Its headquarters were at Kentville where there was a large station with offices, a maintenance depot and storage yards.

Even in the days of the DAR this stop only had a sign board. The conductor placed a step stool on the ground for passengers to use. VIA put up a new signboard and a timetable!

Mixed train M22 entering Windsor station 4 September 1967
- Bill Linley photo, © 2006.

In the early 1970s a new causeway to control the Avon River was built and a road and rail line were built on the top of the embankment. This is seen in the background of the picture. Prior to this the rail line ran through the town and the original platform on this line is being demolished in the foreground. The metal prefabricated building which served as the new station is behind.

It is now the offices of the Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company who purchased what remains of the DAR from New Minas to Mantua with a branch to Windsor Junction.

and

WHRC RS-23s 8019, 8041 & 8042 pause at Hantsport
beside loaded gypsum cars on 24 June 2005 in the MLWs last year of existence
- David Othen photos, © 2006.

Postcard of old station
- Dara Legere collection.

The middle photo shows the old station on the left and the new station on the right about 1925. Photo is by an unknown photographer and was part of the negative files of Donald H Bowlby and is now in Jeff Keddy's collection.

The lower photo shows the new station from the trackside about 1940. This station has been moved and is now a private home located on a private road..

Postcard
- Dara Legere collection.

Postcard
- Conrad Davison collection via David Slabotsky

Wolfville station in  August 1974.
- David Othen photo, © 2003.

This station is now used as a library and was the terminus of the summer-Sunday, Evangeline Express excursion train run by the Windsor & Hantsport Railway.

View of east end of station with VIA 6222 eastbound in October 1989.
Bill Linley photo, © 2006.

KENTVILLE

Postcard of Kentville station in 1908.
- Dara Legere collection.

Kentville station, June 1974, June 1975, May 1977 with CP RDC 9059 and on 16 July 1989 with the new station in the background.
- All photos by David Othen © 2003-2006.

This large wooden station was the headquarters of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Passenger and baggage facilities including a lunch counter (the sign can be seen in the third photo) were on the ground floor  while company offices and living accommodation were on the upper floor.

The old coaling tower and workshops can be seen in the background of the third picture.

VIA used the old station for several years but built a new station close to the old station in the late 1980s. The new station can be seen in this picture to the east of the old wooden station.

The new VIA station is seen both from the parking lot on 15 July 1989 (David Othen photo ©2006) and from the lineside in December 1989 (Bill Linley photo ©2006). However it only served as a station for a few years because passenger service was eliminated in 1990. It is now a bus terminal for King's Transit.

Now the tracks and the old station are gone and part of the area is a bypass avoiding the main street of Kentville and part is the bus terminal.

Waterville station circa 1920s

Photographer unknown
Collection of Randy Rockwell

The west end view taken about 1962 and shows the unusual pointed window (also seen in the photos of Lawrencetown station). The photo, by an unknown photographer, was part of the negative files of Donald H Bowlby and is now in Jeff Keddy's collection.

The east end view was probably shot by Harold Jenkins about 1960 and is now part of Wendell Lemon's collection.

In October 1989

VIA train 152 with two RDCs is arriving at the VIA shelter.
- Bill Linley photo ©2006

Kingston station date unknown

contributed photo

Kingston station in the 1940s
- Aurora file photo courtesy of Steve Boates  (thanks to Paul Charland for locating it)

Kingston was close to the Air Force base at Greenwood.

and in the 1980s.
February 1988 (upper photo) and September 1989 (lower photo) with VIA train 152 (RDC 6142)
- Bill Linley photos, © 2006.

This utilitarian shelter was built by VIA in the early 1980s as were many others in the region. After discontinuance it became a tourist bureau and is now privately owned and has been moved to a new location.

The photo, by an unknown photographer, was part of the negative files of Donald H Bowlby and is now in Jeff Keddy's collection.

Postcard of Middleton station
- Dara Legere collection.

A sepia tone version of the same postcard - contributed photo

Middleton station is seen from the front of eastbound VIA train 154 (RDC 6138) on 16 July 1989.
- David Othen photo, © 2003.

The stationmistress arrived on her bicycle at the former DAR station just before the train's arrival. From the rear window of the departing train she could be seen cycling home.

In December 1989 a westbound VIA train arrives at the station

The upper three photos show the earlier station built in 1895.

It has been moved to the opposite side of the tracks and about 250m from its original location. It is now set in a farmer's yard and was used as a tool shed for several years. Now, the floor has completely rotted away and the sides are falling in.

The first photo shows the unusual end window.

The second shows what remains of the painted name.

The third photo shows the entire stucture and was taken about 1996.

The newer station built about 1935 has been moved a few feet from the right of way and is now used for storage by the local fire department

The bottom photo shows the VIA signboard and the two older stations in October 1989.
- Bill Linley photo, © 2006

- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

The DAR station is still in use in the last year of passenger service.

In October 1992 passenger service has been discontinued and the tracks have been lifted.
- Bill Linley photo, © 2006

On 29 August 1993 the station is boarded up..
- Ian Hayward photo, © 2005

Now it is the End of the Line Pub.

Annapolis Royal station with VIA 6128 eastbound in November 1983.

and below
The penultimate eastbound train on 13 January 1990
Bill Linley photos, © 2006.

The station has been carefully restored by Mrs Nicholson Inc and one of the tenants is the Clean Annapolis River Project.

This station was situated on the Canadian Forces Base and only armed forces personnel and their families were allowed to use the station.

This was a very utilitarian station with only a signboard, a timetable, some gravel and a timber retainer! However people still used it even though it was several miles from Bear River.  The station was also called Smith's Cove.

Postcard of Digby station in 1908.
- Dara Legere collection.

