Newfoundland and Labrador's physical environment greatly influenced the ways settlers made a living during the 19th century. The richness of marine resources encouraged a pattern of coastal settlement and made the cod and seal fisheries central to local economies. In contrast, the relative scarcity of good soils and other terrestrial resources made large-scale farming operations impractical and discouraged year-round habitation of interior spaces.

After rejecting Confederation with Canada in 1869, railway construction was championed in Newfoundland as the 'work of a country.'

Although the main line was itself a signal feat of engineering and political optimism, branch lines were also integral to the Newfoundland railway.