoot some amazing narrow gauge images. On the final day of his four day whirlwind trip while enroute to the Port aux Basques ferry, he takes advantage of an unidentified stop or meet somewhere on either the Bishops Falls or Port aux Basques subdivision to capture two speeders of the Fire Patrol. The yellow M-9 speeder and the newer red M-14 were a vital part of protecting the huge stands of forests from Terra Nova to South Branch by both Bowaters and the AND Company pulpwood mills. The Fire Patrol was assigned to follow both the east and westbound passenger trains between the two aforementioned towns on the route, approximately 350 miles apart. Within minutes, he will resume his journey on CN Train No. 101, the westbound 'Caribou' and continue on to Port Aux Basques for the 'MV William Carson' ferry connection to North Sydney that night. More of John Freyseng's 1967 photos can be seen in my TRAINS OF NEWFOUNDLAND, from Flanker Press in both hard and softcover editions.
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What a great photo. The greyish box with the canvas strap sitting on the floor in front of the folded down seat is a portable telephone. It was used to contact the Train Dispatcher, using a length of cloth covered twisted wire with alligator clips on the ends it was connect to the open copper pair of line wires on the pole line to contact the Train Dispatcher. The “Dispatchers Pair” on each Subdivision was identified on the back pages of the Employee Timetable. I also see a steel lunch bucket on the floor and the hand crank properly stored on the side of the engine compartment.
Wow! That is a fabulous photo! Classic Fairmont M9 and M14 track motor cars!
The M9 2-man inspection car was popular with signal maintainers and track supervisors (Roadmasters). Having an empty weight of 540 lbs., and a lift weight (from the rear) of 98 lbs. using the patented Fairmont sliding lift handles, this car was easy to turn, or remove from the track by one man. It has the standard wheel fenders, side exhaust, and air cleaner. Optional equipment featured on this car are the narrow canvas front windscreen with windows, side seats, magneto, lights, and rail sweeps.
The M14 section car (4-6 man capacity) weighs in at 775 lbs. and has a lift weight (from the rear) with the extended lift handles of 112 lbs. This car is nicely equipped also with optional wide aluminum windscreen with windows, cab top, single windshield wiper, generator, lights, and rail sweeps.
The older M9 still wears the standard yellow paint it was delivered in while the newer M14 sports the red/orange Work Equipment colour used on Newfoundland equipment at the time. This paint colour was later standardized to CN Orange # 12 spec. 470-9N as on mainland Work Equipment machines.
Nice to see the original CN 3-digit Work Equipment numbering system on the orange M14.
I think my ears just started ringing in remembrance of many hours running along the track in these ‘one-lungers’.
Don’t what motivated me to take this picture, but am very glad I did. Maybe it was the fact that that I had never seen “narrow guage” track speeders. Thanks to Ken Pieroway for cleaning up the slide, researching and digging up the interesting information on these two speeders, their use & where the picture might have been taken and for posting the picture. And thanks to Terry for his information and detail description, took me awhile to find the crank ! John
Paul, while I was composing my message, you were posting yours. Thank you for this additional information. I am laughing about your “one longer” comment. Used to watch at Oriole track gang dragging their speeder on to the track, cranking it up and all the blue exhaust billowing out as the “one lunger” came to life. Thanks for the memory.
Thank you all Gentlemen! I must give credit to my friends J.P. Coady and Peter Byrne for their invaluable assistance with the research.