Cool Underground Tunnel and Nanaimo's Old Mine Shafts

[Peter Roosen]

Someone started another thread using this interesting aerial image. (Started by Steamer_1949, 06-16-2011 09:21 PM) I was looking for the aerial tramline that serviced the Harewood Mines but don't see it. I have heard it was still erect in the 1950s. Anyone know when it was taken down? Where did it come through town to reach the wharves?

Here are the mining and railway related remaining details Steamer_1949 provided for this image:
"Aerial photos of old Nanaimo
Here is an aerial view of downtown Nanaimo ca. 1940. There is a myriad of details to see.
A few that catch my attention:
The coal wharfs are in operation.
The bastion is visible. (B)
A CPR steam ship is at the terminal. (O)
Two steam powered passenger trains are at the station. (S) If you zoom in you can steam escaping from the southbound locomotive.
The is an engine house (for locomotives) at X. It has a transfer table rather than a turntable.
... "

By the way, what was that huge building in the middle at what is now the casino and shopping mall? Old enough to have been a HBC or CPR Warehouse? Not nice enough to have been the Simpson Sears store which I think came along in the late 1950s. I remember the tired looking old bus depot that was on Cameron Island 20+ years ago. Don't see it in this image. Anyone have a similar image showing details further to the left and/or to the right?

[Steamer_1949]

Someone started another thread using this interesting aerial image. (Started by Steamer_1949, 06-16-2011 09:21 PM) I was looking for the aerial tramline that serviced the Harewood Mines but don't see it. I have heard it was still erect in the 1950s. Anyone know when it was taken down? Where did it come through town to reach the wharves?

By the way, what was that huge building in the middle at what is now the casino and shopping mall? Old enough to have been a HBC or CPR Warehouse? Not nice enough to have been the Simpson Sears store which I think came along in the late 1950s. I remember the tired looking old bus depot that was on Cameron Island 20+ years ago. Don't see it in this image. Anyone have a similar image showing details further to the left and/or to the right?

Peter, I was wondering if you might figure out who might be Steamer_1949. Did you look under the thread about the history of Departure Bay?

The supports for the tramway were quite lacy. If they existed when the aerial photo was taken, it would be difficult to pick them out. They ran down Albert Street.

The CPR wharf was ready for operation in 1950 some years after the date of the photo. I have other adjacent photos. What would you like to see? I wasn't going to do more, but since you said something I will post another aerial taken at a higher altitude under that thread.

I looked through a stereoscopic viewer to study the rectangular details at the centre of the photo. None are buildings. They are all playing fields. The largest is the ball diamond with Scotsman Bluff at 7 o'clock. I suspect the square to the right of the ball diamond and the larger rectangle directly above are bowling greens. They both have high structures along one edge probably for judging. The smallest rectangle might be a tennis court.

[Nostradama]

By the way, what was that huge building in the middle at what is now the casino and shopping mall? Old enough to have been a HBC or CPR Warehouse? Not nice enough to have been the Simpson Sears store which I think came along in the late 1950s. I remember the tired looking old bus depot that was on Cameron Island 20+ years ago. Don't see it in this image. Anyone have a similar image showing details further to the left and/or to the right?

I believe it may have been an Eaton's store or perhaps a Bay store. I first came through Nanaimo in about 1950 and I remember going through the store to a smallish-type restaurant inside. However, that's a lot of years ago.

[GR74]

Lunchboy!

[Peter Roosen]

Peter, I was wondering if you might figure out who might be Steamer_1949. Did you look under the thread about the history of Departure Bay?

The supports for the tramway were quite lacy. If they existed when the aerial photo was taken, it would be difficult to pick them out. They ran down Albert Street.

The CPR wharf was ready for operation in 1950 some years after the date of the photo. I have other adjacent photos. What would you like to see? I wasn't going to do more, but since you said something I will post another aerial taken at a higher altitude under that thread.

I looked through a stereoscopic viewer to study the rectangular details at the centre of the photo. None are buildings. They are all playing fields. The largest is the ball diamond with Scotsman Bluff at 7 o'clock. I suspect the square to the right of the ball diamond and the larger rectangle directly above are bowling greens. They both have high structures along one edge probably for judging. The smallest rectangle might be a tennis court.

1.Yes, I am now able to connect the dots from looking at the Departure Bay thread!
2.The fields had me fooled. Being a square-headed engineer, I was thinking too linearly and assumed they had to be buildings.
3.To the left, of interest to me would be the ruins of the major waterfront colliery operations left standing until sometime in the 1950s and to the right would be the Millstone River mouth gas plant and sawmill that I hear were both still standing in the 1950s.
4. Fantastic work you do with finding, tweaking and interpreting these images to make them come to life!

[Tenspot]

That old rail seaction is iin better condition than what the CPR has left us with for the E&N

[km111]

Hello everyone, WOW lots of information. I have spent the last three days going threw all the info. So my question is......what mine should i go to explore first? I have been wanting to look for sometime, i have read a lot on the mining and just got a map with all the mine. I just don't know where to start....my girlfriend and I could use any help. Thanks so very much.

We are in Nanaimo. We headed out today in search of the mines off Spruston Road. Thanks

[g-man]

GR74 - The map on page 18 of Robert D Turner's Vancouver Island Railroads shows a "Western Fuel Co." line connecting with the E&N mainline at Stockett. There is also a Western Fuel spur shown which roughly parallels the east side of the E&N from just north of mile post 70.5 to just south of mile post 70. This WFCo line brought coal from the Harewood and Wakesiah mines according to the map. I thought the rail you were talking about might be the remnants of this old WFCo spur.

[riverrat]

Welcome, km111 !
I look forward to hearing about your finds, too. I'm not sure you'll get a very straightforward answer to your question, though.

[Steamer_1949]

3.To the left, of interest to me would be the ruins of the major waterfront colliery operations left standing until sometime in the 1950s and to the right would be the Millstone River mouth gas plant and sawmill that I hear were both still standing in the 1950s.
4. Fantastic work you do with finding, tweaking and interpreting these images to make them come to life!

3. OK, the left and right... got it! I will post the photos under the Aerial Photo thread to keep them together. Keep us posted if you can identify the gas plant and sawmill!
4. Thanks for the comment.