Steam on the DAR

[downeastrailfan]

From Yahoo! Groups "AtlanticRails"

While scanning some old issues of CP Rail News - came across this
in the Mar 7, 1973 issue.

"DO YOU REMEMBER . . . . . the last scheduled steam passenger train
operated on the Dominion Atlantic Railway ?
On Aug 18, 1956, train 97 left Halifax on a final journey to Yarmouth
marking the end of an era in Nova Scotia railroad history.
No flags flew and no crowds gathered to watch the half-century-old
Pacific-type locomotive and coaches weave through the Annapolis Valley
for the last time.
On that final trip only seven passengers boarded at Halifax. Along the
way it managed to attract four more passengers who had come to pay
one last tribute. The lone passenger coach was tacked to the rear as the
journey began.
Although the steam passenger service ended on that bright Saturday
afternoon, the clean little Pacific still roamed the rails hauling freight
during the night until the end of 1957."
- - - by Stephen Morris - - -

I guess the word 'scheduled passenger' is the defining term. In late
July of 1957 I was amongst about 100 Army Cadets from South Western
New Brunswick that crossed the Bay of Fundy on the Princess Helene,
crossed the dock at Digby and boarded coaches and travelled to Kentville
behind steam power. Two weeks later we were crammed into an RDC
for the trip back to Digby.
Danny (Fredericton NB)

[stem]

Sort of an anti-climatic end to it all wasn't it?

Thanks for the Railpace articles. They're all set up up the Articles section on the wiki.

[Dan Conlin]

Neat article Matt. Thanks.
I think people focused on the last steam run of Trains 95 and 98 which were the big daily passenger trains of the day. The Kentville Advertiser and I think the Herald did article and photos of the last week of passenger steam on the DAR and focused on these trains, I think. No. 97 was no doubt the last scheduled steam passenger run but as a smaller mixed train, it was never given the milestone regard that 95 and 98 had.

Dan