Digby station on 7 July 1987.
- David Othen photo, © 2003.

It is in use though there are a lot of weeds!.
Now both the tracks and the station are gone.

Bloomfiled Station
- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

North Range Station
Four photos of the North Range Station, the top three are undated, while the bottom is dated July 1922.

- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

Plympton Station
- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

Weymouth station

contributed photo of a postcard

This VIA gabled shelter is well maintained and in use by passengers and a photographer. However the service will only operate for another six months.

Undated
- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

This small shelter constructed by VIA has been moved after the ending of passenger operations.

Undated
- From the collection of Ronald Haight; scanned with permission by Matt Keoughan.

Yarmouth Dominion Atlantic Railway (CPR) station.

- Postcard
- Dara Legere Collection

- Undated
- Al Paterson photo,  Bill Linley collection.

The station was demolished by CPR but Tim Horton's have built a replica

Yarmouth New Station (DAR)
in September 1982 with VIA train 152 engine (RDC) 6143 ready to depart
- Bill Linley photo, ©2006

and

Middle & lower photos
on 16 July 1989.
- David Othen photos, © 2006.

The station was replaced by Canadian Pacific with a brick building which served as both a bus and train station.

Postcard of new Yarmouth station.
- Dara Legere collection.

The station is in use in this pictuure - note the box car on the right and the freight shed on the left.

Yarmouth station after the end of passenger service.
- Matt Keoughan photo, ©2005 (upper photo)
- Ian Hayward photo, ©2005 (lower photo)

The view from the track location is seen in July 1992 and from the roadway on 29 August 1993.

Clarksville station about 1996
- Jimmie LeFresne photos, © 2005

The station is now a summer cottage and has been moved about 500m from its original site. It now sits on a hill overlooking the old DAR roadbed.

It has now been cut in half and converted to a small seasonal cabin.

contributed photo

Kennetcook station in June 1974.
- David Othen photo, © 2003.

The station is centraly located in the village. A CP work train is sitting in the siding but does not appear to have seen much use recently.

The station saw few if any passengers from the mixed train that travelled between Windsor and Truro in the 1970s. This train was never taken over by VIA but continued to be operated by CP until its abandonment in the late 1970s.

Both the station and tracks are now gone.

After a leisurely journey from Windsor including a stop to check for hot boxes the mixed train arrives in Truro at the DAR depot which was mainly a shed for CP Express.

CP Truro station after abandonment on 18 December 1993
- Ian Hayward photo, ©2005

The station was later used by Armour Transportation Systems.

3) Kentville to Centreville, Kingsport and Weston

The station was on the line from Centreville to Weston. The line north of Kentville was closed on 31 December 1961. The former station has been re-modelled and is now a private home.

The Cumberland Coal & Railway Company was incorporated in 1872 by Edwin Sharpe and capitalists from Saint John, N.B. to transport coal from the mines at Springhill to the port at Parrsboro, then to Saint John, N.,B. and ports in the U.S. The line began life as the Spring Hill & Parrsboro Railway Co. The first shipment of coal was made in March of 1877. It became part of the Cumberland Coal Company, controlled by Montreal capitalists in 1884.

The branch from Springhill to the Intercolonial main line at Springhill Junction was built in 1872.

While coal was its major freight, the line also carried lumber from land granted to the company by the province, ice (from Newville Lake), and blueberries. Its passenger service increased as Parrsboro became a popular summer resort.

The line ceased operation within months of the mines shutting down after the "Bump" of 1958, and closed permanently in 1960.

Digital Image collection of Dara Legere.

The station is still on its original site and in 1993 was being used as a storage shed for a local business.

The nearby Ottawa House was purchased in 1883 from Sir Charles Tupper as a summer home for the General Manager and is now a museum.

The Maritime Railway began operations in November 1887 as the Joggins Railway Company.   The line was constructed to connect the coal mining district of Joggins - River Hebert  to the Intercolonial Railway. This provided the mining company a means to transport their product to outside markets. On January 15 ,1888 regular freight and passenger service between Joggins and the Intercolonial Railway station at Maccan, 12 miles distant was begun.

The line changed owners and names several times between  1887 and 1907 when the line was sold to the Maritme Coal Railway and Power Company and renamed the Maritime Railway. Other owners of the line were the Joggins Coal & Railway Company(1889), Canada Coals and Railway Company (1892), Canada Coal & Railroad Company (1904). 

Regular pasenger service continued until 1954 when the line could no longer compete with improved highways and increased automobile traffic. Freight service ceased in May 1961.

The line continued to operate under the auspices of the MCR&P Co. until September 1961 when all assets of the company were sold and the company was dissolved. On September 23, 1961 the Canadian Railroad Historical Association staged a special "last run" between Maccan and Joggins. Shortly afterwards locomotives 9 and 10, both 2-6-0s, were sold for scrap and number 5,a 4-6-0 built about 1895 for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, was acquired by the CRHA and is still in existence at their museum at Delson - St. Constant QC.

All photographs are from the collection of Dara Legere and are by unknown photographers unless otherwise stated. Many thanks to Dara for his description of the railway and for his help.

Locomotive shed at Joggins with locomotive #8 about 1940.

Rail yard at Joggins with locomotive shed and machine shop (centre) and freight sheds in 1955.

Freight shed and tool shed with derrick in 1955.

Station - photo taken by the late Harold Jenkins

River Hebert station and freight shed in 1940.

Another view of the station taken by the late Harold Jenkins

Maritime Railway passenger train at Maccan CNR station in 1950.

Maccan CNR station in flames in 1973.

Postcard
- Dara Legere collection.

The station is now a museum and is seen in this photo from Rob Chant's collection taken by Donna Tynski on 18 April 2004.
- © 2004 Donna Tynski.