INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY:
New Glasgow and Pictou Landing Branch

Industries on the Layout

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The following industries are being modelled on the layout:

Inter-Supply Ltd. Ready Mix Concrete , New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

This was originally Casey Concrete who have an operation between Trenton Works and the Nova Scotia Power Plant in Trenton.   I needed the track for my propane dealer, so it was moved to New Glasgow to represent Inter-Supply Ltd.  They will be receiving cement by covered hopper from Lafarge in Brookfield, Nova Scotia and from Ciment Quebec. 

 

Drummond Mine, Westville, Nova Scotia

The last underground mine in Westville, the Drummond pit, closed in the late 1970s.  It is providing coal for the Trenton Generating Station.  

 

Michelin, Granton Nova Scotia

Michelin Tire operates three plants in Nova Scotia.  The one in Granton is the only one served by rail.  It opened in 1971.  The three Nova Scotia plants operate as one plant with each one producing a different part of the tire and all plants producing completed tires.  The plant in Granton takes in by rail the raw materials including natural rubber, carbon black, silica dust, kaolin, talc, calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide, 2-vinylpyridine.  It ships out completed tires and the rubber mix for the other two locations.  

 

Nova Scotia Power, Trenton Generating Station, Trenton Nova Scotia

The Trenton Generating Station is a coal powered plant fed by Pictou County coal as well as coal from Sydney, Nova Scotia.  I have chosen not to model any of the local operations as they were quite small in 1978.  All of the coal on my layout will come from Sydney in open hoppers.

 

Scott Paper, Abercrombie Nova Scotia

Scott Paper opened in Abercrombie in 1965.   It produces kraft pulp for other Scott Paper plants.  This mill produces more than 260,000 metric tons of pulp per year.  It receives by rail, pulp wood (from various Nova Scotia locations), chlorine, calcium carbonate, sulfuric acid, and empty box cars.  It ships out kraft pulp in box cars to be shipped by sea or to Eastern North America plants by rail, including Westbrook Maine and Gatineau, Quebec.  Today the plant is owned and operated by Neenah Paper and continues to produce kraft pulp.

 

Sobey's Warehouse, Stellarton Nova Scotia

Sobey's began as meat delivery business in 1907 and has grown into a national chain of grocery stores.  It's head office and warehouse is still in Stellarton, Nova Scotia.  In 1978 Sobey's was a Maritime Provinces chain and had their head office and warehouse in Stellarton.  Sobey's will be receiving fruit, vegetables, frozen product, meat and dry goods by rail.  They will be shipping to other warehouses in the Maritimes by rail.

 

Tibbetts Paint, Trenton Nova Scotia

Tibbett's Paints was established in 1947 and was Nova Scotia's only paint producer.  It was a well known Nova Scotia company producing much of the commercial paint for Nova Scotia including road paint, ship paint for the Canadian Navy.  It also had a home retail product line.  Mr. R.C. Tibbett's was an active member of the Canadian Railway Historical Association and had a number of steam engines on the property. Tibbett's receives Calcium Carbonate (400,000 kg/year), Titanium Dioxide, Talc, Kaolin, Barite, turpentine, pigments.  We will be shipping out paint by box car.  Tibbett's Paints went bankrupt in 1999.  

 

Trenton Works, Trenton Nova Scotia

Trenton Works is a direct descendant of the Hope Iron Works founded in 1872 by two blacksmiths.  In 1883 the first steel in Canada was produced at the Trenton plant.  In 1912, the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company formed Eastern Car Company and set up a factory next to the steel operations to make railway cars.  By 1978 Hawker Siddley and / or it's affiliates owned Trenton Works.  In 1978 CP ordered 100 side dumping cars from Trenton Works and CN ordered ballast hoppers.   Trenton Works will be receiving steel coils and steel wheels by rail and will be shipping out completed railcars and empty gondolas.  Some time after 1978 Trenton works was sold to Greenbrier who just months ago in 2007 closed the whole operation ending 135 years of history. 

 

D.C. Trueman Lumber Company (formerly Riversdale Lumber), Valley Nova Scotia

Trueman Lumber actually went out of business years ago in Truemanville, Nova Scotia.  The RIversdale Lumber Company has had a number of owners and I am  going to say in 1978 it was called the D.C. Trueman Lumber Company.  This is named after my wife's uncle whose working life was in the Department of Forestry for Nova Scotia.  His father and grandfather ran the Truemanville operation.  Our Uncle Don is a wonderful man and we are naming this company after him.  It is located outside of Truro in Valley, Nova Scotia and will be on Phase 3 of my layout.

Other Industries that will be served on the layout include, MacLeod's Farm Machinery in New Glasgow, Irving Fuel in New Glasgow, Superior Propane in Trenton, Pictou Landing CO-OP in Pictou Landing and a ship building company in Pictou served through Pictou Landing.

 

Lafarge, Brookfield, Nova Scotia

Lafarge has an active quarry in Brookfield Nova Scotia for a number of years.  Material from Lafarge supplies the railway as well as smaller dealers on the layout.

 

Superior Propane, Truro and New Glasgow

Superior Propane is the largest Propane dealer in Canada.  I have a number of the Superior Propane Atlas tank cars and they move around the layout to different Superior Propane locations.  They are represented by actual sidings / industries in Truro and New Glasgow and simply to to the yard at other locations.

 

Eastern CO-OP, Antingonish, Nova Scotia

This was an active and large CO-OP in 1978. 

 

MacGillivray Fuels, Antigonish, Nova Scotia

This business still exists and received fuel by rail in 1978

 

Irving Lumber (various locations)

I have one location modelled on my layout between Antigonish and Havre Boucher.  Others are represented off the layout.

 

Mulgrave Machine Works, Mulgrave, Nova Scotia

This business still exists and is in a much larger facility than 1978.  They are an established metal fabricator and custom manufacturer.  They serves various industries including the onshore/offshore oil and gas, light/heavy industrial, and marine sectors across the globe. MMW’s early beginnings were in the forestry and fishing sectors. As other business settled in the area, the company diversified, adding specialized industry expertise to service the oil and gas and heavy industrial sectors.

 

Construction Aggregates, Auld's Cove, Nova Scotia

This is the large mountain quarry that supplied the stone for the Canso Causeway.  It was dormant after the Causeway opened in the 1950's.  In 1978 the Chisholm Family bought the quarry and opened two businesses, including Construction Aggregates.   The business has grown over the years and the Chisholm's no longer own it, but they did in 1978.

 

Newfoundland Ferry, North Sydney, Nova Scotia

This is a siding that allows me to send all sorts of things to Newfoundland as rolling stock moved over on the ferry and were put on narrow gauge trucks on the other side.