Engine Houses and Turntables on Canadian Railways, 1850-1950

A.A. den Otter is a professor of History at the Memorial University of
Newfoundland.

Bush’s book is a historical account of railway roundhouse and
turntables. Prepared for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of
Canada, the work is more scholarly than most books of its genre: it is
replete with footnotes and theoretical discussions. To its credit, it is
also generously endowed with photographs, sketches, and drawings.

Bush’s solid historical work is augmented by clear descriptions of
the mechanical details of the engine houses and turntables. As a result,
the lay reader gets a good feel for the important functions the engine
houses fulfilled in railway operations.

One intriguing question Bush poses is that of technology transfer. Why,
for example, did North Americans adopt the roundhouse technique, rather
than the rectangular structure preferred by the British? According to
Bush, the rectangular engine house, with turntables on the inside,
appears to be more efficient, particularly in harsh climates; yet Canada
rejected British technology in favor of the U.S. example. Given British
technology’s enormous influence on Canadian railways, Bush’s
inability to answer this question is unfortunate.