Many people in the Washademoak area would bring their wheat to the Codys to be ground, farmers coming along the lake road with their wagons loaded. Besides returning with flour, farmers would shovel their wagons full with the buckwheat hulls, using these to bank their houses for warmth or to spread their cow stables for cleanliness. Parts for the grist-mill, such as the cogs and wheels, were ordered from a dealer in Saint John and sent up on the train via the Norton-Chipman run. The trainman was told, "Throw this off at Cody's," and after a number of times, the name "Codys" began to eponymously replace the original name of the community which was "Johnston" (after the parish). In time, George Redmond gave some of his land for the railroad and for the little station house that came to be called "Cody's Station."[18] Mr. Gerald Connell (1913-2011) worked for the CPR for 29 years, starting in 1946. He shared his memories of working at the Chipman station, after working for 17 years as stationmaster at Codys until the rail was closed, at the Chipman Public Library's Christmas party December 23, 2008. Read more. [19] This railway station was a stopping point for visitors to the area, and would have allowed visitors access to the Washademoak Lake region. In Queens County, rail travel allowed visitors easier access to communities that were not necessarily on the river route. Today CPR Engine 144 is preserved as the oldest surviving Canadian-built steam locomotive, and is currently displayed at Explorail, the Canadian Railway Museum, in Saint-Constant, Quebec. Steam Engine #29 stands at the entrance to the Canadian Pacific Railway's North America headquarters in Calgary. CPR Locomotive #136 moved on to run excursions for tourists at the South Simcoe Heritage Railway in Tottenham, Ontario.[20] Mr. Bob Boudreau, a retired Canadian Coast Guard in Saint John, shares his memories of the former CPR railway bridge at Cody: "The remains of the former CPR railway bridge at Codys were partially submerged in the river and had become a hazard to navigation. The CG had ordered the CPR to have the abutments removed. This was done under the Navigable Waters Protection Act. An area contractor was to blow them out using explosives, and I was asked to be there to ensure they were indeed removed.
I was about a quarter mile away from the site when the explosion happened, I took a photo (not sure where it is) and figured out the water was blown some 700-800 feet into the air. After it was over, nothing remained but debris from the pilings and plenty of dead fish! It was a fun assignment! I was on a railfan trip behind #136 on the South Simcoe Railway years ago, and have been behind sister engine #29 when it was running here in NB on the Salem & Hillsborough Railway. #29 was severely burned when its shed was torched. It was then returned to the CPR who refurbished it cosmetically and it was placed on display in front of their Calgary headquarters." Mr. Boudreau retired in 2001 as the Navigable Waters Protection Officer for NB and PEI, a position he held for 9 years. (Mr. Boudreau, personal communication to Kevin Crannie, 14 Feb. 2016) Comments are closed.
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