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Difference between revisions of "Middleton Station"

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==Wood Station 1890 - 21st June 1916==
 
==Wood Station 1890 - 21st June 1916==
  
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A larger station was built in 1890.<ref>1890 Construction date given in transcript of the Department of Railways and Canals, Engineer's Report, 1890, compiled by [[J. B. King]], [[:Category:Scotian Railroad Society|Scotian Railroad Society]] Collection, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, RG28 Series S Vol. 4 File 16</ref> 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 Mines|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.
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A larger station was built in 1890.<ref>Construction tender issued by W&A General Manager J.W. King Mar. 28, 1890 with an application deadline for April 19, 1890, Kentville ''The New Star'' April 11 1890, courtesy [[:Category:Gerald Cudmore|Gerald Cudmore]], and construction completed by year's noted in transcript of the Department of Railways and Canals, Engineer's Report, 1890, compiled by [[J. B. King]], [[:Category:Scotian Railroad Society|Scotian Railroad Society]] Collection, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, RG28 Series S Vol. 4 File 16</ref> 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 Mines|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 <ref> “Middleton 1909-1984” Page 26 </ref>, 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.
 
This large station was destroyed in a disastrous fire on 21st June 1916 <ref> “Middleton 1909-1984” Page 26 </ref>, 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.
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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.  
 
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.  
  
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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.  
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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]], a construction firm and sawmill operation that built the majority of the valley's [[:Category:Apple Warehouses|apple warehouses]], as well as many stations.; 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 [http://hswdpi.ca/wiki 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.
 
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 [http://hswdpi.ca/wiki 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.
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===Gallery===
 
===Gallery===
 
<Gallery perrow=5>
 
<Gallery perrow=5>
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File:TO - 19170112 - NewRRStation - Open19170108.jpg | Newspaper Article from The Outlook about the new station completion  
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File:CRMW1916Oct.jpg|[[:Category:Canadian Railway and Marine World|''Canadian Railway and Marine World'']] note on contract for new [[Middleton Station]] awarded to [[J. H. Hicks & Sons]], Oct. 1916.
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File:TO - 19170112 - NewRRStation - Open19170108.jpg | Newspaper Article from ''The Outlook'' about the new station completion, Jan. 8, 1917.
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File:Middleton Station.jpg|Middleton Station in 1940.
  
 
Image:Middleton Station 1946.jpg|The [[Middleton Station]] circa 1946.
 
Image:Middleton Station 1946.jpg|The [[Middleton Station]] circa 1946.
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File:12846.jpg|[[Middleton Station]] with parked [[:Category:Motorcars|MOW speeder]], July 1974.
 
File:12846.jpg|[[Middleton Station]] with parked [[:Category:Motorcars|MOW speeder]], July 1974.
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File:Middleton Mason 2.jpg|[[Middleton Station]] with loaded gondolas on spur, 1975.
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File:Middleton Mason 1.jpg|[[Middleton Station]], looking west along DAR mainline, 1975.
  
 
File:Slide 55 - 9 feb 76.JPG|[[Middleton Station]] - 9th February 1976.
 
File:Slide 55 - 9 feb 76.JPG|[[Middleton Station]] - 9th February 1976.
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Image:Middleton_Railway_Museum_b.jpg|Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
 
Image:Middleton_Railway_Museum_b.jpg|Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
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File:Middleton Museum 2021-08-30.jpeg|Middleton Railway Museum after the boxcar was received on August 24, 2021.
  
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>

Latest revision as of 21:35, 27 January 2025

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

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, a construction firm and sawmill operation that built the majority of the valley's apple warehouses, as well as many stations.; 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

References

  1. ↑ Alexander MacNab, Windsor and Annapolis Railway, Report of Alexander MacNab Nov 1, 1873 p14, p24
  2. ↑ Construction tender issued by W&A General Manager J.W. King Mar. 28, 1890 with an application deadline for April 19, 1890, Kentville The New Star April 11 1890, courtesy Gerald Cudmore, and construction completed by year's noted 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
  3. ↑ “Middleton 1909-1984” Page 26
  4. ↑ Date staff moved into current station
  5. ↑ Memory Lane Railway Museum
  6. ↑ Elizabeth Chiu, "Steam train finds new home at Middleton museum", CBC News, Dec. 20, 2020

Reference Tag

External Links

Harry Jost and Barry Moody, Historic Sites and Monuments Board Report, Railway Station Report, Canadian Pacific Railway Middleton, Nova Scotia, RSR-94, April/May 1992

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