tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post5734651652083594861..comments2024-03-28T18:27:30.570-04:00Comments on Hedley Junction: CP Stanbridge Subdivision - Railfanning & Layout IdeasMatthieu Lachancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-38203235937990854232019-07-21T14:41:10.639-04:002019-07-21T14:41:10.639-04:00Hi Matthieu,
Some background information for you ...Hi Matthieu,<br /><br />Some background information for you about Stanbridge Station. I<br />have been interested in the railways in the Bedford, Stanbridge<br />Station, Philipsburg area since I was small (I'm now 75!!) but I<br />am no expert.<br /><br />I come at it out of an interest in the Philipsburg Junction<br />Railway that ran from the Quarry and the Government Pier at<br />Philipsburg to meet both the CP and CV at Stanbridge Station. My<br />mother was raised in Philipsburg and my Grandfather and his<br />brother worked for the marble quarry. My interest is/was more<br />towards the steam era.<br /><br />Some of the PJRR track around the Quarry was still in place when<br />I was small but most disappeared when the line was closed about<br />1939.<br /><br />The Central Vermont line through St-Armand and Stanbridge Station<br />to St-Jean ceased operation about 1958 and the track was raised<br />soon after. The station in St-Armand remains as the town hall. I<br />vaguely remember a ride on a CV passenger train about 1955 from<br />Montreal to Stanbridge Station in wooden non-airconditioned<br />passenger cars.<br /><br />So while you look at Stanbridge Station as "End of Steel", it<br />actually has a history as a one time active. although maybe not<br />vibrant, railway junction. <br /><br />By the time I did a little investigation in 1970, the traffic on<br />the remaining CP line to Stanbridge Station was non-existent.<br />Maybe an occasional LCL boxcar. The traffic from the Greymont<br />quarries and Levesque's Mill continued to provide some traffic<br />but this gradually lost out to trucking. Recently the Federal<br />dept of Transport condemned the line to Bedford as unsafe. At<br />many level crossings, while the cross bucks and signal equipment<br />remain, the tracks have been asphalted over. I expect that soon,<br />the scrap metal value of the rails will be recognized and they<br />will disappear.<br /><br />There is, in issue 310, November 1977 of Canadian Rail (CHRA)<br />magazine, a bit of history of the PJRR and it includes a plan of<br />the interlocking trackage at Stanbridge Station linking the three<br />railways. It has a Photo fo a CP D4g 4-6-0 with a 2 car passenger<br />local ready to depart the "Union" station at Stanbridge Station.<br />Unfortunately, no diesel information in the article. <br /><br />On the back flyleaf of Derek Booths book "Railways of Southern<br />Quebec Volume 2" there is a photograph of the Central Vermont<br />station at Stanbridge Station with a 4-4-0 locomotive of the<br />Philipsburg Junction railway. circa 1920.<br /><br />Issue 405, April 1988 has historical information on the CP at<br />Mystic, Quebec, just north of Bedford. I have not done a search<br />on Bedford. There may be more information available.<br /><br />I have some photos of the Bedford station taken in 1970. It was<br />pretty dilapidated at that time. If you are interested, I could<br />dig them out and scan them. They are not great but give a general<br />impression of the area.<br /><br />I enjoy your blogs. Good luck with your project.<br /><br />John Surridge<br />jsarchphotos at gmail dot com<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-36317290936562714372019-07-03T20:50:09.667-04:002019-07-03T20:50:09.667-04:00Thanks a lot for these information, extremely help...Thanks a lot for these information, extremely helpful! I didn't know Bedford Station survived for so long. I've see aerial photographs in Quebec National Archives that show long cuts of CP Rail triple bay hoppers at Bedford Quarry (Graymont). The lime plant wasn't yet built and it seems the stone was simply quarriede and shipped raw.Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-13219517073511056912019-07-03T11:31:37.628-04:002019-07-03T11:31:37.628-04:00Hi,
Check this one from fmnut on YouTube: https:/...Hi,<br /><br />Check this one from fmnut on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fg0J8_6hak<br />At 11:20, you’ll see a train back from Bedford with an RS18U Leading a short 5 Hopper Cars consist with a caboose. Caboose were in the 434900 International Service Series. Also look at the other excellent videos from fmnut. I’ve also seen High Nose RS18 at the same spot, in front of Farnham station.<br />Of interest, there’s also a wooden trestle over a small creek at Mystic, a short walk south from Chemin Walbridge.<br /><br />From Tell-Tale Productions, on DVD; Rails Along the River 3: Richford to the Richelieu (TT-033), you’ll see the Bedford Station still standing behind an MMA GE doing business work at the mill.<br /><br />Hope this will help.<br />PDion<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14536190219940186791noreply@blogger.com