For well over a century, the narrow-gauge Newfoundland railway played a vital role in the growth and development of the tiny island in the North Atlantic. From the commencement of construction in 1881 to the shutdown in 1988, it was a most colourful line, to say the least. It took over 547 miles to cross a 300-mile-wide island, and it had curves sharper and grades steeper than in the Rocky Mountains. There were only 131 miles of straight track, a bridge for every four miles, and a human wind-gauge to safely let trains pass. In Newfoundland, the railway wasn't simply a means of transportation - it was a way of life. Take an all-colour photographic journey from the capital city of St. John's to the ferry connection at Port aux Basques on the longest narrow-gauge railway in North America.