Caption: BRANCHLINE AT BRIGUS - 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. While waiting for CN Train No. 212, the Carbonear Mixed to arrive, he photographs a lone outside braced boxcar on the siding adjacent to the station at historic Brigus on June 22, 1967. John's keen eye also captured the unique two story station design seen here and at dozens of other communities along not only this and the other branchlines but also the mainline. The color scheme of cream with green trim was left over from the pre-confederation days of General Manager Herbert J. Russell's tenure as by now most were being repainted grey and the freight sheds red. Founded in 1612, Brigus was the birthplace of famed artic mariner and explorer Captain Robert Bartlett and his still standing home, Hawthorne Cottage, has been declared a National Historic Site. John would continue to chase and photograph this train until arrival at Brigus Junction and the mainline where he would board and experience the ride for himself as far as Holyrood. With the station demolished since 1972, this site now consists of a major storyboard featuring a James A. Brown image taken moments after this one of the Carbonear mixed arriving at Brigus. More of 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 in September 2022
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I can only imagine how fantastic this trip was. And maybe the horror of not having enough film on hand. ( This sequence of shots have been just incredible.