CNR 1941 Montreal Public Timetable Folder 'L'

The opening of the new extension of the REM (Réseau express métropolitain) to Deux Montagnes provided me with the inspiration to post this little 3 x 7 inch pocket folder showing the schedule over some of the same route 84 years ago. 

Through the work of intrepid videographers who have posted their experiences on YouTube, I have enjoyed a few virtual trips over the newly-opened line. I am an avid comment reader and people there noted that it takes about four years to work out all of the glitches occurring on a new branch of a modern automated system such as the REM. 

... I have observed cases where the REM line to Brossard had an understandable reliability problem. The failing was made much worse by simply not having enough trained people to communicate with stranded passengers ... and to support them in person so they didn't feel they were abandoned in a locked glass and metal box. Sometimes management drops the ball when these new systems begin service.

Even during weeks when I am pressed for time/energy, I try to provide a few illustrations because people often enjoy looking at historical images rather than just using their imaginations to re-animate a dry, old schedule which has been photocopied onto the internet.

In one CRHA article I reviewed, there were images from the 1970s showing tremendous, long trains carrying commuters pulled by a couple of electric 'haulers', heading for the Mount Royal Tunnel and Central Station. Mackenzie and Mann would be proud to see their old equipment travelling on their old, cleverly-conceived route into the heart of Montreal. 

... One might be tempted to post these photos and opine on how much [more] was done [more cheaply] with the skilled use of the old reliable technology. 

I suppose the appreciation of human history can lead one to an alternative conclusion - that there is always 'new stuff' which replaces familiar technology. The old technology functioned, and was supported by its operators, in a predictable way so there were generally no unprecedented surprises. 

However, the new technology often offers immediate advantages, and even greater possibilities in the future ... if only the casual observer could foresee the system's future operations with the insight of an expert.

When this timetable was issued, a German amphibious invasion of England had been prevented by the success of the defenders during the Battle of Britain (and 'the stopping power of water' - the English Channel). 

Germany's fatal error of invading the USSR in a surprise attack began on exactly the effective date of this timetable. 

A similarly ill-considered Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor was still a few months in the future.

The Battle of the Atlantic had not been going particularly well and the fatal weakening of Britain by U-boat destruction of food, materials, fuel and armaments was still a clear possibility.

... The people riding these trains probably had a lot to think about.

from: Report on Railway Terminal Facilities at Montreal; January 1929; Department of Railways and Canals.

On the map above, Bonaventure station is seen between St James and Notre Dame. The Tunnel Terminal appears near Windsor Street. This map of the CNR in Montreal was part of a 'Railways and Canals' government study to possibly develop a 'union station' for railway passenger service in Montreal.

For non-Montrealers, that new REM segment follows the route off the top left of the map through Roxboro.

For the purposes of the CNR, (according to Michael Leduc in Montreal Railway Terminals; 2008; Michael D Leduc Enr.) Bonaventure was "MONTREAL". Other terminals were identified by their names ... during the Canadian National Railways era.

The sharp-eyed will have noticed my map omits one pre-1950 terminal and that its CNR name is different from its 'familiar historical name' on the Folder's title page (above).

from: Montreal Then and Now; Bryan Demchinsky; 1985; The Gazette.

Things were so much better in the old days. People could go boating in railway yards. Before the construction of a levee on the St Lawrence to protect this part of the city, flooding was a regular occurrence - though not as bad as this extreme 1886 event. At the right, you can see the railway's freight sheds where boxcar contents were unloaded and transferred to wagons, perhaps sleds in winter, with draft horses providing motive power.

This was the first version of a Grand-Trunk-sized Bonaventure station. A new high-Victorian-style Bonaventure was built in 1887. These two photos are extra large so people can see historical details if they enjoy that kind of thing.

From somewhere within this scene was probably the original surveyor's stake which was the basis for all of today's mileage markers on the CNR Kingston Subdivision - although few current employees probably ponder this bit of historical trivia.

.

from: The Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore; Ron Brown; 1991; Broadview Press.

Here is the interior of the 1887 version of the Grand Trunk Bonaventure station. First Class, Pullman tickets and Telegrams. 

Used, undated postcard.

Here is Grand Trunk Bonaventure (looking timetable west), after a fire in 1916 which resulted in its being rebuilt without its elaborate Victorian exterior. The stained glass windows apparently survived the fire. By observing the central windows, you can confirm where the black and white interior photo was taken. 

In 1948, a fire in the extensive neighbouring freight sheds, damaged the station building and this ended the use of Bonaventure for all passenger trains. Central Station had been open since 1943 and most intercity traffic had already been moved there, with Bonaventure left to anchor the CNR West Island commuter service.

Here are the 1941 tables for Bonaventure.

*  *  *

Tunnel Terminal

Unused postcard.

Mackenzie and Mann's Canadian Northern MONTREAL terminal began operation when the war-delayed Mount Royal Tunnel was complete in 1918. 

With the almost immediate takeover by Canadian National Railways, this became known as Tunnel Terminal. And artists made ham-handed changes to the images on their postcards (see the station 'letterboard' above). The old Canadian Northern circular crests seem not to be altered here in the image, and the circular format was temporarily used to display 'Canadian National'.

from: Report on Railway Terminal Facilities at Montreal; January 1929; Department of Railways and Canals.

