The Windsor Branch

The Windsor Branch

An important aspect of the history and operations of the DAR was the Windsor Branch which included the tracks of what became the DAR's Halifax Subdivision from Windsor to Windsor Junction. The Windsor Branch was part of the Nova Scotia Railway built by the government of the colony of Nova Scotia between Halifax and Windsor and opened in 1858. The Windsor and Annapolis Railway (W&A) was completed in 1869 and interchanged with the Nova Scotia Railway at Windsor. Some through passenger trains were run to and from Halifax. At Confederation in 1867 the Federal government had assumed operation of the Nova Scotia Railway. In 1871 the Windsor and Annapolis fully leased the line between Windsor and Windsor Junction and operated it in return for 1/3 of the gross earnings paid to the federal government. The Windsor and Annapolis had a running rights agreement between Windsor Junction and Halifax station. The W&A spent considerable money on upgrading the Windsor Branch but ran into financial difficulties with its whole line. Amid controversy the lease agreement was terminated by the Government Railways on August 1, 1877. The lease was given to the Western Counties Railway (WCR), which was building a line between Yarmouth and Annapolis. The Western Counties Railway operated the line beginning in September 24, 1877. The Windsor and Annapolis responded by making interchange arrangements at Windsor difficult for passengers by requiring passengers to purchase separate tickets for the W&A portion of their trips and changing cars and for freight shippers by requiring freight to be moved across the platform from WCR freight cars into W&A freight cars, with accompanying delay and extra expense. The poor service caused much public outcry and under an agreement dated November 20, 1879, the Windsor & Annapolis Railway again began operating the Windsor Branch.

The lease agreement was renewed and amended from time to time until in 1914 a 99-year lease was agreed upon. Details of the lease and its approval in an Order in Council are here.

Gallery

• 

  Western Counties Railway Locomotive No. 5, later DAR No. 17 at Windsor, probably during the Western Counties Railway takeover of The Windsor Branch 1877-1879.

• 

  Windsor & Annapolis No. 10, later DAR No. 12 & Train B at the Windsor Station, circa 1891.

• 

  Passenger train stopped at Mount Uniacke Water Tower on November 8, 1919.

• 

  Aerial oblique view of Windsor Junction in 1969.

References and Footnotes

History of the Dominion Atlantic Railway