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Gowrie Colliery Tramway

by Peter Bryne, 1999

Most railroads in the 19th century generally had to worry about the natural elements. For example, a sun-kink, caused by light rail expanding in the noon day sun, could derail the locomotive causing much confusion. This however is a story of a Nova Scotia railroad that kept shrinking! Well, at least according to the Dominion of Canada annual statistical reports on Nova Scotia railways.

The gauge of this railway was listed as 3 feet 7.5 inches in 1877. The following year it shrunk to 3 feet 7 inches, and remained the next four years at the 43 inch mark. In 1882 Gowrie Colliery Tramway was finally reported as 3 feet 6 inches, and just as well, because the little 4-4-0 Saddle Tank had arrived with a large advertisement, bragging about its 3 foot 6 inch gauge.

The locomotive had been purchased from an engine dealer in 1877, five years after it was built by Hunslet, for the PEI Railway. It has been reported that the little steamer was refused by the island railway for some reason and never had a revenue mile until it reached Cow Bay, Nova Scotia. The Gowrie Mine may date back to 1864. It is believed that a cable tram was used in the original mine. In 1877 the "Balmoral Shaft" was sunk and the Gowrie Coal and Mining Company rebuilt the tramway to accommodate a locomotive powered railway.

The first locomotive was built as PEI RR #7, in Leeds, England in 1872. They must have proved unsuitable however because the PEI Railroad sold it's six other Hunslets in 1881, used, to the Newfoundland Railway Company. They didn't work out very well in Newfoundland either, as that railway turned to 2-6-0 "Mogul" locomotives over their light railway. Gowrie was undoubtedly delighted with the little puffer, because sometime between 1879 and 1882 he added a second identical Hunslet 4-4-0ST to the roster.

The Hunslets had drive wheels the same diameter as it's gauge - 42 inches. And the low pressure boiler was connected to a 10 inch piston, with a 16 inch stroke. The first Locomotive was named "Lassie o'Gowrie". The next one was originally called "Formosa" and later renamed "Blowers P. Archibald" . And for the "rivet counters" out there the builders numbers were Hunslet #95 for the first locomotive and Hunslet #228 for the other.

The Gowrie Coal and Mining Company was sold to Dominion Coal Company in the spring of 1894 and closed . The 1.5 mile railway was abandoned and the fate of the locomotives and the tramway are unknown.

Narrow gauge railroads however are significant in relation to Nova Scotia and world railroad history. The honor of being North America's first narrow gauge steam railroad goes to The Lingan Colliery in Cape Breton in 1866. The Gowrie Colliery Tramway was a credit to its visionaries, who saw steam power as the new frontier. While most mines were still using draught animals in 1877, this company embraced the "iron horse" and all the dreams of those insightful Victorians.

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