Page 1 - Remembering the "Judique Flyer"

ISSUE : Issue 19

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1978/6/1

Remembering the "Judique Flyer" Hughie Dan Maclsaac and Gussy Carmichael, 1978; Engine 4 at Glencoe Station before 1912, the Driver is John James MacDonald I and the Conductor is Jack Mac- Eachern; Engine 404 in the 1930s with Neil MacEachern, Brakeman, Dan MacDonald, Baggagemaster and Conductort Angus MacEachern, Sec- tionman, Dan MacLellan, Sectionman Freddy Smith, Morrison, Driver. Gussy Campbell; They called this train the "Judique Flyer." Why it got that name I can't tell you. Judique was noted for rough men, and they got their fame in Gloucester and all those fishing countries for scrapping and getting into rackets • fame for being powerful men, though I don't think they were better than anyone else. But they got the name, the Judiquers. And I guess that's why the train was christ? ened the "Judique Flyer." Here we have just the one mainline from Port Hastings to Inverness, with sidings here and there. But listen, you can't be? lieve it. In the 'forties, now, coming home at night, Judique Station was pretty much like Truro is today. You couldn't move a- round there with horses and wagons and the platform loaded, people coming to meet the ones coming on the train. Hughie Dan Mac- Isaac: Same thing here at Creignish. Crowd of young fellows gathering around around mail time, train time. Many more people around then than there are today. Gussy: Every station • it was nothing to see 30 and 40 teams around, waiting for trains. Paul MacNeil, Archie Gussy: You see, there's no stations now but Inverness. At one time there was a station at Troy up here • they didn't have an operator in there. But they had an operator in here at Creignish. Then they had a flag station down at Craigmore • just where the train would stop and they'd put off baggage and pick up mail and passengers • but there was no operator there. Then you got to Judique and there was an operator there. Then you went down to Maryville • a flag station there. And then there was an operator at Port Hood and a big station. Then Glencoe Station was a flag station. Only the name is there now. Then you got to Mabou • another big station there. Then you went down to Glen- dyer and there was a small station at Glendyer, a flag station. Then you went down to Black River, and there was a sta? tion there. And one at Strathlome and one at Inverness. Hughie Dan: But you have to remember there were five trains on the road then. Five trains a day, yes. Two passenger trains • one going to Port Hastings in the morning. CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE, NUMBER NINETEEN WRECK COVE, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA SECOND CLASS MAIL • REGISTRATION NUMBER 3014

Cape Breton's Magazine