HISTORY
TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION
THE BEACH TRAMWAY
1913-1948
by Gail Hussey Weir
Created December 2020
1913-1948
by Gail Hussey Weir
Created December 2020
Addison Bown said this about the Beach Tramway in his 1960 newspaper article "Bell Island Ferries of Former Years":
Transportation over the Beach Hill was revolutionized in 1913 with the building of a tramway by a new company which received a 50-year franchise. They undertook the construction of a large wharf at the Beach and a tram road over the hill. [Tram] cars were hoisted and lowered on the tracks by cables operated by a steam hoist at the top. The first sod for this tramway was turned by the Governor, Sir Walter Davidson, in April 1913, and the first load of passengers and freight was carried over the hill in November. Up to that time, freight had to be hauled laboriously by horses up the steep hill. Passengers from then on were carried up or down for a ten-cent fare by the Bell Island Transportation Company. [Source: St. John's Daily News, Aug. 31, 1960]
Transportation over the Beach Hill was revolutionized in 1913 with the building of a tramway by a new company which received a 50-year franchise. They undertook the construction of a large wharf at the Beach and a tram road over the hill. [Tram] cars were hoisted and lowered on the tracks by cables operated by a steam hoist at the top. The first sod for this tramway was turned by the Governor, Sir Walter Davidson, in April 1913, and the first load of passengers and freight was carried over the hill in November. Up to that time, freight had to be hauled laboriously by horses up the steep hill. Passengers from then on were carried up or down for a ten-cent fare by the Bell Island Transportation Company. [Source: St. John's Daily News, Aug. 31, 1960]
The photo on the left above was taken by Alf Lawton on August 25, 1918, five years after the Beach Tramway opened. The sign reads: "Take the cars here. 5 & 10cts. to top." Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: COLL-354, #1.01.006. The one on the right was taken by Robert R. Brown, c. 1942. By then the sign read: "DANGER. Waiting on the track is prohibited. Take the cars here. 10cts. to top." Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN LIbrary: University Relations, #M11394.
In the photo above right, the waiting man is at the bottom of the Tramway incline. The photo below is the Bell Island Transportation Company wharf as seen from the Beach Hill above. By noting where the Tramway incline meets level track (just in front of the parked car near the bottom middle of photo), you can determine where the waiting man in the photo above was sitting and the position of the wharf in relation to the Tramway. Photo below, source unknown.
A description of the Beach Tramway
by Joseph R. Smallwood, 1920
by Joseph R. Smallwood, 1920
Joseph R. Smallwood was the first Premier of Newfoundland following Confederation with Canada in 1949, and served in that position for 23 years. Prior to that period of his life, he was a journalist, publisher and broadcaster, among other occupations. In April 1920, at age 20, the future premier was a reporter for the St. John's newspaper Evening Telegram when he visited Bell Island for the first time. Here is his description of the Beach area and the relatively new Beach Tramway that appeared in the newspaper on April 24, 1920:
There is a small landing wharf on the Beach, facing Portugal Cove, and, back a little, a "slip." The Island rises at a grade somewhat approaching that of Springdale Street [in St. John's], and two sets of rails, side by side, have been placed thereon. The passengers from the ferry boat just step in from the wharf to the bottom of the steep grade and enter the car. This resembles an enclosed railway freight or box car, with a narrow compartment at either end for the ladies. On the ceiling there is a rail running along for the passengers to hold onto while the car is mounting the slip. As it goes up the second car comes down, both meeting about halfway. The fares on the slip are five and ten cents and the novelty of the thing makes it worth the fare. [10 cents in 1920 would be equal to about $1.20 in 2020.] At the top of the grade, back a little, there is a "station," where everybody disembarks, the line extending no further inland. However, you are spared the walk across the Island by the presence of a number of [horse-drawn] carriages which have been waiting there since the ferry put out from Portugal Cove. The drive from the Front to the Back of the Island will prove interesting. The road is covered with cinders, on account of the soft nature of the soil. The cinders, becoming crushed, make good roading. Practically every road on Bell Island is treated in this way.
There is a small landing wharf on the Beach, facing Portugal Cove, and, back a little, a "slip." The Island rises at a grade somewhat approaching that of Springdale Street [in St. John's], and two sets of rails, side by side, have been placed thereon. The passengers from the ferry boat just step in from the wharf to the bottom of the steep grade and enter the car. This resembles an enclosed railway freight or box car, with a narrow compartment at either end for the ladies. On the ceiling there is a rail running along for the passengers to hold onto while the car is mounting the slip. As it goes up the second car comes down, both meeting about halfway. The fares on the slip are five and ten cents and the novelty of the thing makes it worth the fare. [10 cents in 1920 would be equal to about $1.20 in 2020.] At the top of the grade, back a little, there is a "station," where everybody disembarks, the line extending no further inland. However, you are spared the walk across the Island by the presence of a number of [horse-drawn] carriages which have been waiting there since the ferry put out from Portugal Cove. The drive from the Front to the Back of the Island will prove interesting. The road is covered with cinders, on account of the soft nature of the soil. The cinders, becoming crushed, make good roading. Practically every road on Bell Island is treated in this way.
The photo above shows the Tramway car at the left, just above the trestle that was only wide enough for one car to pass through at a time, and was the only way cars could access the Tramway Wharf, which is out of the photo to the right. Photographer unknown. Photo courtesy of Gerry Hawco and A&SC, MUN Library.
In the July 18, 1944 photo below, newlyweds Charlie and Evelyn Bown await the ferry to leave on their honeymoon. The cribbing of the trestle can be seen behind the car, with the tramcar track passing over it in the right of the photo. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: Coll-202, #1.08.023.
In the July 18, 1944 photo below, newlyweds Charlie and Evelyn Bown await the ferry to leave on their honeymoon. The cribbing of the trestle can be seen behind the car, with the tramcar track passing over it in the right of the photo. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: Coll-202, #1.08.023.
A brief description of the Beach Tramway
in Railroad Magazine (New York)
by Robert R. Brown, 1942
in Railroad Magazine (New York)
by Robert R. Brown, 1942
The following brief description was at the end of a description of the St. John's street railway system that ran in St. John's in the first half of the 20th century. It was written by Robert R. Brown, Eastern Canadian Representative of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Montreal, Quebec:
On Bell Island, there is a steam cable line owned by the Bell Island Transportation Company, which carries passengers and freight from the ferry wharf up to the summit of the Island, about 400 [sic: 800] yards.
Source: Railroad Magazine, V. 31, No. 4, March 1942, p. 128.
On Bell Island, there is a steam cable line owned by the Bell Island Transportation Company, which carries passengers and freight from the ferry wharf up to the summit of the Island, about 400 [sic: 800] yards.
Source: Railroad Magazine, V. 31, No. 4, March 1942, p. 128.
A description of the Beach Tramway
by Robert R. Brown, 1953
by Robert R. Brown, 1953
This description of the Beach Tramway came from the CRHA News Report, February 1953, p. 5. The Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA) is a volunteer non-profit charitable organization that encourages and facilitates research and interpretation of Canadian railway history. It was founded in 1932. Robert R. Brown was a Canadian railway historian. Although this article was published in 1953, the Beach Tramway had ceased operation in 1948.
This article was published under the heading, "Street Railways of Eastern Canada" with the title, "Bell Island Transportation Company."
Strictly speaking, the Bell Island Transportation Co.'s tramway is not a street railway, but it is the only surviving passenger line east of Montreal and, consequently, is worthy of notice.
Bell Island lies in Conception Bay, about two miles offshore from the village of Portugal Cove, Newfoundland, and it is famous for the vast Wabana iron mines worked by Dominion Steel & Coal Co. It is oval in shape, about two [sic: six] miles long and one [sic: two] mile[s] wide and, except at one or two points, the shoreline is a high and almost perpendicular cliff.
From the ferry wharf to the plateau, there was a very steep, narrow and winding road so, in 1913, the ferry company built a cable-operated incline railway. It is about 800 yards long, the maximum gradient is 26%, and the cable is moved by a large, steam-operated drum at the top. The line is double track, but the two lines are sheathed, except midway, where they permit the cars to pass. The two cars were built in England and, although very plain and even crude-looking, they were very strongly built, and resembled British brake vans. At each end, there is a small compartment for passengers, with seats for four or five in each, and room for about a dozen standees. The large center compartment is for passengers, freight and mail.
It is said that about 90% of the freight handled consists of cases of beer, so one may suppose that iron mining is a very dry job.
The company operates two small steam boats.
This article was published under the heading, "Street Railways of Eastern Canada" with the title, "Bell Island Transportation Company."
Strictly speaking, the Bell Island Transportation Co.'s tramway is not a street railway, but it is the only surviving passenger line east of Montreal and, consequently, is worthy of notice.
Bell Island lies in Conception Bay, about two miles offshore from the village of Portugal Cove, Newfoundland, and it is famous for the vast Wabana iron mines worked by Dominion Steel & Coal Co. It is oval in shape, about two [sic: six] miles long and one [sic: two] mile[s] wide and, except at one or two points, the shoreline is a high and almost perpendicular cliff.
From the ferry wharf to the plateau, there was a very steep, narrow and winding road so, in 1913, the ferry company built a cable-operated incline railway. It is about 800 yards long, the maximum gradient is 26%, and the cable is moved by a large, steam-operated drum at the top. The line is double track, but the two lines are sheathed, except midway, where they permit the cars to pass. The two cars were built in England and, although very plain and even crude-looking, they were very strongly built, and resembled British brake vans. At each end, there is a small compartment for passengers, with seats for four or five in each, and room for about a dozen standees. The large center compartment is for passengers, freight and mail.
It is said that about 90% of the freight handled consists of cases of beer, so one may suppose that iron mining is a very dry job.
The company operates two small steam boats.
The photo above is by Bruce Neal from his book, In Town and Around the Bay, Creative Press, 1997. It was taken sometime before 1948, which was when the Tramway ceased operations. The Tramway Wharf is on the lower right, mostly obscured by the bank. The wharf with the warehouse in the middle of the picture was owned by Fred Snow.
"The Bell Island Inclines"
in Trolley Fare, the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association, Pittsburgh, PA
by Charles E. Benjamin, 1993
with information from Charlie Bown and Albert Ash
in Trolley Fare, the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association, Pittsburgh, PA
by Charles E. Benjamin, 1993
with information from Charlie Bown and Albert Ash
Charles E. (Chuck) Benjamin was a manager at IBM in New York and a railroad history buff. In the 1980s and 90s, he wrote a column called "Up and Down on the Incline Scene" for Trolley Fare, the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association, Pittsburgh, PA. In 1987, his column featured a list of all the Canadian railway inclines that he was aware of at the time. Around 1991, the 1942 and 1953 items (above) by Robert R. Brown were brought to his attention. He subsequently got in touch with Charlie Bown, who was then Deputy-Mayor of Wabana, asking if he could provide more information and photographs. Charlie enlisted the help of Albert Ash, who gathered much of the data for Mr. Benjamin's one-page column that appeared in the March-April 1993 edition of Trolley Fare, an except of which follows:
Bell Island, Newfoundland, had North America's easternmost and last steam-operated inclined railway. Bell Island had several cable railways in addition to the passenger incline up from the ferry, all [these others were] involved with the iron mines, getting ore down to the docks, and supplies up. So even though Bell Island's inclines were not directly adjacent to each other, we would list them in the same category as the Monongahela, Price Hill, and Skagit incline-pairs, [3 American incline railways] each with associated but separate passenger and vehicular funiculars. [A funicular is a railroad, especially on a mountainside, operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.]
From 1913 to 1948, incline cars of the Bell Island Transportation Company carried freight and passengers up to the more- nearly level roadways on top. The track arrangement was unusual, with separated tracks down from the top to just below the passing point, where they emerged into a gauntlet arrangement from there to the bottom. The track gauge was 36 inches. [The gauntlet arrangement of the tracks, where the two tracks down from the top merge into one track just down from the passing point, can be seen in the photo below.]
The two English-built trams were slightly different; one was for passengers and the other was for freight. Both had flat bottoms and arched roofs; the passenger car had seats and handrails. The gradient of the line varied significantly as it climbed from sea level to the 130-foot elevation at the upper station [ie. warehouse] and steam-engine hoist house, with a maximum of about 26 percent. The track was itself 2,400 feet long. The one-way fare was ten cents for adults and five cents for children. It was reported at one time that about 90 percent of the freight handled consisted of cases of beer for the thirsty miners.
Bell Island, Newfoundland, had North America's easternmost and last steam-operated inclined railway. Bell Island had several cable railways in addition to the passenger incline up from the ferry, all [these others were] involved with the iron mines, getting ore down to the docks, and supplies up. So even though Bell Island's inclines were not directly adjacent to each other, we would list them in the same category as the Monongahela, Price Hill, and Skagit incline-pairs, [3 American incline railways] each with associated but separate passenger and vehicular funiculars. [A funicular is a railroad, especially on a mountainside, operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.]
From 1913 to 1948, incline cars of the Bell Island Transportation Company carried freight and passengers up to the more- nearly level roadways on top. The track arrangement was unusual, with separated tracks down from the top to just below the passing point, where they emerged into a gauntlet arrangement from there to the bottom. The track gauge was 36 inches. [The gauntlet arrangement of the tracks, where the two tracks down from the top merge into one track just down from the passing point, can be seen in the photo below.]
The two English-built trams were slightly different; one was for passengers and the other was for freight. Both had flat bottoms and arched roofs; the passenger car had seats and handrails. The gradient of the line varied significantly as it climbed from sea level to the 130-foot elevation at the upper station [ie. warehouse] and steam-engine hoist house, with a maximum of about 26 percent. The track was itself 2,400 feet long. The one-way fare was ten cents for adults and five cents for children. It was reported at one time that about 90 percent of the freight handled consisted of cases of beer for the thirsty miners.
The photo above of men shovelling snow from the Tramway in 1946 is from the album of Albert Butler, courtesy of his son, Ken Butler.
"The Tramway"
in Across the Tickle, March 1998
by Charlie Bown
in Across the Tickle, March 1998
by Charlie Bown
In his article "The Bell Island Inclines" (above), Charles Benjamin stated that his column "copied intact" some of the information that was sent to him by Charlie Bown, so the middle section of the following will look familiar:
Way back in 1913, a Bell Island businessman named J.B. Martin, owner of the ferry service, decided to start a transportation system at the ferry dock to the top of the Island. This would carry passengers and freight up the hill to the plateau.
The ferry company built a cable-operated incline railway, moved by a large steam-operated drum at the top. The track arrangement was unusual, with separated tracks down from the top to just below the passing point, where they emerged into a gauntlet arrangement from there to the bottom. The track gauge was 36 inches. The two English-built trams were slightly different; one was for passengers and the other was for freight. Both had flat bottoms and arched roofs; the passenger car had seats and handrails. The gradient of the line varied significantly as it climbed from sea level to the 130-foot elevation at the upper station and steam-engine hoist house, with a maximum of about 26 percent. The track was itself 2,400 feet long. The one-way fare was ten cents for adults and five cents for children. It was reported at one time that about 90 percent of the freight handled consisted of cases of beer for the thirsty miners.
The service ended in 1948. After the tramway closed down, the Newfoundland government sent engineers to see if the hard-baked railbed was suitable for use as a highway, as it was a straight line, in contrast to the Beach Hill just east of it, which was a steep, narrow and winding road. [It is not known what conclusion the engineers reached, but nothing came of the idea.]
In a 1994 telephone conversation, Charlie described the passenger car in further detail:
Unlike the freight car, which had no seats, the passenger car had a separate seat in front and another in the back, which were reserved for VIPs. These seats had windows on three sides. The VIPs could sit in the down-side seats going down and in the up-side seats going up, so that they could always see where they were going. The seats in the mid-section were for regular passengers. There was a sliding door in this mid-section by which passengers entered and exited.
The tram shut down in 1948 and the cars were lying idle for about two years following. One of them was eventually used as a shed by construction workers.
Way back in 1913, a Bell Island businessman named J.B. Martin, owner of the ferry service, decided to start a transportation system at the ferry dock to the top of the Island. This would carry passengers and freight up the hill to the plateau.
The ferry company built a cable-operated incline railway, moved by a large steam-operated drum at the top. The track arrangement was unusual, with separated tracks down from the top to just below the passing point, where they emerged into a gauntlet arrangement from there to the bottom. The track gauge was 36 inches. The two English-built trams were slightly different; one was for passengers and the other was for freight. Both had flat bottoms and arched roofs; the passenger car had seats and handrails. The gradient of the line varied significantly as it climbed from sea level to the 130-foot elevation at the upper station and steam-engine hoist house, with a maximum of about 26 percent. The track was itself 2,400 feet long. The one-way fare was ten cents for adults and five cents for children. It was reported at one time that about 90 percent of the freight handled consisted of cases of beer for the thirsty miners.
The service ended in 1948. After the tramway closed down, the Newfoundland government sent engineers to see if the hard-baked railbed was suitable for use as a highway, as it was a straight line, in contrast to the Beach Hill just east of it, which was a steep, narrow and winding road. [It is not known what conclusion the engineers reached, but nothing came of the idea.]
In a 1994 telephone conversation, Charlie described the passenger car in further detail:
Unlike the freight car, which had no seats, the passenger car had a separate seat in front and another in the back, which were reserved for VIPs. These seats had windows on three sides. The VIPs could sit in the down-side seats going down and in the up-side seats going up, so that they could always see where they were going. The seats in the mid-section were for regular passengers. There was a sliding door in this mid-section by which passengers entered and exited.
The tram shut down in 1948 and the cars were lying idle for about two years following. One of them was eventually used as a shed by construction workers.
The photo above shows one of the tramcars at the passing point partway up the hill, and the track arrangement. Photo by Robert R. Brown, c. 1942, courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: University Relations, #M11398.
A brief description of the Beach Tramway
in Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada
by Omer Lavallee, 1972
in Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada
by Omer Lavallee, 1972
Omer Lavallee, one of Canada's pioneer railroad historians, was a writer, editor and former corporate archivist and historian for Canadian Pacific Railway. A prolific author of many railroad-related subjects, he also served as editor of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association's magazine, Canadian Rail. His 1972 book, Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada, featured two photos of the Beach Tramway, the one directly above, and the one at the beginning of this page. He credits both to Robert R. Brown, author of the 1942 and 1953 descriptions above. Here is what Lavallee wrote in his book regarding the Beach Tramway:
Bell Island, in Conception Bay, was the site of the Bell Island Transportation Company, a half-mile cable-operated incline railway which extended from the Ferry Wharf to Upper Bell Island, and carried passengers.
and...
A lesser-known Newfoundland "common carrier" was the half-mile-long Bell Island Transportation Company, a cable incline which extended from the Ferry Wharf to Upper Bell Island.
Source: Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada, Fitzhenry & Whiteside: A Railfare Book, Montreal, p. 41
Bell Island, in Conception Bay, was the site of the Bell Island Transportation Company, a half-mile cable-operated incline railway which extended from the Ferry Wharf to Upper Bell Island, and carried passengers.
and...
A lesser-known Newfoundland "common carrier" was the half-mile-long Bell Island Transportation Company, a cable incline which extended from the Ferry Wharf to Upper Bell Island.
Source: Narrow Gauge Railways of Canada, Fitzhenry & Whiteside: A Railfare Book, Montreal, p. 41
The photo above is similar to one near the top of the page and looks like it was taken in the same time period. In this one, the tramcar is at its end-point at the Bell Island Transportation Company wharf, where freight would be loaded. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: University Relations, #M11990.
The photo below is of the Bell Island Transportation Company wharf taken from Beach level, just west of the wharf. This picture is later than the one above as there is an extension on the wharf with an added building. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: COLL-202, Wm. Lindsay photos, #1.43.109.
The photo below is of the Bell Island Transportation Company wharf taken from Beach level, just west of the wharf. This picture is later than the one above as there is an extension on the wharf with an added building. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: COLL-202, Wm. Lindsay photos, #1.43.109.
The photo below is of the Bell Island Transportation Company wharf looking down from the Beach Hill above, with the Tram Car on the right of the photo. Not sure what the structure mid-picture is. This picture was probably taken the same time as the one above. Photo courtesy of A&SC, MUN Library: COLL-202, Wm. Lindsay photos, #1.43.120.
History of the Beginnings of the Beach Tramway
from
Addison Bown's "Newspaper History of Bell Island" (except where indicated)
from
Addison Bown's "Newspaper History of Bell Island" (except where indicated)
NOTE: Fred (Frederick W.) Angel mentioned below was an Engineer who had worked as Chief Engineer at Wabana Mines from c.1900-1904. He went on to become Director and Chief Engineer of the Angel Engineering and Supply Company in St. John's. From 1913 until his death in 1937, he was President of United Nail and Foundry Company in St. John's. While the full extent of his involvement in the Bell Island Transportation Company is not clear, it is known that he engineered and constructed the Beach Tramway, and that he promoted the company. He knew Bell Island intimately from his time as Chief Engineer of DISCO and would have been well-aware of the problems involved in moving passengers and freight from the main landing area at the Beach up the steep hillside to the main level of the Island. These problems directly affected his family's St. John's business, the Angel Engineering and Steamship Company which, as the Daily News reported in 1904, was making regular weekly trips to Bell Island from St. John's with freight. It seems reasonable to assume that this freight service continued through the mining years and that his interest in the Bell Island Transportation Company would have continued. The following newspaper reports illustrate Frederick Angel's involvement in the beginning of that company:
In October 1912, a meeting of representative citizens was held to hear a proposition from Fred Angel of St. John's regarding the construction of a tramway from the Beach to the top of the Island for handling passengers and freight. The cost of construction was estimated at $30,000 [about $823,000 in 2020], and it was believed an annual income of $10,000 could be realized. J.T. Lawton was appointed Secretary of a Committee to investigate the proposal. [This meeting seems to have been related to a report in March 1909 that a company was being formed with local shareholders to install a hoisting system for lifting freight over the Beach Hill. The Bell Island Transportation Company was incorporated in 1913. The photo below of a June 14, 1913 receipt made out to James J. Farrell for shares was signed by F.W. Angel for the Bell Island Transportation Co. Ltd. Photo courtesy of Joseph Kelloway.]
In October 1912, a meeting of representative citizens was held to hear a proposition from Fred Angel of St. John's regarding the construction of a tramway from the Beach to the top of the Island for handling passengers and freight. The cost of construction was estimated at $30,000 [about $823,000 in 2020], and it was believed an annual income of $10,000 could be realized. J.T. Lawton was appointed Secretary of a Committee to investigate the proposal. [This meeting seems to have been related to a report in March 1909 that a company was being formed with local shareholders to install a hoisting system for lifting freight over the Beach Hill. The Bell Island Transportation Company was incorporated in 1913. The photo below of a June 14, 1913 receipt made out to James J. Farrell for shares was signed by F.W. Angel for the Bell Island Transportation Co. Ltd. Photo courtesy of Joseph Kelloway.]
On April 2, 1913, a Bill known as "A Bill Relating to Construction of Tramways on Bell Island" was introduced in the House of Assembly. It gave the Bell Island Transportation Company a franchise for 50 years to operate a tramway across the Island. The Government voted $1000 annually toward the upkeep of a wharf, which was then being built, and an annual subsidy of $100 for carrying the mail over the hill. The sum of the wharf was the amount it had cost the Government per year over the previous ten years for the upkeep of the public wharf. The rates to be charged on the Tramway were set for five years at $1.25 per ton for freight, and 10c each way for passengers. All machinery for its operation was to be imported duty free. The wharf was expected to cost $14,000.
When the above Act was passed, it was called "An Act for the Encouragement of the Construction of Tramways at Bell Island." This Act granted to the Bell Island Transportation Company, Ltd., the exclusive right for fifty years to install and operate on Bell Island, including power or other tramways, elevators, skips or other devices; not to interfere, however, with the right of the Dominion Iron and Steel Co. or the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Co. or other mine owners to install and operate any tramways, &c., necessary for their business of mining. The Company was granted land at the Beach for wharf, &c., and for twenty years a sum of $1000 per annum for use of public wharf and a guarantee for twenty years of five percent, on paid up capital. The Company was further given power to light Bell Island by electricity and to make necessary erections, and all machinery, &c., was admitted duty free. (Source: Yearbook & Almanac of Newfoundland, 1914)
On April 28, 1913, his Excellency the Governor of Newfoundland, Sir Walter Davidson, visited Bell Island for two official functions: (1) to turn the first sod for the Tramway over the Beach Hill, and (2) to open Davidson Avenue, which was to become one of the main arteries of the road system. It was noted that a the Governor and his entourage were "met on arrival by a group of prominent citizens" that included the clergy of 4 churches, members of the local council, the magistrate, mine company officials, several merchants, and Fred Angel. "His Excellency was received by a cheering crowd and flags were gaily flying. He turned the first sod for the new tramway, and was presented with an address by Fred Angel on behalf of the Company. [Presumably the company referred to was the Bell Island Transportation Company. As seen in the next paragraph, Fred Angel, formerly Chief Engineer with DISCO (c.1900-1904) and, by now, Chief Engineer of the Angel Engineering and Supply Company and President of United Nail & Foundry in St. John's, had engineered and built the Tramway, hence his prominence at the sod-turning ceremony.] A large portion of the big new wharf was built by then." Following the ceremony for the opening of Davidson Avenue, "luncheon was served at the home of J.B. Martin." [J.B. Martin was instrumental in getting funding for the building of Davidson Avenue, and was also a partner in the Bell Island Steamship Company.]
In an August 1913 edition of the Bell Island Miner, the following was reported:
The new tramway now being constructed will prove a great boon to Bell Island. It will do away with the difficulty which at present confronts our merchants, who for years have had to haul their merchandise up a semi-perpendicular hill. In the winter time especially, the task of hauling freight to the various stores is a heart-breaking one. The tramway will do much to develop the Island, as it is only a question of time when it will be extended to the Mines and the public will be able to ride in a trolley car instead of a carriage, if they so desire. A substantial wharf has already been erected and the roadway [ie, tracks] over the hill practically completed. Mr. Fred Angel has been the constructing engineer and the promoter of the company. The Government has given a great deal of assistance to the new enterprise, which is destined to work wonders for the betterment of Bell Island.
On Nov. 29, 1913, the first trial run over the new Tramway at the Beach took place and everything worked satisfactorily.
On Dec. 10, 1913, the Beach Tramway made its first regular run. Bell Island's Clift Lodge No. 3694 of the English Constitution of the Masonic Order was instituted on that day, and the Masonic members from St. John's who came over for the event were among the first passengers carried over the new Tramway.
When the above Act was passed, it was called "An Act for the Encouragement of the Construction of Tramways at Bell Island." This Act granted to the Bell Island Transportation Company, Ltd., the exclusive right for fifty years to install and operate on Bell Island, including power or other tramways, elevators, skips or other devices; not to interfere, however, with the right of the Dominion Iron and Steel Co. or the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Co. or other mine owners to install and operate any tramways, &c., necessary for their business of mining. The Company was granted land at the Beach for wharf, &c., and for twenty years a sum of $1000 per annum for use of public wharf and a guarantee for twenty years of five percent, on paid up capital. The Company was further given power to light Bell Island by electricity and to make necessary erections, and all machinery, &c., was admitted duty free. (Source: Yearbook & Almanac of Newfoundland, 1914)
On April 28, 1913, his Excellency the Governor of Newfoundland, Sir Walter Davidson, visited Bell Island for two official functions: (1) to turn the first sod for the Tramway over the Beach Hill, and (2) to open Davidson Avenue, which was to become one of the main arteries of the road system. It was noted that a the Governor and his entourage were "met on arrival by a group of prominent citizens" that included the clergy of 4 churches, members of the local council, the magistrate, mine company officials, several merchants, and Fred Angel. "His Excellency was received by a cheering crowd and flags were gaily flying. He turned the first sod for the new tramway, and was presented with an address by Fred Angel on behalf of the Company. [Presumably the company referred to was the Bell Island Transportation Company. As seen in the next paragraph, Fred Angel, formerly Chief Engineer with DISCO (c.1900-1904) and, by now, Chief Engineer of the Angel Engineering and Supply Company and President of United Nail & Foundry in St. John's, had engineered and built the Tramway, hence his prominence at the sod-turning ceremony.] A large portion of the big new wharf was built by then." Following the ceremony for the opening of Davidson Avenue, "luncheon was served at the home of J.B. Martin." [J.B. Martin was instrumental in getting funding for the building of Davidson Avenue, and was also a partner in the Bell Island Steamship Company.]
In an August 1913 edition of the Bell Island Miner, the following was reported:
The new tramway now being constructed will prove a great boon to Bell Island. It will do away with the difficulty which at present confronts our merchants, who for years have had to haul their merchandise up a semi-perpendicular hill. In the winter time especially, the task of hauling freight to the various stores is a heart-breaking one. The tramway will do much to develop the Island, as it is only a question of time when it will be extended to the Mines and the public will be able to ride in a trolley car instead of a carriage, if they so desire. A substantial wharf has already been erected and the roadway [ie, tracks] over the hill practically completed. Mr. Fred Angel has been the constructing engineer and the promoter of the company. The Government has given a great deal of assistance to the new enterprise, which is destined to work wonders for the betterment of Bell Island.
On Nov. 29, 1913, the first trial run over the new Tramway at the Beach took place and everything worked satisfactorily.
On Dec. 10, 1913, the Beach Tramway made its first regular run. Bell Island's Clift Lodge No. 3694 of the English Constitution of the Masonic Order was instituted on that day, and the Masonic members from St. John's who came over for the event were among the first passengers carried over the new Tramway.
The photo above is an aerial view of The Beach showing the location of the Beach Tramway in the left of the photo. One of the Tram Cars is near the bottom of the run near the middle bottom of the photo, and the Tramway warehouse is just to the right of the tip of the airplane wing. This photo is from the book, Album of Avalon: one of a series of Newfoundland pictorial books, Guardian Press, published May 1952, p. 25.
Some Tidbits of History Regarding the Beach Tramway
from
Various Sources
from
Various Sources
From early Bell Island Directories:
Neither the Beach Tramway, nor the Bell Island Transportation Company, owner of the Tramway, were mentioned in the Bell Island Directories for 1913 or 1915.
The 1919 Directory for Bell Island is the first time the Bell Island Transportation Company was listed; W. [Walter] Squire was the Manager. No other individuals were listed as working with the company, and the Beach Tramway was not listed.
The Bell Island Transportation Company was listed in the 1949 telephone directory as Transportation Company, Wharf: 254R, and Office: 254W. The Beach Tramway had ceased operation in 1948.
The Bell Island Transportation Company was listed in the 1952 telephone directory with the same phone numbers as 1949.
From personal interview with Harold Kitchen, 1984:
Harold Kitchen was 7 years old in 1922 when his family moved from Harbour Grace to Bell Island where his father worked in the Scotia Barn looking after the mine horses. Harold remembered travelling in an open motor boat and arriving at The Beach, from where they were taken up the steep hillside on a tram car that was pulled by an engine-driven cable. His father made a phone call from the Tramway Station and they were picked up by a horse-drawn covered wagon. The driver sat out front on a very high seat and held a long whip in his hand. The cost of the ride to their new home on the Scotia Ridge was 50 cents each for the two adults, while the four children rode for free. According to Harold, there were only 3 motor cars on Bell Island in 1922 and no trucks. [So it is easy to see why the Beach Tramway was necessary. The road over the Beach Hill, such as it was in those days, was very steep and full of ruts and loose gravel, so would have been very difficult for a car to manoeuver in the best of weather, let alone a horse-drawn carriage.]
From the Daily News:
During a storm in October, 1923, the tower at the top of the Tramway was torn from its foundation and hurled across the road, holding up operation of the Tramway.
The first coloured troupe of entertainers to play on Bell Island came from St. John's in February 1925 under the direction of Charles Foster. Driving conditions were never worse. The roads were full of ruts and gulches. The quintette was driven in catamarans from the Tramway to the Gaiety Theatre on the Green. Harold Harvey's sleigh was in the lead. At the foot of Fancy Hill, the traces of his horse broke and some o the negro passengers were spilled out into the snow.
There were 30 cars on Bell Island by 1927. There were no snow plows in 1929 [or for many years after], so taxi drivers had to pitch in and shovel the road to the Beach Tramway so that their passengers could get to the ferry.
In 1930, the Bell Island Transportation Company introduced a system of delivering freight by truck.
In the middle of April 1931, a dispute arose between local taxi drivers and the Bell Island Transportation Company as a result of which the taximen boycotted the Tramway and began taking their cars over the Beach Hill to the Wharf. This was the first time they had done so as the taxis formerly delivered their passengers to, or picked them up at, the top of the Tramway. People travelling to and from the City used the tram car to get to and from the Beach. The Transportation Company later placed a tax of 25c on all cars passing over their wharf and this was the subject of further protests.
By 1931, the Great Depression had taken hold of Bell Island. Men were required to perform community labour in return for "Relief" payments. The winter of 1932 was a severe one with heavy snowfalls. "The road to the Beach Tramway was shovelled by persons on relief."
For the 6-day period ending January 2, 1935, mail was not delivered to the Island owing to the Beach Hill being impassable and also because of a dispute between the Commission of Government and the Bell Island Transportation Company, whose charter to carry the mail over the hill on their tramway expired in 1934. The Tramway was in the news again in July of 1935 when a resident of St. John's and one from Branch appeared in court in St. John's on larceny charges of Bell Island property that included stealing goods valued at $30 from the Tramway freight shed.
As reported in the Daily News, the number of cars and trucks registered on Bell Island had risen from only 148 in 1937 to 428 by 1951. This rise in vehicle ownership naturally led to the demand for better road conditions. Even though the Beach Hill was still unpaved and in fairly rough shape, by 1948 it had been improved to the point where, with due caution, more drivers were making use of it, thus decreasing the need for the Beach Tramway, which ceased operations that year.
Neither the Beach Tramway, nor the Bell Island Transportation Company, owner of the Tramway, were mentioned in the Bell Island Directories for 1913 or 1915.
The 1919 Directory for Bell Island is the first time the Bell Island Transportation Company was listed; W. [Walter] Squire was the Manager. No other individuals were listed as working with the company, and the Beach Tramway was not listed.
The Bell Island Transportation Company was listed in the 1949 telephone directory as Transportation Company, Wharf: 254R, and Office: 254W. The Beach Tramway had ceased operation in 1948.
The Bell Island Transportation Company was listed in the 1952 telephone directory with the same phone numbers as 1949.
From personal interview with Harold Kitchen, 1984:
Harold Kitchen was 7 years old in 1922 when his family moved from Harbour Grace to Bell Island where his father worked in the Scotia Barn looking after the mine horses. Harold remembered travelling in an open motor boat and arriving at The Beach, from where they were taken up the steep hillside on a tram car that was pulled by an engine-driven cable. His father made a phone call from the Tramway Station and they were picked up by a horse-drawn covered wagon. The driver sat out front on a very high seat and held a long whip in his hand. The cost of the ride to their new home on the Scotia Ridge was 50 cents each for the two adults, while the four children rode for free. According to Harold, there were only 3 motor cars on Bell Island in 1922 and no trucks. [So it is easy to see why the Beach Tramway was necessary. The road over the Beach Hill, such as it was in those days, was very steep and full of ruts and loose gravel, so would have been very difficult for a car to manoeuver in the best of weather, let alone a horse-drawn carriage.]
From the Daily News:
During a storm in October, 1923, the tower at the top of the Tramway was torn from its foundation and hurled across the road, holding up operation of the Tramway.
The first coloured troupe of entertainers to play on Bell Island came from St. John's in February 1925 under the direction of Charles Foster. Driving conditions were never worse. The roads were full of ruts and gulches. The quintette was driven in catamarans from the Tramway to the Gaiety Theatre on the Green. Harold Harvey's sleigh was in the lead. At the foot of Fancy Hill, the traces of his horse broke and some o the negro passengers were spilled out into the snow.
There were 30 cars on Bell Island by 1927. There were no snow plows in 1929 [or for many years after], so taxi drivers had to pitch in and shovel the road to the Beach Tramway so that their passengers could get to the ferry.
In 1930, the Bell Island Transportation Company introduced a system of delivering freight by truck.
In the middle of April 1931, a dispute arose between local taxi drivers and the Bell Island Transportation Company as a result of which the taximen boycotted the Tramway and began taking their cars over the Beach Hill to the Wharf. This was the first time they had done so as the taxis formerly delivered their passengers to, or picked them up at, the top of the Tramway. People travelling to and from the City used the tram car to get to and from the Beach. The Transportation Company later placed a tax of 25c on all cars passing over their wharf and this was the subject of further protests.
By 1931, the Great Depression had taken hold of Bell Island. Men were required to perform community labour in return for "Relief" payments. The winter of 1932 was a severe one with heavy snowfalls. "The road to the Beach Tramway was shovelled by persons on relief."
For the 6-day period ending January 2, 1935, mail was not delivered to the Island owing to the Beach Hill being impassable and also because of a dispute between the Commission of Government and the Bell Island Transportation Company, whose charter to carry the mail over the hill on their tramway expired in 1934. The Tramway was in the news again in July of 1935 when a resident of St. John's and one from Branch appeared in court in St. John's on larceny charges of Bell Island property that included stealing goods valued at $30 from the Tramway freight shed.
As reported in the Daily News, the number of cars and trucks registered on Bell Island had risen from only 148 in 1937 to 428 by 1951. This rise in vehicle ownership naturally led to the demand for better road conditions. Even though the Beach Hill was still unpaved and in fairly rough shape, by 1948 it had been improved to the point where, with due caution, more drivers were making use of it, thus decreasing the need for the Beach Tramway, which ceased operations that year.
Employees of
the Bell Island Transportation Company Limited as listed in the 1936 Directory for Bell Island: Joseph W. Searle, Manager
Thomas Searle, Clerk Benjamin Searle, Employee Alfred Skanes, Employee William Skanes, Mechanical Operator Mrs. Walter [Elizabeth] Parsons, Accountant James Fowler, Labourer Walter Dicks, Labourer Hubert Churchill, Labourer Photo on the right is of Joseph Searle, Manager of the Bell Island Transportation Company throughout its operation. He seems to be standing at the end of the Tramway Wharf next to the warehouse (an early version before extensions were made?) on the wharf. Photo 1926, courtesy of his granddaughters, Martha Earley DiChiara & Cathy Cavendish. In the 1913 Directory for Bell Island, Joseph Searle is listed as an electrician. The directory was probably done before the Beach Tramway went into operation later in 1913. He does not appear in the 1915 Directory and is listed as an engineer in the 1919 Directory. He is listed as Manager of the Bell Island Transportation Company in 1921, 1935 and 1945 Census. |
The photo on the left is of Elizabeth, aka, Bessie, Parsons (nee Squires of St. Philip's), who was the accountant for the Bell Island Transportation Company from 1920-1953. She originally came to Bell Island as a teacher at the Beach School. She married Walter Parsons of Freshwater in 1904 and was pregnant with their third child when Walter died tragically from the accidental discharge of his gun while he was shooting birds from a small boat off Freshwater. Elizabeth went back to teaching to support her children before taking the accounting position working at the Tramway office at the Beach, where she worked until retirement at age 70 in 1953. She became so widely known through her dealings with the travelling public, that she was often referred to as "Mrs. Tramway."
You can read more at https://www.historic-wabana.com/p.html. Photo courtesy of her grandson, Ken Parsons. |
Doug Butler, who grew up next door to the Tramway, remembered the following employees:
Bessie [Elizabeth] Parsons, Accountant.
Neddie and Tom Searle worked "down below," at the Tramway Wharf.
Cyril Fitzgerald, Freight Truck Driver.
William (Bill) Jackman carried mail to and from the Tramway Terminal.
Merchant J.B. Martin was the owner of the Tramway. [Doug was not familiar with Fred Angel or his role in the Tramway.]
Some of the taxi drivers who drove passengers to and from the Tramway Terminal:
Albert Butler
Joe Carbage
Vince Carbage
Harold Harvey [In the 1919 Directory for Bell Island, he was listed as a "cabman."
Some memories Doug had of the Beach Tramway:
The Tramway Warehouse at the top of the hill had a platform on each side of the Tramway. The tramcar doors slide open on both sides. On the west side, freight was taken off and placed in the warehouse. In the warehouse, there were a number of posts. Each post had a sign with the name of a local business. The delivery driver for a business would go there and collect whatever freight was next to his employer's post. Barrels of gas and molasses puncheons would be placed on the east side of the tramway for pickup.
There was a cable hoist at the top of the Tramway, driven by a steam engine. The Tramway was run six days a week, not on Sundays. On Sunday mornings, some men would release the steam that had built up overnight in the engine, causing a loud noise.
Search lights were installed on the end of the wharf in later years.
The photo above shows one of the tramcars at the top of the Tramway next to the Tramway warehouse. Date of photo unknown, but probably early on in the operation. The men are probably all employees of the Bell Island Transportation Company. Photo source unknown.
The photo above shows another view of the Tramway warehouse. (I hope to replace this image with a clearer one soon.) Photo courtesy of Joseph Kelloway, who got it from Doug Butler, whose family lived just east of the Tramway. The woman is one of Doug's aunts.
Tom Kelloway was born in Salmon Cove, Conception Bay, in 1936, to Myrtle (nee Brown of Bay Roberts) and Joseph Kelloway, a miner. The family moved to Bell Island when Tom was three months old. He started in business at age 16 with a small convenience store at the top of Court House Hill, moved into the wholesale business and, sometime in the early 1950s, he purchased the former Beach Tramway property. By 1957, he had built the large building seen below, that housed a showroom for International Harvester trucks for which he had the dealership, with his residence above. Source: Who's Who & Why in St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise and Conception Bay South, V. 7 of "Living History" series, by Ron Pumphrey, 1989, pp. 40-42.
The photo above is of a painting by John King that was commissioned by Tom Kelloway of his showroom on Memorial Street in 1962. In the right of the image can be seen a part of the former Tramway warehouse. Photo courtesy of Lew Kelloway. Lew recalls that there was a large set of floor scales and several industrial type flat carts in the old warehouse when he was a child. The loading doors were large and slid open on heavy tracks. Before being torn down in the mid-1960s, the old warehouse was being used by one of the heating oil companies. The Kelloway building is still standing in 2020.
Lew Kelloway salvaged the above Tramway Bell from the old Tramway Warehouse. Photo by Lew Kelloway.
The photos above and below are of the back of the Tramway Bell from the old Tramway Warehouse. Photos by Lew Kelloway.
Some comparative notes on the Bell Island Transportation Company that operated the Beach Tramway (on the right), and (on the left) the Bell Island Steamship Company that seems to have been a sister company.
The Bell Island Steamship Company:
Incorporation Date: 1903. This company served the travelling public and kept Bell Island supplied with freight from St. John's until 1955. Their first ferry was the steam tug Progress. The Mary was also bought to carry freight around Cape St. Francis. Their last ferry, the most popular of all, was the MANECO, Bell Island's first car ferry, which was specially built in 1931 to carry six motor cars. Ownership: J.B. Martin, the largest general merchant on Bell Island at the time, was the co-founder in 1903, along with George Neal (wholesale merchant of St. John's) of the Bell Island Steamship Company, Captain J.C. Colbourne became part of the company after its inauguration. He was superintendent of Dominion Pier at the time; he acted as ships' husband for the steamers at Bell Island. The name MANECO was made up from the first two letters of the owners' names: Martin, Neal and Colbourne. (Source: Addison Bown, "Newspaper History of Bell Island," 1937, p. 67.) |
The Bell Island Transportation Company:
Incorporation Date: 1913. This company was formed to operate the Beach Tramway Ownership: J.B. Martin, businessman at the Front, George Neal, Businessman of St. John's, and Captain Colbourne, each had shares in the MANECO and called themselves the Bell Island Transportation Company. They also owned the tram system that operated on the Beach Hill. (Source: Sydney Bown, personal interview, June 14, 1991.) |
Mention in Bell Island Directories:
(Incorporated in 1903) No mention in 1904 or 1908 Directories. J.B. Martin is listed as "agent for Bell Island Steamship Company" in the 1913, 1915 and 1919 Directories. No other employees are listed. Not listed in either the 1949 or the 1952 telephone directories, even though Addison Bown reported in 1960 that the company operated until 1955. The fact that these phone directories listed the Bell Island Transportation Company even though the Beach Tramway had shut down in 1948, indicates that these two companies had blended into one over the years. In February 1908, the S.S. Mary was flying the "new house flag" of the Bell Island Steamship Company - a white flag with a large red bell in the center. |
Mention in Bell Island Directories:
(Incorporated in 1913) N/A No mention in the 1913 or 1915 Directories. W. [Walter] Squire was listed as the Manager in the 1919 Directory. No other employees are listed. Listed in the 1949 & 1952 telephone directories as "Transportation Company, Wharf: 254R, and Office: 254W." (The Beach Tramway had ceased operation in 1948, but seems to have subsumed the Bell Island Steamship Company at some point. |
NOTE: If you have images of the Beach Tramway to share, you can get in touch by email at [email protected], or via my Facebook Group: Historic Wabana Nfld.