2 Days on Dominion Atlantic

2 Days on Dominion Atlantic

An article was published in the September-October 1978 issue of an unknown Canadian railfan magazine about some time K. A. W. Gansel exploring the DAR. There were four pages in the article, pages 3 and 4 were a diagram and some photographs (with captions) while pages 2 and 3 had text and some photographs with captions. All four pages are shown below. The text of the article itself (but not the captions) is shown immediately below for search purposes:

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2 DAYS ON DOMINION ATLANTIC

K.A.W. Gansel

The Domi[ni]on Atlantic was started in the year 1866 under the name of the "Windsor and Annapolis Railway" and it was not until 1905 that the last part of the railway was purchased from the Midland Railway. The Midland ran from Truro to Windsor. The Dominion Atlantic was incorporated in 1894 and was leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1912 for 999 years. That is enough of the history, we will deal with the DAR's day to day operation.

DAY ONE:

South Maitland Nova Scotia — South Maitland is located on the line from Truro to Windsor (Truro Sub.Division) is an old and weathered freight shed and it still stands today. It is a reminder of the service that once originated on the line, now the train rarely stops. But the mixed train still runs over the line from Truro to Windsor six days a week ( ex Sun.). The mixed train departs Truro at 0730 and being a mixed train, it does not keep to a schedule, but should be in Windsor by 1000. It returns from Windsor at 1500 and into Truro by 1800 or so. There is quite a bit of freight on the mixed, most of it being interchange traffic with the CN at Truro. We first saw the mixed at Kennetcook, where it stopped to wait on an order. There were no passengers in the coach on this morning trip to Windsor. From there we caught it again at Clarksville, Mosherville, Scotch Village as it travels its way through the pleasant farmlands of the Kennetcook river valley. Upon arrival at Windsor, the coach is left in the small yard and the train does some switching before heading down the line to Kentville.

While all this activity is going on at Windsor, four miles away at Mantua, another daily operation is taking place, that of the DAR's only unit train, that runs from Mantua to Hantsport with gypsum.

The run from Mantua to Hansport is some 12 miles or so and it takes the train of 21 cars about 30 minutes to make the run. The gypsum train makes from 4 to 7 trips a day, depending on the output of the mine at Mantua and has on occasion run seven days a week, but normally, it is a 5 day job. The Canadian Gypsum Company owns two GE 45 ton diesel switchers. One is kept at Hantsport for emptying cars and the other at Mantua to help load the cars. There are three sets of 21 to 24 cars used only for the gypsum service. The gypsum train starts its day around 0530 at Windsor and runs to Mantua for the first set of cars, and returns with the empties which were unloaded during the late afternoon and this starts off the cycle for the day. Also stopping at Windsor are the passenger trains to and from Halifax, so you can see that the activities at Windsor can be very busy at times. Hantsport is located at the top of the grade out of Windsor and the two SW1200RS units grind up the hill at 5 mph, sanding all the way. All trains of gypsum are met by the Canadian Gypsum Company switcher which pulls off the van and starts moving 6 cars at a time into the unloading shed. The engines run around the end of the train and pick up the empty cars and depart for Mantua. The return run is much faster as it is downhill. Also around 1300 or so, No. 24 shows up at Hantsport. This is the train from Kentville to Truro and at times (when the gypsum train is at Hantsport) the tracks are plugged. After dropping off some cars and picking up one or two, No. 24 arrives in Windsor and picks up the coach for the Mixed Train and prepares to get underway for its evening run back to Truro.

This time, there is a passenger going from Windsor to Truro. Having two people along on this trip is an asset, as one can ride the mixed to Clarksville change drivers and riders and the other can get off at Kennetcook (the mixed stops at Kennetcook for supper). The Mixed Trains used CP coach No. 1303 which was built in 1929 and showed its age. Only three lights worked as the battery and generators were on their last legs, and when the train stopped, the lights went out. There's a panel in the ceiling of the coach which sagged and there were signs that the roof had leaked in places. The seats were old and the blinds on the windows were discoloured by sun and weather. However, you couldn't beat the ride on the DAR's only mixed train and the only one left in Nova Scotia and in fact, the only one in the Maritimes. By riding in the coach, one's mind wandered back to the days when the mixed trains were commonplace and you felt that you have been transported back in time. As the twilight gives way to darkness and a light rain, so ends day one on the Route of Evangeline.

DAY TWO:

On the second day of the Dominion Atlantic,we decided that the RDC passenger trains were of importance as they are the only trains which serve Yarmouth Nova Scotia, as CN does not operate passenger service to Yarmouth any more. With the RDC's in mind,we drove from Kentville to a spot known as Clementsport. Here the East and West Moose Rivers come together and empty into the Annapolis Basin - and the DAR bridges this river outlet. At one time it used to open for boats. Clementsport offers a superb photograph of the RDC passenger train and the typical Annapolis Valley with its great number of churches and farmhouses as background. About six miles from Clementsport and on the rail lines to Digby is another bridge at Bear River (near Smiths Cove). Here, you guessed it, the Bear River empties into the Annapolis Basin. This bridge is on a curve and is about twice the length of the Clementsport Bridge. However, the train slows down on the Bear River Bridge which affords time for a good number of photographs.

From Bear River, Digby is only 6 ½ miles away, so one must hurry right along to be in time for the meet of Trains No.1 and 2 which takes place in front of Digby station at 1350. Train No. 1 from Halifax to Yarmouth takes the siding and No. 2 departs for Kentville, Windsor and Halifax. From Digby, passengers can connect with the ferry to Saint John and vice-versa. However the ferry terminal is located about three miles from the DAR station and a fleet of taxis run back and forth. Taxi charges are not included in the ferry or rail ticket prices. There is a great amount of excitement around the station as the two trains meet and passengers go to and from the ferry. A few years ago, the ferry used to arrive at the pier in town which was only a mile or less from the station, it also had a rail line on it and at one time the train would pull up along side of the ferry. CP built a new ferry terminal further out of town to allow for the bigger ferry to get in and out during the low and high tides of the Bay of Fundy.

At Windsor Jct., the DAR line connects with the CN and the DAR has running rights into Halifax. The first such train into Halifax was 1 January 1872, some 106 years ago. The station at Windsor Jct. is a joint station with the agent selling tickets for both the DAR and CN. It's a 216 mile trip from Yarmouth to Halifax and it takes the RDC 5 hrs. and 40 minutes to make the run.

The DAR at one time had its own motive power and other equipment marked ‘Dominion Atlantic', but with the coming of the CP Rail multi-mark and diesel engines, the CPR markings were applied. However, tickets are still being issued marked 'DAR' and there is a sign at Kentville Station 'Dominion Atlantic Railway', and that brings to the close another day on the DAR.

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