School Visits

THE NEWFOUNDLAND RAILWAY

The Newfoundland Railway was one of the most important developments in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador. It tied the island together, opened up new industries for development, and became an important symbol for many people. Understanding how the railway affected Newfoundland and Labrador is an important part of understanding our heritage.

THE COASTAL BOAT SERVICE

But the railway couldn’t do it by itself. Tied to the tracks, the railway could only reach a small number of the hundreds of small communities scattered about the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. People depended upon the coastal boats to deliver goods, bring the mail, and transport people to and from the outports. Without the coastal boat service, the railway would have been largely inaccessible to much of the population. The coastal boats are just as important to Newfoundland and Labrador’s Heritage as the Railway.

CHOOSING A TOPIC

Deciding you want to do your Heritage fair project on the Newfoundland Railway or the Coastal Boat Service is a great start, but you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of information available. In order to do a detailed project, you’ll need to focus on a specific aspect of the railway or coastal boat service. There are lots of great topics to discover, such as:

  The St. John’s Dry Dock
  The Labrador Run of the Coastal Service
  Train service during the Wars
  The St. John’s Street Railway.

These topics are smaller and more manageable, and you’ll be able to produce a more focused and interesting project. Or tell your own story – talk to your parents and grandparents and see what stories they may have about the Newfoundland Railway.

RESEARCHING YOUR PROJECT

There are many resources available to you when researching your Heritage Fair project. A good starting place is your local museum, library, heritage site, or even town office. All these places may have useful information. People are often your best resource. Ask your teachers, your parents, your grandparents, or anyone else who may have information or stories relating to your project. Here are some more traditional research resources to consider:

  The Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University.
  The Provincial Archives of NL, the Rooms.
  The Maritime History Archive, Memorial University.
  The Newfoundland Room at the A. C. Hunter Library in St. John’s.
  Your local library.

Many of these places have websites with useful information, as well as pictures and original documents. The Centre for Newfoundland Studies has a Digital Archive Initiative that has many such resources.

How We Can Help

The staff at the Railway Coastal Museum are ready to help. We can suggest books and other resources, find pictures to help you, and we can put you in touch with people who worked and traveled on the trains and coastal services in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have:

  Posters
  Postcards
  Books about the Railway and Coastal Boat Service
  Photographs and original documents
  Volunteers who worked on the railway or coastal boats.
  Expertise!

Please feel free to contact the Railway Coastal Museum by phone, fax, mail, or e-mail if you have any questions or requests.

Or come by for a visit!