Summary

Derailment of troop train in the Kentville Railyard, photographed by A. L. Hardy, September 9, 1913.

The train was headed to Camp Aldershot with troops gathering for summer training. The train was made up of 23 Intercolonial Railway passengers cars hauled by DAR locomotives with militia troops from central and Northern Nova Scotia. Passing through the Kentville yard at the start of the Cornwallis Valley Railway branch that led to Aldershot, the train derailed about 1 am. A pusher locomotive applies too much force to get the long train moving up the grade past the bridge and the cars started to leave the track at an old switch frog in the yard, tumbling down the embankment into low lying meadow beside the river. The derailed ICR cars carried troops mostly from Cumberland County. There was only one minor injury and the troops marched from the wreck to Aldershot.^[1] Note: the semaphore signal seen in the upper right which was used at that time to control trains entering the CVR from Kentville and the Dennison Family barn, later demolished to build the Canada Foods Plant. Photo shows a DAR track crew repairing damaged track, replacing damaged ties and includes track worker Ed Redden at centre.

Inscription on back: "Herb Dennison barn, the first troop train 1914-18. Kentville D.A.R. yard, looking westward towards Meadow View.The lower area behind the wrecked cars was later filled in & is where the round house was built. Cause of accident: troop train going to Aldershot camp for training One engine in front pulling, one engine in rear pushing. Rear engine pushed too hard, buckling the cars of the tracks."

Photo courtesy Tony Kalkman, featured on a Facebook post on the on the DAR-DPI Group, October 30, 2023.

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