Yarmouth Switchyard

[hecrowell]

After reviewing many pictures of the Yarmouth Switchyard from many sources - including the WIKI. I have come up with a trackplan of the switchyard which I believe is a fairly accurate representation of the layout and switch positions. This drawing originally in Acad covers from Richards Ln (North) to where Baker St would intersect if it was extended to the yard (South). Another drawing is being made which will cover from this Southern point to where DAR/CPR intersected and will include the Boston Boat Wharf, The Irving Oil and the Gulf Oil Bulk plant spurs

July 20 2010 UPDATE

The WIKI now contains official switchyard images from authentic 1925 blueprint.
See them at:http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... ry:Uploads

Also, the WIKI contains official track charts for the Yarmouth Subdivision at http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... n_Yarmouth

[stem]

Well like the original conversation went Harold, we didn't know what tracks were there in years past nor did we have any sources at the time.

This certainly has the correct flavour from all the photos I've seen. You mentioned you had many sources including the wiki. Wath would some of the other one been our of curiosity? Were you ever able to see a copy of the insurance plan?

Nice work!

[hecrowell]

No Steve - havent seen the insurance plan - that comes in a bout three weeks when I go to Yarmouth.

However, It was brought to my attention by another member (gwh) that my drawing showed the DAR main line going south and connecting to the "CPR (H&SW) railyard". That was a typo on my part and should have read "CNR (H&SW) railyard". That error has now been corrected.
If gwh has more info I hope he will be forthcoming with it - we really need all the help we can get. At least, it proves one thing, someone is looking at the info - and that's good ! ! !

[stem]

That is good I agree. I assume then you have a trip planned to Yarmouth. Look forward to what you find out after a real field trip.

[Dan Conlin]

The plan looks good to me - sorts out some mysteries for me. The only facility I wonder about is the Yarmouth coaling crane and bins. Where did it fit in?
I might also mention an additional source - air photos from the 1930s and 40s. The Dept of Natural Resources office in Halifax has them back to the mid 1930s as do many of their regional offices around Nova Scotia - they are super sources if you have time to track them down.

Dan Conlin

[stem]

You said coaling crane. You're absolutely right. There's a siding right beside the engine house with a pit for the coal hoppers to dump into from whence a conveyor was put that would run coal from the pit into the tender of the engine on the adjacent track. Previous to that it appears the structure was actually a swivel crane that swung the coal over to the tender in square wooden boxes as can be seen on the ground in the first photo on this page:
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... g_Facility

So you have 3 sidings for the engine house but the engine house in our wiki photos show a 4 bay engine house and the drawing is missing the coaling siding. The engine house also appears to be radial as if built for a roundhouse. The centre 2 bays appear longer in front by 6 feet or more than the two side bay on either side.

[hecrowell]

Well, there will be no guesswork from now on for the Yarmouth switchyard.
After what I would call a VERY productive visit to the Yarmouth Archives and the co-operation and digging up of info by Jamie (the archivist), we now have a 1925 schematic of the Yarmouth Switchyard. At last a question that has been asked (how many tracks went to the ENginehouse?) can now be answered.
Now - here's the thing - the blueprint was very old (from the date) not to mention VERY fragile. It measured about 8 feet long by 1-1/2 foot wide and therefore had been rolled and contained in a cardboard tube for more years than I have been living. That size of drawing is very difficult to have duplicated, not to mention the danger of destruction from the duplication process, so I did the next best thing.....whipped out my digital camera and started snapping images along the route from the Cotton Mill south to approximately the location of the CNR station. I believe my next step will be to reproduce the images with Autocad and then give to Steve to have posted on the wiki. In any case the images that I have captured will be turned over to Steve for use in the DARdpi.

[fergusontea]

Nice work!! We're going to have quite the digital archive if things like this keep getting added.

-mike

[stem]

Harold's done a terrific amount of work so far on the Yarmouth end of things. We tend to forget that end of the DAR and yet it is as colourful a history as anywhere else on the line and perhaps even more so with the ship lines constantly coming in with tourists.

I will be anxiously awaiting photos from the Yarmouth museum meeting that Harold had!! I only wish that I (as I imagine everyone else) could have accompanied him on his trip.

[hecrowell]

I Would like to point out a couple of street name changes along the waterfront. these changes of course happened after the 1925 blueprint was made:

Allen's Ln became Richard's Ln
Flat St became Catherine ST

Also:
Emin's Ln (between Pearl ST and Commercial ST was not named on the blueprint. The importance of this street was - it led to the H&SW (CNR) train Station and the Freightshed.

Blueprint is in the WIKI at:
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... _Blueprint

[hecrowell]

Hi

Well I have to tell you - its been quite a rough road here since getting the new PC with Windows7 64 bit. It has taken more than a while to get things working the way they should, but finally, I believe (tongue in cheek here) finally all the ducks are in a row !
I have begun again in the Yarmouth Subd and finally, finally have the switchyard completed just to the North of the turning wye. Still have to complete the Southern end down to the point where DAR and H&SW met. Will have to run a few km South on the H&SW where there is a turn for spawning any AI traffic that I may use in the future. I hope to have something viable soon, but cannot say when soon is yet.

[stem]

Glad to0 hear you're back at it finally!

If you check out the Admiral Digby Museum video of Princess Margaret you will see a CNR Royal train on DAR tracks at Annapolis Roayl. As the train is eatbound towards AHlifax, I'm wondering if it orginalted in Yarmouth and if anyone there has film fottage or photos of the train.

A roster would be even cooler.

[Evangelineroute]

Harold:

Thank you for making the Yarmouth switchyard blueprint available.

After comparing the blueprint and Woodworth's descriptions with images of DAR trains meeting vessels, I think I have been able to determine the wharves and the corresponding dates when each was used in turn by the Yarmouth Steamship Company, Dominion Atlantic and Eastern Steamship vessels.

The blueprint was the missing piece. Tanks.

Fred

[stem]

That print was pieced together from photographs that Harold Crowell took last year when he visited the Yarmouth museum. Thanks should also go to Harold for all his research in the Yarmouth area as he creates the Yarmouth end of the DAR for the Microsoft Train Simulator project.

The DAR track diagrams came from a gentleman in Virginia, Mr. Ken McIlvoy (http://www.dardpi.ca/forum/memberlist.p ... file&u=186) who was a consultant to the CPR in the 70s and 80's.

You can contact Harold yourself as well (http://www.dardpi.ca/forum/memberlist.p ... file&u=182) as he has already researched wharf and building locations so that he can model it properly in the 30s era. As he has visited the Yarmouth museum, he might be able to fill you in on more detailed information regarding the steam lines that he might have seen there.