Dominion Atlantic Railway Stations

The DAR had a family of station styles which began with the designs of its predecessor companies the Windsor and Annapolis Railway and the Western Counties Railway. To these were added a variety of standard CPR designs as well as some station styles from branchlines absorbed into the DAR. As telegraph train dispatching declined in the 1960s and traffic to smaller stations dwindled, many smaller stations were abandoned in the 1960s and 70s. A final flourish of station building occurred in the 1980s when passenger traffic revived and VIA rail upgraded stations and shelters for the final years of DAR service.

W&AR Original Wood Stations ~1869

10 Stations were constructed for the original W&AR in 1869. In 1873, the MacNab report^[1] indicated there were 23 stations and platform stops. Which stations exactly were of the original 10 are not known at this time but Kentville, Windsor and Annapolis Royal definitely were part of the original 10.

Large Stations

The only large station at the time was Kentville. Kentville was 74' x 32' in size. The station platform was 350' x 12' and on the freight station side the platform measured 260' x 12'. The two storey station housed the general office upstairs.^[1]

Gallery

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  The first recorded photo of the Kentville Station taken in August 1869, also showing the Freight Shed and Car Shop.

Medium Large Stations

Wolfville at 50' x 22' and Bridgetown and Annapolis at 50' x 20' appeared to be a lengthened version of the medium size station. The Waterville station had the same footprint as a medium station at 40' x 22' but had a residence built on the second storey.^[1]

Gallery

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  Wolfville Station platform of wooden station, Wolfville.

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  The first Annapolis Royal Station station, circa 1880.

Medium Stations

Hantsport, Grand Pre, Port Williams, Waterville, Berwick, Aylesford, Middleton, Lawrencetown and Paradise measured out at 40' x 22' with platforms 150' - 300' long by 11' to 13' in width.^[1] From the photos we have, they all appear to be the same design. Interesting that Coldbrook although listed in 1873 as just a platform was in 1949 an original station like the rest in this size. One wonders if a few stations didn't get moved around.

Gallery

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  Grand Pre Station.

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  Coldbrook Station in August 1949

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  Paradise Station and warehouse. Date unknown.

Small Stations

There were two medium small stations: Falmouth at 26' x 15' and Horton Landing at 25' x 12'.^[1] The smallest stations were located at Avonport at 9' x 12', Cambridge at 18' x 10', Kingston at 18' x 10' and Round Hill at 18' x 10'.^[1]

Gallery

W&AR Second Generation Wood Stations ~1880-1900

The Windsor & Annapolis Railway began to replace its small first generation stations in the 1880s with a larger design which had a distinctive gothic window at one end, an operator's bay and a shallow bell curve awning over the platform. This design was found in two sizes at many locations and was often expanded by extending the freight shed. Known examples included: Falmouth, Hantsport, Avonport, Horton Landing, Port Williams, Berwick, Aylesford, Kingston, Auburn, Lawrencetown, Wilmot, Round Hill and Tupperville. The Cornwallis Valley Railway also used this W&AR station plan for all of its stations: Aldershot, Centreville, Sheffield Mills, Canning and Kingsport.

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  2nd Generation Windsor & Annapolis Railway Station plans, based on the the Lawrencetown Station, drawn by Dan Conlin, 2004.

WCR Original Wood Stations 1870-1890

The Western County Railway built a series of stations with very wide overhanging eaves and ornate brackets. Smaller stops received simple shelters.

CPR Third Generation Stations 1911 Onwards

After the Canadian Pacific Railway took over the DAR they used a variety of standard CP designs to replace small stations or more commonly to replace stations destroyed by fire.

MRC Original Wood Stations 1898-1905

The Midland Railway designed its own stations which were characterized by a central dormer and ornamental window frames on an otherwise functional exterior. Three sizes are evident, the larger version with the central dormer for towns such as the Brooklyn Station; a smaller one story station for villages such as Clarksville and simple shelters such as Princeport.

Weston Line 1914

The North Mountain Railway, often called the Weston Line, used the a standard CPR branchline station design, Station No. 4 for all of its stations. However they were modified to provide both station function and housing for section crews.

References and Footnotes

External Links

*Note to Editors: When creating a new page in this section, open the Template:AAA Station and copy and paste it into the new page.