Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative - Wiki
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Difference between revisions of "Middleton Station"
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Revision as of 09:06, 30 August 2021
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. A nearby locomotive still had its "steam up" from earlier switching duties so it was able to move the rolling stock away from the station.
Gallery
Original photo of Middleton and Middleton Station, circa 1890.
Postcard of original photo of Middleton and Middleton Station, circa 1890.
Middleton with Middleton Station at centre, early 1900's.
Middleton Station in 1904.
Postcard of the Middleton Station in 1904 showing some nearby buildings.
Middleton Station, Water Tower and yard tracks viewed from Middleton's east, circa 1900.
From The Halifax Hearld, Middleton Station burnt the morning of 21st June 1916
From The Outlook, Fire started around 02:30 in the morning, on the west side.
Wood Station 8th January 1917[4] - Present
Built on the same site as the original station, the third station was a modest modern designed for it's time boosting separate freight house, a heating system powered by steam, cypress wood floors, smooth finished ceilings, separate ladies entrance, modern waiting & toilet accommodations.
The new station is single storey based on a CPR design-of-the-day measuring 70'x26' for small towns intended for secondary stations. The new station was built by J.H. Hicks & Sons; B.C. Goodwin was the foreman, Harry Sancton did the brush work, G.W. Crowe the plumbing and I. W. Whiteman the plastering.
With the smaller station Middleton's dream of being a railway hub slowly de-materialized more. 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 became 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 mainstream through meaningful involvement in the community. In 2018, the museum was renamed the Middleton Railway Museum and in 2020 the museum acquired a 4-6-0 CNR locomotive, No. 1521 from the defunct Upper Clements theme park. The locomotive was moved to a section of tracks, reconstructed by a CNR work crew, in front of the Middleton Station on Dec. 17, 2020.[6]
Gallery
Newspaper Article from The Outlook about the new station completion
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.
Middleton Station, photographed by Harold Jenkins, June 1959.
Middleton Station arrival and departure board, 1962.
Dayliner No. 9058 at Middleton Station, 1964.
No. 9058 at Middleton Station west bound, undated.
Frank Lewis working inside Middleton Station, Summer of 1968 or 1969.
No. 9060 Eastbound at Middleton Station, circa summer 1972.
Middleton, NS station and freight shed in August 1973.
Middleton, NS station and freight shed in August 1973.
Middleton Station with parked MOW speeder, July 1974.
Middleton Station - 9th February 1976.
Middleton with Middleton Station on right, G. N. Reagh & Son farm supplies on left and the Middleton Section House in distance viewed from RDC Train No. 2, May 26, 1977.
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.
Middleton Station in June of 1988.
Middleton Station in June of 1988.
Middleton Station Winter time after the line been removed. (Early - Mid 90's)
Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
Middleton Railway Museum after the boxcar was received on August 24, 2021.
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
- ↑ Elizabeth Chiu, "Steam train finds new home at Middleton museum", CBC News, Dec. 20, 2020
