Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative - Wiki
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The Last Train
The Last Train
The DAR experienced a series of last trains in the late 20th century as equipment was withdrawn, services were cut and track was abandoned. The most memorable to many were the final passenger trains that crossed Western Nova Scotia in January 1990. The final runs were on Sunday January 14, 1990 and groups of people gathered at stations throughout the valley to bid farewell to passenger rail service.[1]
The last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax passenger run, was Train No. 154 with RDCs VIA No. 6119 and VIA No. 6147.[2], crewed from Yarmouth to Kentville by Engineer Floyd Russel, Trainman Robert Coleman and Conductor Sheldon Greene [3] and from Kentville to Halifax by Conductor J.L. Gee, Trainman J. Murray and Engineer A. Russell. [4]
The very final passenger train was the westbound Halifax to Yarmouth Train No. 151 with VIA Rail No. 6143 and VIA Rail No. 6145. It arrived in Yarmouth late in the evening on January 14 to a large farewell crowd and then made a final return trip to Halifax, empty of passengers at 2 am on January 15[5] to be parked at Halifax Station in a long line of RDCs made idle by the system-wide cuts to VIA rail in 1990.
Last Monday-Saturday Trains
VIA Yarmouth - Halifax Train No. 152 pauses at Annapolis Royal Station at 9:05 a.m. on its last run of the Monday to Saturday service on Saturday, January 13, 1990.
Residents of Berwick gather to witness the Monday to Saturday service on Saturday, at the Berwick Station, January 13, 1990.
Farewell to VIA in the Valley - January 13, 1990 article on school children witnessing final week day passenger run at Kentville Station.
Last Yarmouth to Halifax Train
Passengers boarding RDC VIA No. 6119, the last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax run, Jan. 14, 1990.
Interior of RDC VIA No. 6119 on the last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax passenger run, Train No. 154, January 14, 1990.
Meteghan Station with a crowd greeting VIA No. 6119 on the last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax passenger run, Train No. 154, January 14, 1990.
VIA No. 6119 about to leave Meteghan Station for the final time on the last eastbound passenger run, January 14, 1990.
The DAR's dayliner leaves Meteghan Station for the final time on the last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax passenger run, January 14, 1990.
Leaving Meteghan Station for the final time on the last eastbound, Yarmouth to Halifax run, with RDC No. 6147 vanishing into the east, January 14, 1990.
Last Halifax to Yarmouth Train
Ticket from last westbound Evangeline, Jan. 14, 1990.
VIA Rail RDC No. 6143 and VIA Rail RDC No. 6145 about to depart Halifax, the last passenger train on the DAR, Jan. 14, 1990.
Cab of RDC VIA No. 6145 at Yarmouth, having just arrived with last passenger train on the DAR. Engineer is believed to be Willis Forsythe, January 14, 1990.
Cab of RDC VIA No. 6145 at Yarmouth, having just arrived with last passenger train on the DAR, January 14, 1990.
Willis Forsythe in cab of RDC VIA No. 6145 at Yarmouth on the the DAR's last passenger train, just before the RDC returned to Halifax empty about 2 am, January 14/15, 1990.
Allison Durky testing wheels of RDC VIA No. 6145 at Yarmouth before it returned to Halifax empty, ending passenger service on the DAR, January 14/15, 1990.
References
- ↑ David Othen, Dominion Atlantic Railway The Final 25 Years, page 43
- ↑ Ron Haight video, "Farewell to the Little Train in the Valley", 1989, discussed on Facebook Post April 24, 2021
- ↑ Wayne Hines Facebook Post May 29, 2021
- ↑ J. L. Gee, [Facebook Post April 23, 2021
- ↑ "Via Rail train left Yarmouth for last time in 1990", Yarmouth Vanguard January 15, 1990
