Great Western Railway Locomotive #51 “Oberon”

The Great Western Railway Company of Canada Papers (1862-1879) were presented to the Hamilton Public Library by Mr. Frank Jones in September 1966, along with an interesting story about their being saved from destruction, as recounted below:

"In November 1963, a Canadian National Railway storehouse at the foot of Queen Street North in Hamilton was destroyed with all of its contents by order of the railway management. The storehouse contained all of the papers and records of the Great Western Railway Company of Canada from, probably, about 1854 until its absorption by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1882.

Employees of the Steel Company of Canada at their Ontario Works, which property adjoins the railway yard, picked up a few sheets which had blown onto the Steel Company property and brought them to Mr. Frank Jones of the Industrial Relations General Office. Realizing their value and historical importance, Mr. Jones at once made enquiries about the preservation of the rest of the records, but by that time it was too late.

Thus the early railroad paylists, casualty reports, time sheets, and in fact, most of the papers connected with the beginning of the railroad history in Hamilton were destroyed by persons in authority who lacked all sense of the value of early railroad documents.

The papers were presented to the Hamilton Public Library in September of 1966 by Mr. Frank Jones."

Mary Harrington Farmer

September 1966

1. Pay lists

Dec. 21, 1862 - Jan. 3, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 1

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 2

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 3

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 4

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Windsor inside loco dept. - 5

Feb. 1 - 14, 1863 Mechanical dept. - 6

Feb. 1 - 14, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 7 to 12

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 13 to 18

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Hamilton inside loco dept. - 19 to 24

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 Niagara Toronto inside loco dept. - 25

Jan. 4 - 17, 1863 London inside loco dept. - 26

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 Niagara toronto inside loco dept. - 27

Jan. 18 - 31, 1863 London inside loco dept. - 28

2. a. Time Sheets

Pages 29 to 75

August 1875

October 1875

December 1875

February 1876

April 1876

June 1876

August 1876

For:

E. Burk

W. Pouley

W. Steers

J. Lister

C. Farr

M. Mullin

A. Collins

2. b. Time Sheets

Pages 76 to 103

May 1878

July 1878

September 1878

November 1878

January 1879

March 1879

May 1879

For:

W. McLean

J. Sullavan

E. Richardson

H.F. Kivell

J. McGrory

E.L. Richardson

A. McDonald

J. Males

G. Bunn

J. Brierley

M. McCardall 

3. Engine drivers' returns

Aug. 6, 1881 Engine no. 116 - 104

Aug. 6, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 105

Aug. 7, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 106

Aug. 8, 1881 Engine no. 344 - 107

Aug. 8, 1881 Engine no. 116 - 108

4. Casualty reports

July 11, 1874 Hamilton station - 109 to 110

Feb. 25, 1876 St. Thomas station - 111 to 112

5. Telegraphic train order

Dec. 24, 18-- Order to train no. 12 at Galt - 113

-------- Printed instructions to train

operators, by C. Stiff,

superintendent - 114