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Difference between revisions of "Middleton Station"
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File:DAR - Postcard - Middleton Yard East End - Pre 1915 Summer time.jpg|Middleton Station viewed from Middleton's east yard tracks | File:DAR - Postcard - Middleton Yard East End - Pre 1915 Summer time.jpg|Middleton Station viewed from Middleton's east yard tracks | ||
File:THH - 19160621 - MiddletonStationBurnedDown.jpg| From The Halifax Hearld, Middleton Station burnt the morning of 21st June 1916 | File:THH - 19160621 - MiddletonStationBurnedDown.jpg| From The Halifax Hearld, Middleton Station burnt the morning of 21st June 1916 | ||
+ | File:TO - 19160623 - RailwayStationBurned.jpg| From The Outlook, Fire started around 02:30 in the morning, on the west side. | ||
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Revision as of 13:06, 29 March 2016
Middleton Station
Wood Station 1869 - 1890
The first Middleton Railway Station was constructed between 1869 and 1873. It is not known at this time if Middleton was one of the original 10 contracted stations built in 1869 or if it was built sometime before 1873 as one of 23 stations present in 1873 for the newly minted Windsor & Annapolis Railway. Without a photograph, we can surmise that it was likely one of the simple gable roofed W&A first generation stations judging by it's 40' x 22' dimensions and 200' x 11' platform, being the same as Hantsport, Grand Pre, Port Williams, Waterville, Berwick, Aylesford, Lawrencetown and Paradise. The station was also a telegraph station and had a 15' x 8' hand pump water tank as well.[1]
Wood Station 1890 - 21st June 1916
A larger station was built in 1890.[2] Middleton had become a junction point in 1899 between the Nova Scotia Central Railway from Lunenburg, later to become an branch of the [http://hswdpi.ca/wiki Halifax and Southwestern Railway. It was anticipated that Middleton would be the junction of a number of soon-to-be-built branch lines to locations such as the Torbrook Iron Mines, Port Wade and other routes. As a result, the new station was a large three-story station with an impressive tower intended to service the expected growth in trade, traffic and industry.
This large station was destroyed in a disastrous fire on 21st June 1916 [3], the station master (Henry Jacques) and his family plus two men who were asleep in the rest room narrowly escaped. Since a steam engine was "steam up" it was able to move the rolling stock away from the station.
Gallery
Middleton Station in 1904.
Wood Station 8th January 1917[4] - Present
Built on the same site as the original station, the third station was a modest station designed for small towns based on a CPR design-of-the-day intended for secondary stations. The smaller scale, compared to its predecessor station, signalled that the perceived importance of Middleton as a railway hub had indeed never materialized. Middleton did continue to be the interchange point for Halifax and Southwestern (CNR) traffic (including the famous Blueberry Express) to the valley from Bridgewater but apart from that Middleton was a normal level traffic spot on the DAR line. A free standing freight shed addition was built between 1946 and 1956 on the west side as was the station repainted from the DAR straw yellow to CPR tuscan red. At a later date prior to 1973 the free standing shed was expanded again joining it to the station as it is to the present day.
The station is currently home to the Memory Lane Railway Museum [5], a work project of the Future View Training, Rehabilitation and Employment Association, a registered federal non-profit society engaged in bringing selected clients back into the mainsteam through meaningful envolvement in the community.
Gallery
The Middleton Station circa 1946.
Middleton Railyard, Station, Freight Shed and Water Tower on August 27, 1956.
Extra freight led by No. 1046 westbound arriving at Middleton Station, Middleton on August 27, 1956.
Wayfreight led by No. 1046 at Middleton Station, Middleton on Aug 28, 1956.
Dayliner No. 9058 at Middleton Station, 1964.
No. 9058 at Middleton Station west bound.
Middleton, NS station and freight shed in August 1973.
No. 9060 Eastbound at Middleton Station.
No. 9064 is Eastbound at Middleton in front of Middleton Station on September 2, 1978.
No. 9064 is Eastbound at Middleton in front of Middleton Station on September 2, 1978.
"Middleton Station" by C.D. Harris.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Looking railway east from Middleton Station platform. April 1986.
Northwest side of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Southwest side of Middleton Station. April 1986.
South side of Middleton Station. April 1986.
North east side of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Trackside view of Middleton Station. April 1986.
References
- ↑ Alexander MacNab, Windsor and Annapolis Railway, Report of Alexander MacNab Nov 1, 1873 p14, p24
- ↑ 1890 Construction date given in transcript of the Department of Railways and Canals, Engineer's Report, 1890, compiled by J.B. King, Scotian Railroad Society Collection, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, RG28 Series S Vol. 4 File 16
- ↑ “Middleton 1909-1984” Page 26
- ↑ Date staff moved into current station
- ↑ Memory Lane Railway Museum