MRC No. 1 "Midland".

[stem]

Andrew submitted this photo before Jim submitted his roster.

It would now appear there is photographic evidence that in fact, MRC No. 1 was named "Midland", at least in the very early years. I wonder if this locomotive was then renamed "Truro" later on by the MRC or what the story here is.

Here's the loco page:
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=DAR0031

Here's the photos:
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... dge_00.jpg
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... R0031a.jpg

You have to love this stuff!

[mountainrail]

Beautiful photo - this is the first photo of a Midland engine I have ever seen (before becoming a DAR unit).
I have a Midland roster which was compiled by Warren Anderson in the late 50's I believe, in which it states the Midland locomotives were named #1 "Truro", #2 "Windsor", #3 "Brooklyn", and #4 "Pioneer".
The name on the cab is definately not "Truro",and appears to be "Midland" or maybe "Midland Railway". I have a copy of the Baldwin specification sheet for #4. Under painting instructions, it states:color engine & tender -Olive Green & Aluminium: Mark on Tank - MIDLAND RAILWAY: Mark on cab -MIDLAND RAILWAY:Name - NONE
So, perhaps the Midland engines were not named, or they could have been named later,but I think they were not named at the beginning, and the "Midland" on the cab is the railway, not the locomotive. We need more photos!

[stem]

According to Andrew it says just "MIDLAND" under the cab window. I couldn't really see it either and so I wrote him and asked him a second time and that what he told me again.

I notice in this picture that she's very new and shiny and yet a lot "plainer" than other locos delivered in that era with no obvious pin striping or detail on the domes, around the cab, on the drivers nor the headlight.

Looks like your paint spec is rightas far as colour. Looks like the lettering is not. Notice the tank only reads "1".

I see the DAR changed the pilot.

[mountainrail]

Good that Andrew's photo is clear enough to see the lettering for sure, as its nice not to have to guess at that.
I thought the tender just had a number 1 on it too, so they must have changed the lettering scheme when they ordered #4, to put the ry name on the tender as well as the cab. On #4 they specified the number to be on the back of the tender, the sand dome, and front number plate.
I wish some photos would surface of other Midland engines so we could see if they ever did carry the names the roster says they did. Patience!

[DARMIDLAND]

Hi,
This picture of the Midland engine is a one of 6 taken when the Shubie bridge opened.The rest of he pictures are of the bridge construction. They were backed with cardboard and hooked together with a ribbon type material. This must have been made to give away on the completion of the Midland Railway or the Shubie Bridge.Andrew

[mountainrail]

Andrew,
That is a very interesting find, and a great quality photo of #1. I have been collecting DAR stuff since the early 60s and have never come across a photo of a Midland engine before, which is strange, as given the times, there should have been quite a few photos taken by professional photographers in either Truro or Windsor. There must have been considerable excitement in Truro when the Midland opened, and when their new engine arrived from Baldwin, so where are the pictures? They must be out there someplace.

Jim O'Donnell

[DARMIDLAND]

Hi
This is the only photo I have came accross of one of their engines. I have a timetable from 1905 just posted on here and a ticket from the Midland. These are the only items I have ever seen marked Midland Railway. There seems to be some items from the DAR and other pictures later taken from this line. I collected items from the Truro Sub until shutdown 1970's to the 80's.
One item I have is a Roundhouse record book from Truro 1910-11 November through to February which lists the engines (DAR-ICR) arriving Truro and leaving.This is a Intercolonial Railway book.It also lists Engineer and Fireman's names.

[Dan Conlin]

Great photo. Lots of Midland mysteries. The only time I took note of Midland lettered locomotive was a photo at the East Hants Historical Society in Windsor. My notebooks says "West Hants Historical Society Photo#65 (as Midland loco 1)" but I forget what the image looks like - it might be this one!
By the way, do you guys knwo the Midland Railway is mentioned in a Stan Rogers song, a real sweet tune called "The Rawdon Hills Were Once Blessed by Gold".

Dan Conlin

[fergusontea]

Which was the "Herbert Oyler apple warehouse"? Was it the one where the tracks crossed Borden St., just as you come into Canning?

-mike

[Dan Conlin]

Herbert Oyler's Canning warehouse is now the Canning firestation (much altered) just east of North Ave. It was bought by Kent Foods in the 1940s along with two other Canning warehouses. Oyler owned warehouses in several locations as well.
I know this from an amazing map that Leon Barron had, dated Feb. 23, 1927, which identified every warehouse on the DAR. Unfortunately Leon's widow and I cannot find it amongst his files!

Dan Conlin

[stem]

Ask Ivan Smith if he's seen it.

[hollyhanes]

The only other thing Holly found marked Midland was a ticket dater in South Maitland Station.