Huntingdon Mixed train
- From: Rob Kirkham <rdkirkham@xxxxxxx>
- To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 22:50:15 -0700
Thanks for posting this interesting information Fred. it has spurred me to
do a bit of a trip through history with the Huntingdon train, as follows:
You got me looking at some older public timetables this evening. The Folder
A timetable for April 10, 1907 includes trains 3 and 4 - nothing like what
they were later to be known as. These trains ran from Vancouver to Mission
Junction, then south through Sumas from which they apparently continued
south through Seattle, Portland and finally San Francisco. They were
equipped with first and second class coaches and a parlor car from Vancouver
to Seattle. Not sure what the consist was suposed to be further south.
From the timetable, I can draw no details about which railway's crew were on
it where, and no info re who supplied the rolling stock. The Northern
Pacific is not mentioned in the timetable that I can see.
A Nov. 1908 employee timetable shows trains 307/308 Vnacouver to Mission
Junction on the "Cascade Section" timetable, and the same trains from
Mission Jct. to Sumas Junction on the Mission Branch timetable. There are
no notes describing who's equipment or crews are on the trains. Of
interest, a "General Notice" in the timetable provides that trains 96 will
wait 1 hour for No.307, and No.308 will wait one hour for No.97. This is
interesting as 96 is due at Mission at 16:56, leaving at 17:08, and 307 is
to leave Mission at 17:08. Likewise, 308 is due at Mission at 10:43, and 97
is to leave Mission at 10:53. I guess this indicates either the cars from
the trains were combined or the passengers moved from one train to another.
The timetable doesn't say (at least that I have noted).
A Jan. 1 supplement to the 1909 employee timetable shows no change.
The Aug. 1910 employee timetable shows two Vancouver to Mission Junction and
return trains - the 407/408 and the 411/412. The Mission Sub timetable
shows trains 407/408 and 413/414 to Sumas Jct. Why the number change I
don't understand. The general notice for meets at Mission with othe
mainline trains is not found by this date.
In June 1916, the folder A public timetable shows the train, now 724/723 now
terminated at Seatle. It ran daily, leaving Vancouver at 6:00, through
Westminster Junction (now Coquitlam in railway parlance and Port Coquitlam
to the locals) at 6:35, and arriving at Mission at 7:30. It then headed
south from Mission at 8:05, and arriving at Seattle at 14:15. There is a
mysterious note indicating an arrival at Bellingham at 21:10, which suggests
an alternate route for Bellingham passengers. The Seattle train would leave
at 9:45 and arrive in Vancouver at 18:20. Of interest, the schedule also
shows train 812 leaving Vancouver at 6:00, but then separated by a line
above Westminster Junction, where it is shown as leaving at 7:25 down to New
Westminster at 7:50. I read this as indicating the two trains travelled to
Westminster junction together. No info re consists here - and really no
reasons for anything but coaches and head end cars. Looking at the
transcontinetal schedule (which now includes the more familiar trains
1,2,3,4,13,14, plus the 703 and 704), the 723 and 724 arrived and departed
Vancouver as a separate train.
The June 1917 public timetable again shows the 723/724 as trains with
connections to San Francisco. it indicates that it is Canadian Pacific to
Mission, Northern Pacific from Matsqui to Seattle, with NP, GN and OWR&N
connections to the Southern Pacific at Portland, and hence on to the City by
the Bay (Churchill?). So your contact has interesting info with his 1918
timetable describing the trains by the new numbers 809/810.
In January 1920, it is again the 810/809, shown as a train from Mission to
Huntingdon. The Vancouver to Seattle/Portland.San Francisco route is now
apparently abandoned (except be steam ship) to the GN to Seattle. From
there passengers connect to either the GN, NP or OWR&N options for the
Seattle to Portland leg, and then SP into Frisco.
In Nov.1923 and Aug 1927, nothing has changed. The Vancouver to Seattle
trip continues to be provided by the GNR (in 1923 a parlor car on the day
train, a standard sleeper on the night train. By 1927, additional standard
sleepers). Consists for the trip from Seattle are provided for each of the
alternative railways on that route, as for the SP route to San Franscisco.
In Sept. 1934, the 809/810 are still running as usual - Vancouver to
Huntingdon, with a 45 minute stop in Mission. The departure and arival
times continue to not coincide with other trains (as far as I can tell).
The trip to San Franscisco - now so distant a memory for this train and so
not really worth continuing to describe - continues with CPR steamer or GNR
rail service to Seattle, and now shows "joint lines" Seatle to Portland,
with Southern Pacific lines south. The timetable now include 4 trains north
and south daily, with the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, running name
trains "West Coast", "Cascade", "Klamath", "Shasta" and "Summer Cascade".
In June 1938, and Feb 1939, little has changed, though one of the US name
trains is now called the "Oregonan" (replacing Shasta). Again, no
meaningful change in April 1940, or April 1941 (though I notice a new train,
the "Beaver"). A 1939 and April 1948 employee timetables shows The
Huntingdon Mixed, Nos 809/810 from Vancouver to Mission and south to
Huntingdon daily except Sunday. Again, it has separate start and arrival
times from all other trains listed.
etc, etc. Its late and so I think I'll quit this list.
I note no reference in the public timetables to train No.710 - the train
number that Gib Kennedy notes in his photo dated c.1930. As I lack a
timetable for that year, I cannot confirm whether this is a mistake or
another train. The Aug 1927 timetebale shows a MacTier to Toronto train
with that number. While I have not found that train number in the 1934
timetable, I may simply have missed it. Certainly trains in proximate
number series continue to be in Ontario, which is a concern.
Regards,
Rob Kirkham
Other related posts:
