Kentville Station

Kentville Station

The Kentville station was built in 1869 by the Windsor and Annapolis Railway. It served as divisional and corporate headquarters for the DAR as well as serving Kentville's passenger, baggage and telegraph traffic. A lunch room also operated in the west end of the station for most of its history. A 30 foot baggage room was added to the east in the 1890s. A major addition, designed in 1902 and completed by 1904, added a central tower, all-round platform awnings and a 40 foot extension to the west. Another 40 foor extension with six dormers was added to the west in 1914-1915. The station was initially a straw yellow colour with dark red trim. It was given an a dark red and black trim paint scheme in World War Two. The platform awnings were gradually cut back over the years. VIA Rail moved its passenger service out of the old station in May 1988.(1) VIA's new station was a brick structure with a tower that echoed the tower of the old wooden DAR station. It was built at a cost of $240,000. The new station opened for passengers in late May and was officially opened in June.(2) The new station served only a year and a half until passenger service was cancelled. The DAR's wooden station was demolished in 1990. The VIA brick station now serves as a bus station.

Windsor & Annapolis Railway Wood Station 1869 - 1894(?)

Original Station.

Station painted straw yellow with dark red and white trim.

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  Kentville Station and Yard July 27, 1871

Dominion Atlantic Railway Wood Station 1894(?) - 1904

Original station with a 30 foot baggage room added to the east in the 1890s.

Station painted straw yellow with dark red and white trim.

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  Kentville Station circa 1890

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  Kentville Station circa 1900

Dominion Atlantic Railway Wood Station 1904 - 1914

A major addition, designed in 1902 and completed by 1904, added a central tower, all-round platform awnings and a 40 foot extension to the west.

Station painted straw yellow with dark red and white trim.

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  Kentville Station circa 1904-1914

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  Kentville Station circa 1904-1914

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  Kentville Station circa 1914-1918

Dominion Atlantic Railway Wood Station 1915 - 1990

Another 40 foor extension with six dormers was added to the west in 1914-1915.

1915 - 1943

Station painted straw yellow with dark red and white trim.

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  Kentville Station circa 1930 incorrectly showing station painted red.

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  Kentville Station 1942 still painted yellow although the coloured bands of shingles on the tower are gone.

1940 - 1967

Station painted dark red with black trim and white windows.

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  No. 470 at the Kentville Station on July 3, 1954 leading Train No. 13 for Kingsport.

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  No. 470 at Kentville 1954 with Kingsport Mixed.

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  An eastbound freight passes the Kentville Station in August of 1959.

1967 to 1990

Station painted solid dark red.

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  D.A.R. Headquarters, Kentville Station, Kentville on July 20, 1967.

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  No. 9059 at Kentville Station in 1968.

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  Kentville Station, circa 1970.

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  Dayliner No. 9057 at Kentville Station, Kentville in August 1973.

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  Dayliner No. 9057 at Kentville Station, Kentville in August 1973.

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  Dayliner at Kentville Station on July 18, 1975.

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  Kentville Station, Kentville NS August 17 1977.

VIA Rail Station 1988-1989

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  Kentville Station circa 1988. Old station in foreground, new brick station in background to right.

References and Footnotes

• (1) Kentville Advertiser, July 19, 1988, article located by by Conrad Davison
• (2) Kentville Advertiser, "Kentville's New Train Station", June 3, 1988, article located by Conrad Davison
• Canadian Railway Station Guide Bruce Ballantyne, Bytown Railway Society, 1998
• Devil's Half Acre Mabel Nichols Kentville Centenniel Committee, 1986
• Former Kentville Railway Station, Kentville, Nova Scotia Robert Hunter, Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada report, RSR 6

External Links

• Nova Scotia Archives, Good zoomable air view of Kentville station, car shops, rail yard, and back road siding, circa 1960.