Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative - Wiki
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Difference between revisions of "Coldbrook"
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While [[Coldbrook Station]] was reduced to a flag stop in the 1930s, it received a mail crane featured in a widely circulated photo of the last DAR mail train in 1956. | While [[Coldbrook Station]] was reduced to a flag stop in the 1930s, it received a mail crane featured in a widely circulated photo of the last DAR mail train in 1956. | ||
| − | On Oct. 30, 1965, the DAR's "Dayliner", [[DAR9058|RDC 9058]] was involved in a [[Chronicle-Herald 1965-11-01 - Dayliner Wreck|head on crash]] with a [[Burro Crane]] in Coldbrook at Mile 3 just east of the village, injuring | + | On Oct. 30, 1965, the DAR's "Dayliner", [[DAR9058|RDC 9058]] was involved in a [[Chronicle-Herald 1965-11-01 - Dayliner Wreck|head on crash]] with a [[Burro Crane]] in Coldbrook at Mile 3 just east of the village, injuring four people, destroying a flatcar and badly damaging RDC 9058.<ref>[[Chronicle-Herald 1965-11-01 - Dayliner Wreck|"Dayliner Wreck", ''Chroncile-Herald'', Nov. 1, 1965]]</ref> |
Coldbrook became the "end of track" for the DAR in 1990 when the line abandoned all of its tracks west of Kentville, except for 4.6 miles of track from Kentville to Coldbrook to service the [[Scotia Gold]] Plant. Tracks were finally removed in 1993. | Coldbrook became the "end of track" for the DAR in 1990 when the line abandoned all of its tracks west of Kentville, except for 4.6 miles of track from Kentville to Coldbrook to service the [[Scotia Gold]] Plant. Tracks were finally removed in 1993. | ||
Latest revision as of 19:35, 19 November 2025
Coldbrook, Nova Scotia
Subdivision Kentville, Mile 4.4
Facilities & Features
Commerce & Industry
- Spur to Scotian Gold, Mile 4.2
- Spur to Hayes sawmill, Mile 4.29
- Siding for Shell Oil Bulk Dealer
Description & History
This small station on the DAR came to host several major industries. A large farm in the area was named "Colebrook" after a community in Wales, but the village became known as Cold Brook Station in 1869 when the Windsor & Annapolis Railway arrived. The community grew in the late 19th century and came to host two saw mills and the William Bligh apple warehouse in 1908. A bulk oil depot was built by the Canadian Oil company in the late 1920s selling White Rose gasoline. Later bought by Shell Oil, it remained in Coldbrook until the early 1970s when Shell moved operations to Kentville. The United Fruit Companies built a pair of large warehouses and a processing plant at Coldbrook in 1946. This plant became the Scotian Gold Co-operative in 1957 and steadily expanded in the 1960s.
While Coldbrook Station was reduced to a flag stop in the 1930s, it received a mail crane featured in a widely circulated photo of the last DAR mail train in 1956.
On Oct. 30, 1965, the DAR's "Dayliner", RDC 9058 was involved in a head on crash with a Burro Crane in Coldbrook at Mile 3 just east of the village, injuring four people, destroying a flatcar and badly damaging RDC 9058.[1]
Coldbrook became the "end of track" for the DAR in 1990 when the line abandoned all of its tracks west of Kentville, except for 4.6 miles of track from Kentville to Coldbrook to service the Scotia Gold Plant. Tracks were finally removed in 1993.
Operations & Orders
Gallery
postcard of the Coldbrook Station in winter showing waiting passengers with the flag stop banner deployed, postmarked June 3, 1908.
Coldbrook Station, circa 1910.
CPR track profile drawing for Coldbrook showing locations of the Blight apple warehouse and the Coldbrook Station, Mar. 18, 1918.
DAR specials Middleton to Coldbrook in The Kentville Advertiser, Sept. 24, 1918.
Coldbrook Station August 1949 with eastbound express about to hook the mail crane.
The United Fruit Companies, later Scotian Gold, apple processing and storage facility at Coldbrook, October, 1949.
Topographic map from Berwick to Kentville circa 1956.
John Twaddle sets up postal catch post at Coldbrook for last DAR mail trains, with the White Rose bulk fuel dealer behind, photographed by James Twaddle, Aug. 14, 1956.
The last mail delivery by train at Coldbrook, photographed by James Twaddle, Aug. 14, 1956.
The last mail delivery by train at Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, 1956.
Coldbrook Station, east end of station, August 1960.
Air photo of Coldbrook with the Scotian Gold Plant, White Rose Oil bulk plant and Atlantic Wholesalers, ex Howard Bligh warehouse, circa 1963-64.
1977 photo of Coldbrook.
DAR mainline at Coldbrook looking east from Highway 101, Winter 1990.
Abandonment of the Kentville and Yarmouth Subdivisions with crews lifting track at Coldbrook, Bligh Warehouse in background, March 28, 1990.
End of the mainline, Bligh Warehouse in background, 1993.
DAR mainline at Coldbrook looking west towards Scotia Gold, 1991.
DAR mainline at Coldbrook looking east from HW 101, 1991.
Spur to Scotian Gold, 1993
DAR tracks being removed at Coldbrook looking east towards the Highway 101 overpass,circa 1994.
DAR tracks being removed at Coldbrook behind Scotia Gold looking east towards the Highway 101 overpass, circa 1994.
Former Howard Bligh & Sons Coldbrook Warehouse, October 12, 2002.
References & Footnotes
- "Coldbrook", Places and Placenames of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Archives, p. 139-140.
- Marie Bishop, Memories of Coldbrook, Kings Historical Society (1999).
- Alexander MacNab, Windsor and Annapolis Railway, Report of Alexander MacNab Nov 1, 1873
- 1969 Memorandum of General Information
