Nova Scotia Archives

Archibald MacMechan

Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

Report with photographs: "The Restoration of the Canadian Government Railway Property at Halifax”

2 pages : 30 x 40 cm.

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The Restoration of the Canadian Government Railways Property at Halifax.

The restoration work at Halifax is being carried on under the general direction of C. B. Brown, Assistant General Manager, and Chief Engineer, Canadian Government Railways, at Moncton; W. A. Duff, Assistant Chief Engineer, and Engineer of Bridges, being in direct charge at Halifax, with office at 137 Barrington Street, C. H. Edgett, being Purchasing Agent and F. M. MacLennan, Auditor. Mr. Duff was at Halifax when the explosion occurred and acted most promptly. Telegraph connection being destroyed, he motored to the nearest station from which he could telegraph, and made a most graphic and correct report of the extent of the damage to General Manager Hayes at Moncton, detailed relief, etc., required and enabling prompt action to be taken to rush special trains with doctors, nurses, supplies, etc. Very full particulars as to the railway property were given in Canadian Railway and Marine World for January. We have since been favored with the following particulars of the reconstruction work done up to Jan. 18:-

At North St. station temporary repairs have been carried on both inside and outside of building. The stairs leading to the station have been repaired and are in service. The linen room and express offices have been made water tight. An awning for the concourse has been erected, and wil lbe (will be) covered with rubberoid as soon as work in front of building is completed. The North St. power house roof has been completed, and a boiler put in place and bricked in.

New pier 2: The reparis are about 85% complete. All doors upstairs are in place and glazed. All doors on the south side downstairs are in place and being glazed. Sixteen pairs of doors are in place no (on) the north side. Practically all the branch return pipes have been installed, and the work is still proceeding. All mains, returns, connection and traps will be installed as soon as received. Doors for the north side are being straightened and repair. The pier and shed have been in service since Dec. 26.

Pier 3.--Seventeen trusses on the north side have been repaired and repairs were made to side of shed, where necessary. About 200 ft. of track for doors on the north side have been removed, straightened, and replaced. The work is about 75% complete.

Pier 4.--The wreckage from roof and sides of shed has been cleared away. The floor of the annex has been taken up, so that piles can be driven. Stringers and a plank on north side of pier are being finished so that track can be used. The shed is being rebuilt and is about 25% complete.

Pier 9, Richmond.--The debris has been cleared away and also debris on tracks leading to the pier and the pier is now in shape to be used as open pier.

The deepwater local freight shred has been repaired.

Grain Elevator. -- Temporary repairs are finished. The elevator has been boarded in on the north side and covered with rubberoid finished, and repairs are now being made to the roof on the east side of the building. It has been in use since Dec. 24 and the permanent repairs are about 60% completed. The boiler house building in completed and the boiler put in place and bricked in. The carpenter shop building is boarded in and roof covered with rubberoid, and work is proceeding on the interior of the building.

At Richmond the debris has been cleared away from about 85% of the tracks in the yard and they are being put into service as fast as repairs can be made to them. The water tank at Richmond has been temporarily repaired and has been in service since Dec. 9. All Hudson Bay timber has been loaded and shipped to the south terminals. Pier 9 and three tracks in connection with it has been cleared, and can be used at any time for handling deals, or any other cargo which does not require shed space. The water tang has been temporarily repairs and is giving good service. The sugar refinery site is being cleared.

At Willow Park temporary repairs have been made to 18 stalls in the locomotive house and temporary repairs are being made to 6 additional stalls. The

[photo caption in middle of page]
Halifax Disaster--North Street Station, Canadian Government Railways.

The graphic description of the damage done to the Canadian Government Railways property at Halifax by the explosion on Dec. 6, by F. B. Tapley, Assistant Engineer of Maintenance, C.G.R., published in Canadian Railway and Marine World for January, has evoked considerable favourable comment. We were the only able to show the exterior of the station before the explosion. The views given above were taken some time after the train shed roof had collapsed and when traffic had been resumed. The upper left hand one is looking into the train shed from the track entrance. The upper right hand one shows the train shed minus the roof, from the outside. The two lower views show the interior of the shed.


Halifax Disaster Special Train Service on the Canadian Government Railway.

Reference: Archibald MacMechan Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 2124 number 8

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