Digby Station

Digby Station

The first station at Digby was a Western Counties Railway station, similar to the stations in Yarmouth and Weymouth. It sat beside a small wooden turntable and enginehouse. A station restaurant was later built beside it, a small two-story building with a porch. The WCR station was replaced in 1910 by a DAR wooden station and then in 1920 by the third and final station, a long CPR Tudor style station which survived until 1994 when it was demolished by the CPR at the request of Town of Digby.(1) The station faced the Digby Railyard with the Digby Water Tower standing to the north. The station included a restaurant on the south end of the building, with kitchens in the basement. (When full dining cars were introduced on the DAR, the restaurant closed in 1938, but later reopened.) As an important tourism location and the arrival point for the near-by Digby Pines Hotel and Resort, Digby boasted a beautiful station garden in the 1920s and 1930s. From the station, the "Dock Spur" led down across Water Street to the Digby Wharf to meet steamers such as the long serving SS Princess Helene.

Gallery

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  WCR loco #8 at Digby Station looking south from the enginehouse and turntable.

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  Photo looking north showing both the WCR Digby Station in the foreground, Digby Station Restaurant and the Digby Enginehouse in the background, circa 1895.

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  Postcard Looking north showing both the WCR Digby Station in the foreground, the Digby Station Restaurant and the Digby Enginehouse in the background, circa 1895.

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  Taken from the top of the enginehouse and looking south to the WCR station in background with the Digby Station Restaurant in foreground and box car No. 1281, circa 1910.

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  The Flying Bluenose arriving at the Digby Station with Coach 17, 1910.

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  A sharper black and white image of the platform action in 1910.

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  Postcard of Digby Station and Water Tower with eastbound DAR passenger train, 1921.

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  DAR Locomotive No. 44 at Digby with winter cab curtains at the Digby Station platform, photographed by Charles McBride, late 1930s.

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  DAR No. 541 with freight at Digby Station with Digby Water Tower in background, October 1949.

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  Locomotive 2665 at Digby Station.

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  West end of Digby Station, water tower and yard on July 3, 1954.

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  Train No. 98 arrives at Digby Station in Digby behind No. 2617 on July 3, 1954.

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  Train No. 98 with coach No. 2102 at Digby depot, Digby, waiting to go to dock on July 3, 1954. Note the Digby Water Tower.

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  No. 1111, waits while No. 2617 drops express car off on track no. 5 at the Digby Railyard in front of Digby Station July 3, 1954, Digby.

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  Digby Station, August 10, 1956.

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  Train No. 100 with No. 2627 at Digby Station on August 26, 1956.

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  Digby Station, with the Digby Water Tower in background, photographed by Harold Jenkins, circa June 1959.

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  Digby Station, with the Digby Water Tower in background, photographed by Harold Jenkins, circa June 1959.

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  Digby Station, circa June 1959.

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  Digby Station, with Digby Post office in background, photographed by Harold Jenkins, circa June 1959.

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  Digby Station, photographed by Harold Jenkins, circa June 1959.

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  Digby Station arrival and departure board, photographed by Harold Jenkins, unknown date.

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  Digby Station arrival and departure board, photographed by Harold Jenkins, unknown date.

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  No. 9059 at Digby Station, Digby on August 19, 1959.

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  Aerial view of Digby from south showing the Digby Station, Digby Railyard, the Digby Pines and the spur to the Digby Wharf, circa late 1950s.

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  The street side of the Digby Station in 1975.

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  Side and rear of Digby Station in 1975.

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  Digby Station, yard, and main line in 1975.

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  Albert "Shine" Manning & Mel Alexander at Digby Station with meet of DAR Train No. 1 and Train No. 2, May 26, 1977.

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  Boarding VIA's Evangeline at Digby Station, 1980s.

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  Eastbound snowplow extra tied up for lunch at Digby Station in the winter of 1987. Locomotive is No. 1272 and the snowplow is No. 401032.

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  CN 50' plug door boxcar 411344 in front of Digby Station in the winter of 1988.

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  Digby Station, July 7, 1987.

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  Digby Station summer 1991.

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  Digby Station in July 1993.

Other Known Images

• Bluenose Express arrival - a sharper, b&w version of the postcard view, above, differently cropped - Canada Science and Technology Museum Image STR04098a.
• Digby Station in what appears to be recruits loading on passenger train circa WWI.

References and Footnotes

(1) Admiral Digby Museum, Digby Historical Society "A Journey Throught Time: Transportation" virtual exhibit.

External Links

Harry Jost and Barry Moody, "Canadian Pacific Railway Station Digby, Nova Scotia", Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada Railway Station Report, RSR-096 (1991) Canadian Pacific Historical Association Documents Library. Includes original detailed plans.

• Digby Historical Society Virtual Exhibit A Journey Through Time: Transportation - Views and History of the Digby Stations

• Wonderful colour 8 mm film of DAR steam locomotives and RDCs at Digby Station and wharves, 1950s, courtesy Admiral Digby Museum