Gaff Topsails, Newfoundland and Labrador

Gaff Topsails is an abandoned railway settlement located in the interior of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, between the communities of Millertown Junction to the east and Kitty's Brook to the west. The population was entirely composed of railway workers and their families that worked on the Newfoundland Railway.

The Topsails takes its name from the surrounding landscape which includes Main Topsail, Missin Topsail, Gaff Topsail and Fore Topsail which taken as a whole is geologically classified as a monadnock. The Topsails rise 61meters — 122meters above the general surface of the central plateau of Newfoundland. It is a barren land, rocky and wind swept and in winter is renowned for its tremendous snow drifts. The area is known for its spectacular scenery and in winter the huge snow drifts that played havoc with the railway.

ee also

* List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
* Newfoundland Railway
* Patrick Kavanagh's novel "Gaff Topsails"

External links

* [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/railway.html Newfoundland Railway - Newfoundland & Labrador Heritage]
* [http://www.durham.net/~kburt/NewfoundlandTrains.html Photos of railway displays and memorabilia]