Newfoundland Railway : In 1880 the Newfoundland Government authorized the construction of a railway from St. John's to Halls Bay with various branches. Under Newfoundland Act, 44 Vic., Cap. 2 of 9 May 1881 an agreement was made with the Newfoundland Railway Company to build this railway. An 88.4 line from St. John's to Harbour Grace was completed in 1884. Further construction was postponed after the company experienced financial difficulties. In 1885 the Newfoundland Government authorized the construction of a branch line from Whitbourne to Placentia, some 26 miles. This line was completed in 1888 and known as "The Placentia Railway".
In 1890, R.S. Reid received a contract to construct the line to Halls Bay, and took over the Placentia Railway free of charge. The Halls Bay line became known as the "Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway" and was extended during construction to a terminal at Port aux Basques on the West Coast. Reid operated the railway from 1893 on a short-term contract.
In 1896 the Newfoundland Government purchased the line of the Newfoundland Railway Company and operated it. The Newfoundland, Northern and North Western Railway reached Port aux Basques in 1898. On 3 March 1898 a contract between the Newfoundland Government and R.G. Reid was signed whereby Reid undertook to operate the entire railway system, then totalling 637 miles, plus a shipping and telegraph service. Further branch lines were built between 1911 and 1915 totalling 243 miles. After financial problems during the First World War the Reids' transportation operations were taken over by the Newfoundland Government under Newfoundland Act, 14 Geo. V, Cap. 24 of 13 July 1923. The railway which then became known as the Newfoundland Government Railway was operated by a Board of Railway Commissioners until it was transferred, by Newfoundland Act, 17 Geo. V, Cap. 24 of 7 June 1926, to a government department and the name became Newfoundland Railway. After Confederation, on 1 April 1949 it became part of Canadian National Railways. RG30 General Inventory
