Halifax & South-Western Railway Museum
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
11188 Highway #3 Center
P.O. Box 1412 Lunenburg NS B0J 2C0
Duane Porter
Curator
Phone (902) 634-3184
hswmuseum@ns.aliantzinc.ca
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| I visited The Halifax & South – Western Museum in Sept 2013 and wanted to pass what I saw along to all my visitors. The first thing I discovered is that Lunenburg is not just all about sailing ships and the Bluenose II. This museum which is just outside of town is well worth the stop. So why don’t we stop by and step up to the ticket window and purchase a ticket for a ride on the Halifax & South Western – Railway |
| An authentic reproduction of the Bridgewater ticket offices greets you when you enter the museum |
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| Before you start your jurney you have to purchace a ticket so this way to the ticket office | The Ticket Office |
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| The ticket office in the Bridgewater station was located in the of the corner tower. | For many years all trains running on the South Shore were dispatched from this 11 1/2 ft office. This interior view is shown with Mr. Frank Theriault sitting at the operators desk with his hand on the telegraph key |
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| This stove has kept many railway man warm in the cold winters |
| !!! Tickets Please !!! |
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| As you can see I was traveling coach from Lunenburg to Halifax on Sept 12, 2013 |
Please take the time to view this video telling about the H&SW as well as the museum
Click here to view the video or you may want to view the Museum’s web site
I also want to note that all of these pictures were taken of pictures that are on display at the Halifax & South-Western Museum
They are also shown on my of my Canadian Railway Web Site http://yourrailwaypictures.com
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| The NSCR Bridgewater Station | CNR Yard Switcher 7075 at the the Bridgewater yard. Paul Langille and Stuart McGray standing in front. |
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| There were a number of spectacular crashes on the H&SW, one of the worst being on February 9th, 1907, just a few short months after the railway was open to through traffic from Halifax to Yarmouth. On that morning, freight extra No. 5 left Bridgewater at 5a.m. via Mahone Junction (11 miles out) for Lunenburg, a total distance of 18 miles. The train was hauled by locomotive #1, an eight wheeler. Behind extra No. 5, were two flat cars piled high with | lumber, next came three empty flats. Then, 14 more lumber loads also loaded high and as it turns out, not too securely. There was no van. There were only four men in the crew instead of the usual five. The conductor rode in the cab with the engineer and the fireman. The lone brakeman existed as best as he could on the last lumber car exposed to the cold February weather. |
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| The Lunenburg waterfront showing the rail lines passing in front of the National Sea Foods plant as well as others | The last years of service ending On March 5, 1993, saw these F-M H16-46 doing most of the work This one is passing through Halifax’s south end coming from Bridgewater on it’s way to the CN Halifax Station |
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| CNR Battery storage powered passanger car #15798 The Jitney, built in 1937 and retired in 1961. This self propelled rail car was used to make four round trips everyday except Sunday between Lunenburg NS and Mahone Bay NS | CNR Gold River Bridge , 1960’s |
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| Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway(CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia This picture is looking east at the railway bridge over the Lahave River just above bridgewater. The picture was taken during construction of the bridge around 1903-04 | Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway(CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia This picture shows the bridge after completion. This view is from the east bank looking west. Notice how the bridge was built through the cented of a lumber mill that was situated on the west bank of the Lehave River. |
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H&SW (Halifax & Southwestern Railway) 7075 | A 1923 gas powered rail inspection car |
| The H&SW was created in spring 1901 when William Mackenzie and Donald Mann approached the provincial government with plans to finish the abortive plans for a railway from Halifax to Yarmouth along the province’s South Shore. For many years, the line had significant curvature throughout its length, a result of the rugged local topography, which earned it the moniker, “Hellish Slow & Wobbly”. |
Some of the stations that were on display at the museum
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Halifax North Street Station 1877 to 1920 The NSR was taken over by the Government of Canada in 1867 as one of the terms of Confederation.In 1877, a new federal Crown corporation, the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), opened a magnificent new terminal railway station at the foot of North Street, south of Richmond and much closer to the city’s downtown. | The Nova Scotian Hotel and CN Rail Station Halifax NS Mid 1930’s |
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| H&SW (CNR) French Village Station (Mid 1930) | CN Rail (H&SW) Hubbards Station |
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| CN Rail (H&SW) East River Station | CN Rail (H&SW) Checter Station |
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| CN Rail (H&SW) Block House Flag Stop | Lunenburg’s first railway station 1889 to 1922 |
Other artifacts found at the H&SW Museum
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| You will see a very large collection of model railway engines and rolling stock | A model ship is part of the Lunenburg section of the model railway |
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| A display of hand tools used in early railway days | A display of hand tools used in early railway days |
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| Hand carts were always found around a railway station | Some of the people that were responsible for the forming the S&SW |
And now we will have a look at some of the H&SW model railway that is being constructed at the museum
The railway is constructed in “S” Scale or 1/64″ and a great deal of time is spend and checking the smallest of details.
This railway will run from French Village with stops along the way ending in Bridgewater and
Lunenburg with a line heading to Liverpool.
But please keep in mind that these pictures only show a very small part of the total museum.
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