City Beautiful Urban Planners decried the hole opened up by this terminal and this 'scar' on the landscape persisted into the 1960s. 

Sadly for everyone, Mackenzie and Mann (and Sir Henry Thornton) had foreseen grand urban-centre developments over this hole, but none of these railway officers were around long enough, or were provided with the resources to carry out their plans.

Above, is a coarse-dithered 5-inch photo from the terminals report. At the left, you can see an electric locomotive and a couple of coaches. Two other sets of coaches are ready at other platforms, with boxcars on the express track to the right.

Here are the 1941 tables for Tunnel Terminal

Table 11 (above): St Catherine Street East Station

(aka Moreau Street)

from: Report on Railway Terminal Facilities at Montreal; January 1929; Department of Railways and Canals.

The green terminal under 'Ontario' marks the location of this station.

from: Report on Railway Terminal Facilities at Montreal; January 1929; Department of Railways and Canals.

Above: Another coarse-dithered 5-inch photo from the terminals report. Mackenzie and Mann obtained control of the Great Northern Railway of Canada in 1903 and this was its terminal. Presumably, this was the GNRC station known as MONTREAL. 

The Canadian Northern referred to it as the St Catherine Street East station. This was perhaps because it drew an attractive link to the main commercial street of Montreal. Or perhaps it was logical to use the St Catherine name if passengers were using the streetcar to reach the station.

Before the completion of the Mount Royal Tunnel, this was the terminal for Canadian Northern trains going to Ottawa and Toronto via Hawkesbury. Its use for trains to Joliette and Rawdon on the CNR ended in June 1945 when these routes were changed to terminate at Central Station.

Undated photo from article: A Historical Railway & Canal Atlas of Canada; CA Andreae; Canadian Rail, July 1980.

from: Google Maps

I believe the block once containing the Moreau St station is centred in the image above: Adam, Roy, St Catherine, Moreau. The former interchange connection between Moreau St and the CPR Hochelaga yard (just beyond the left margin) can be imagined.

GTR 1915 Public Timetable, West of Detroit & St Clair Rivers

 

A great amount of detail and the original continental strategy of the Grand Trunk are shown in this reprint by Railfare.

Portland-Montreal-Toronto-Sarnia

First, the Grand Trunk joined the principal cities in today's Quebec and Ontario with a year-round American seaport ... the cleverly-named Portland, Maine. These objectives were completed by construction and railway company acquisition.

... Next, the Grand Trunk worked to develop a connection to the prosperous, expanding American west. Chicago was developing into a key railroad hub.

Sarnia-Port Huron-Detroit

Grand Trunk railway car ferry service between Sarnia and Port Huron, Michigan began in 1859. A railway connection between Port Huron and Detroit was built and opened in 1859. 

The St Clair River Tunnel (Sarnia-Port Huron) was opened in 1891. 

Detroit-Chicago (via MCRR)

Following the Port Huron-Detroit routing, the Grand Trunk operated over the Michigan Central from Detroit westward to reach Chicago. 

Port Huron-Chicago ... GTR

The Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway was formed in 1880 to consolidate short lines and construct 34 miles west of Valparaiso, Indiana. This finally provided the Grand Trunk with its own access to Chicago.

from: Grand Trunk Western; Patrick C Dorin; 1977; Superior Publishing.

An eastbound Lehigh Valley train, with Grand Trunk motive power, pauses during its trip from Chicago to New York. 

Today this building can be seen at 175 Main Street, Battle Creek.

The photo was taken circa 1915.

Probably using a pre-positioned, large-format camera to photograph the slowly moving train (bell ringing), 

the photographer was probably stuck with that unfavourable (but interesting) reflection of the sun on the 1032's shiny sheet metal.

Built in 1908 by Baldwin, the engine was renumbered 1621 by the CNR and scrapped in 1935.

from: Railroad History 148, Autumn 1982; ed: Robert C Post; Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.

No date or location is recorded for this photo.

Built by the Grand Trunk in 1911, the engine was renumbered 5579 by the CNR and scrapped in 1960.

In 1866, Seventh-day Adventists set up the Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan. The leaders of this clinic supported the medical education of young parishioner John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943). In 1876, Kellogg became the clinic's medical director and changed its name to Battle Creek Medical and Surgical Sanitarium. 

Diet, exercise and other techniques were intended to improve and maintain the health of patients. Hundreds of patients would pass through the place in the course of a year. WK Kellogg (1860-1951 ... Dr Kellogg's brother) handled the finances and the doctor's spouse Ella Eaton (1853-1920) was a dietician who was put in charge of the institution's kitchen.

In the course of experimenting with grain and nut products (especially to avoid eating meat) they came upon a preparation method which yielded flakes ... and a patent for the process ... in 1895.

WK Kellogg started the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1906. 

A former patient CW Post (1854-1914) came up with a grain-based coffee substitute (Postum) and Grape Nuts cereal ... which is, of course, made up of neither grapes nor nuts.

