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Middleton Station
Middleton Station
Wood Station 1869 - 1890
The first Middleton Railway Station was constructed between 1869 and 1873. It is not known at this time if Middleton was one of the original 10 contracted stations built in 1869 or if it was built sometime before 1873 as one of 23 stations present in 1873 for the newly minted Windsor & Annapolis Railway. Without a photograph, we can surmise that it was likely one of the simple gable roofed W&A first generation stations judging by it's 40' x 22' dimensions and 200' x 11' platform, being the same as Hantsport, Grand Pre, Port Williams, Waterville, Berwick, Aylesford, Lawrencetown and Paradise. The station was also a telegraph station and had a 15' x 8' hand pump water tank as well.[1]
Wood Station 1890 - 1915
A larger station was built in 1890.[2] It was anticipated that Middleton would be the junction of a number of soon to be built branches and lines and so a large station becoming of the level and trade and industry that Middleton would soon be receiving was built.
Following a disastrous fire that destroyed the Windsor & Annapolis Railway 3 story station in 1915, the second Middleton station was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in their style of the day.
Gallery
Original photo
Postcard of original photo
Middleton Station in 1904.
Wood Station 1915 - Present
Built on the same site as the original station, this modest CPR design of the day signalled that the perceived importance of Middleton as a railway hub had indeed never materialized. Middleton continued to be the interchange point for Halifax and Southwestern (CNR) traffic (including the famous Blueberry Express) to the valley from Bridgewater but apart from that Middleton was a normal level traffic spot on the DAR line. A free standing freight shed addition was built between 1946 and 1956 on the west side as was the station repainted from the DAR straw yellow to CPR tuscan red. At a later date prior to 1973 the free standing shed was expanded again joining it to the station as it is to the present day.
The station is currently home to the Memory Lane Railway Museum [3], a work project of the Future View Training, Rehabilitation and Employment Association, a registered federal non-profit society engaged in bringing selected clients back into the mainsteam through meaningful envolvement in the community.
Gallery
The Middleton Station circa 1946.
Middleton Railyard, Station, Freight Shed and Water Tower on August 27, 1956.
Extra freight led by No. 1046 westbound arriving at Middleton Station, Middleton on August 27, 1956.
Wayfreight led by No. 1046 at Middleton Station, Middleton on Aug 28, 1956.
No. 9058 at Middleton Station west bound.
Middleton, NS station and freight shed in August 1973.
Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
Middleton Railway Museum, Oct. 2007
No. 9060 Eastbound at Middleton Station.
No. 9064 is Eastbound at Middleton in front of Middleton Station on September 2, 1978.
No. 9064 is Eastbound at Middleton in front of Middleton Station on September 2, 1978.
"Middleton Station" by C.D. Harris.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
Interior of Middleton Station. April 1986.
References
- ↑ Alexander MacNab, Windsor and Annapolis Railway, Report of Alexander MacNab Nov 1, 1873 p14, p24
- ↑ 1890 Construction date given in transcript of the Department of Railways and Canals, Engineer's Report, 1890, compiled by J.B. King, Scotia Railway Society Collection, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, RG28 Series S Vol. 4 File 16
- ↑ Memory Lane Railway Museum