There followed a great cereal boom in the Sanitarium City ... or Cereal City ... as it became known. Dozens of companies sought to cash in on the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal boom and established themselves in the cereal techno-hub of Battle Creek. 

Circa 1960, my knowledge of geographical place names was linked to the homes of family members: Lachine, Lachute and Lac Saguay ... Quebec. There was one exception. Huckleberry Hound was often sponsored by "Kellogg's of Battle Creek, Michigan". 

It was the tradition, implied trust and reliability, and community connection with Cereal City, which caused Kellogg's advertising to make Battle Creek a household name - even for pre-schoolers.

GTR 1918 Schedule ('labour contract') for Engineers & Firemen

 

This interesting document describes the working conditions for wartime engine crews over a century ago. Unlike typical collective agreements, it is not issued over the signatures of representatives for both management and labour. 

A note on the title page mentions the United States Railroad Administration. This is a bit of a mystery to me. The USRA was set up in 1917 to efficiently coordinate the war effort of the very numerous and geographically diverse American railroads. 

... However, the wartime (in Canada: 1914-1918) Canadian labour agreements between the Grand Trunk and the BLE and BLF would have been negotiated through their pre-existing arrangements. It is possible that the GTR agreed to employ the American 'schedule' for the sake of ensuring labour peace. It was a tumultuous period in Canadian railway history. 

A bit of historical background follows ... 

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers was founded in Detroit in 1863 and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen began in 1873 in Port Jervis, New York. These fraternal organizations initially offered mutual life and disability insurance for members ... during a period when government social programs for workers did not exist.

With the BLE present in Canada in 1865, the next logical step was for it to begin negotiating better working conditions for its members. 

In 1875, an economic depression was occurring and Grand Trunk Railway management implemented comprehensive cost cutting measures. It laid off over 600 employees and put in place significant cuts in pay. The BLE called a strike on 29 December 1876 which lasted for 4 days. The government of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie declined to intervene. 

At this point, the BLE had the full attention of the Grand Trunk. Among other conditions required to call off the strike, the BLE proposed a two-tiered wage schedule for engineers ... with less-senior employees receiving lower pay. Presumably, this resulted in some preservation of pay levels for the more senior employees. 

Why might the union have suggested a two-tiered pay structure? There was probably no arrangement for railway pensions in this era, so senior workers probably worked until they became disabled for continued employment, or died ... or they depended on their extended families, or their own life savings after their careers ended. 

Unlike two-tiered pay scales advocated by corporations today ... which are intended to permanently eliminate the higher rate through senior worker attrition ... the union may have expected the lower paid workers would later regain the higher wage level after the economic slump had ended.

With the conclusion of the strike in 1877, the BLE had achieved the first union contract in Canada for railway workers. The BLF followed the BLE into Canada after this successful negotiation.

*  *  *

Forty years later ... With the Grand Trunk's absentee (UK-based) board of directors and its ill-fated Grant Trunk Pacific Railway expansion ... the stage was being set for it to default on its Government of Canada loans in 1919. 

In Canada, this was happening during a period of significant labour discontent ... as the financial and social disruption of the Great War overshadowed the preservation or advancement of worker compensation and protections in Canada.

Of coincidental historical interest ... is the fact that the publication date is exactly one week before the beginning of Canada's famous Last Hundred Days offensive of the Great War.

*  *  *

At $00.0549 cents per mile in 1918 ...

an engineer would be paid $1.0431 per mile in 2025 dollars.

... or $104.31 (mileage calculation only) for a standard 8 hour/100 mile day in 2025 dollars.

At the top rate of $187 per month in 1918, an engineer would earn ...

$3553 per month, or $42,636 per year in 2025 dollars.

I'm guessing that passenger and mixed service on these secondary lines

often involved slow running and a lot of stops and switching en route.

... Paying a monthly rate eliminated the many compensation calculations provided for in this booklet.

While minute-by-minute crew supervision would be easy for mainline trains ...

the monthly rate probably eliminated a lot of management time and energy watching employees 

and/or later dealing with pay disputes 

(eg. how many switching moves had been made at a remote location on a given date).

Unused, undated postcard.

from: Railroad History, Autumn 1982; ed: Robert C Post; Railway & Historical Society.

GTR engine 113 at Lewiston, Maine in 1912 ... on the line to Portland, Maine.

Built by Baldwin in 1912.

Later CNR 5043 (1923), scrapped 1961. 

With a safety valve lifted, the fireman refills the tender.

from: Railroad History, Autumn 1982; ed: Robert C Post; Railway & Historical Society.

GTR engine 715 - date and location unknown.

Built by Alco in 1907.

Later CNR 2573 (1923), scrapped 1958. 

The fireman refills the tender as the engineer inspects the running gear.

Both Engine 113 and Engine 715 seem to have non-electric headlights.

(extra work for the engineer ... Clause 17, below)

To make this table less intimidating, just remember that the 'standard day' is 8 hours = 100 miles.

Everything else flows from that basic equivalence. 

from: Bulletin No 25, May 1931; ed: Charles E Fisher; Railway & Historical Society.

... later CNR 49.

Donated to the CRHA in 1960.