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Windsor and Annapolis Railway

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on October 5, 1869 destroyed much of the newly built line between Hortonville and Wolfville which required hasty rebuilding. Despite these challenges, the railway opened for full operation on December 18, 1869 when the Avon and Gaspereau Bridges were complete and first train ran across the entire
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The W&AR was formed by British railway investors and Nova Scotian railway promoters in 1864. Investors were attracted by the traffic potential to link Halifax with Bay of Fundy and New England ports as well as the apple orchards in the Annapolis Valley. The company's operations centre was in
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and Kentville. The line began operation between Kentville and Annapolis Royal on June 26, 1869 while work continued on the line's two large bridges east of Kentville over the large estuaries of the
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The railway struggled at first with inexperienced staff, limited equipment and especially with extensive and ongoing repairs required on the sections of the line along the
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A monument to the Vernon Smith and his work constructing of the Windsor and Annapolis Railway was installed beside the line at the waterfront park in
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market. Freight traffic began more slowly but an explosion in apple shipments in the early 1880s ensured the prosperity of the line.
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in 1869. However passenger traffic quickly blossomed, helped by early tourism promotion of steamship connections to the emerging
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the Governor General of Canada arriving by rail from Halifax, although shuttled over the uncompleted bridge works by
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continued to operate over portions of the old Windsor and Annapolis mainline until 2011.
247: 235: 371: 243: 526: 266:. An official opening was celebrated on August 18, 1869 with dignitaries including 172: 295: 259: 239: 191: 183: 321: 231: 126: 50: 522:"Windsor and Annapolis Line" New York Times February 11, 1894, Wednesday, p. 2 535: 506:
Ivan Smith "Significant Dates in Nova Scotia's Railway History (1850- 1899)"
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Map of the Windsor & Annapolis and the Western Counties railways in 1885
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Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Institute
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Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Institute
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Canadian Pacific's Dominion Atlantic Railway (Vol. I)
366:"Work at the Trestle" sculpture by Ruth Abernethy in 533: 501:- Virtual Exhibit Library and Archives of Canada 308:The railway was built at first to the Canadian 238:to connect Windsor to the city and harbour of 226:, although corporate headquarters remained in 378:A formidable rival to the W&AR was the 552:Transport in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia 484:History of the Dominion Atlantic Railway 436:History of the Dominion Atlantic Railway 361: 281: 200: 438:, Kentville Publishing (1937) pp. 66-70 547:Transport in Kings County, Nova Scotia 542:Transport in Hants County, Nova Scotia 534: 357: 279:line from Halifax to Annapolis Royal. 449:""Sculpture Unveiled in Wolfville", 350:in 1890 which ran from Kentville to 13: 14: 578: 557:Transport in Halifax, Nova Scotia 490: 514:"Windsor and Annapolis Railway" 497:"Windsor and Annapolis Railway" 479:, page 1 and (Vol. II), page 13. 421:"Windsor and Annapolis Railway" 527:Windsor & Annapolis Railway 441: 428: 414: 354:through rich apple districts. 1: 567:Rail transport in Nova Scotia 407: 395:Windsor and Hantsport Railway 165:Windsor and Annapolis Railway 17:Windsor and Annapolis Railway 562:Defunct Nova Scotia railways 7: 508:Railways of Canada Archives 10: 583: 186:and leased connections to 388:Dominion Atlantic Railway 348:Cornwallis Valley Railway 196:Dominion Atlantic Railway 153: 133: 97: 92: 86:Dominion Atlantic Railway 81: 73: 59: 49: 30: 25: 21: 380:Western Counties Railway 320:). It converted to the 314:5 ft 6 in 213:; one of the W&AR's 139:5 ft 6 in 217:broad gauge locomotives 215:Fox, Walker and Company 157:118 miles (190 km) 486:, 1937, p. 51-87. 482:Marguerite Woodworth, 434:Marguerite Woodworth, 375: 374:planning the W&AR. 368:Wolfville, Nova Scotia 287: 252:Wolfville, Nova Scotia 218: 211:Kentville, Nova Scotia 44:Kentville, Nova Scotia 384:Yarmouth, Nova Scotia 365: 285: 204: 178:The railway ran from 149:but converted in 1875 358:Merger and renaming 258:at Windsor and the 248:Henry Ernest Milner 236:Nova Scotia Railway 18: 376: 288: 274:. The devastating 219: 74:Dates of operation 16: 453:, Sept. 21, 2013" 161: 160: 574: 468: 467: 465: 464: 455:. Archived from 445: 439: 432: 426: 418: 382:(WCR), based in 345: 341: 339: 338: 334: 331: 319: 315: 173:Annapolis Valley 144: 140: 129: 123: 119: 117: 116: 112: 109: 19: 15: 582: 581: 577: 576: 575: 573: 572: 571: 532: 531: 499:Canada By Train 493: 472: 471: 462: 460: 447: 446: 442: 433: 429: 419: 415: 410: 360: 343: 336: 332: 329: 327: 326:4 ft  325: 317: 313: 294:damaged by the 260:Gaspereau River 205:The locomotive 184:Annapolis Royal 142: 138: 137: built to 125: 121: 114: 110: 107: 105: 104:4 ft  103: 77:1869–1894 42:; Operational: 12: 11: 5: 580: 570: 569: 564: 559: 554: 549: 544: 530: 529: 524: 519: 511: 503: 492: 491:External links 489: 488: 487: 480: 470: 469: 440: 427: 412: 411: 409: 406: 359: 356: 322:standard gauge 232:United Kingdom 190:'s capital of 159: 158: 155: 151: 150: 135: 134:Previous gauge 131: 130: 127:standard gauge 101: 95: 94: 90: 89: 83: 79: 78: 75: 71: 70: 61: 57: 56: 53: 51:Reporting mark 47: 46: 32: 28: 27: 23: 22: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 579: 568: 565: 563: 560: 558: 555: 553: 550: 548: 545: 543: 540: 539: 537: 528: 525: 523: 520: 518: 517: 512: 510: 509: 504: 502: 500: 495: 494: 485: 481: 478: 474: 473: 459:on 2013-09-23 458: 454: 452: 451:Nova News Now 444: 437: 431: 425: 424: 417: 413: 405: 403: 398: 396: 391: 389: 385: 381: 373: 369: 364: 355: 353: 349: 344:1,435 mm 323: 318:1,676 mm 311: 306: 304: 301: 297: 293: 284: 280: 277: 273: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 241: 237: 233: 229: 225: 216: 212: 208: 203: 199: 197: 193: 189: 185: 181: 176: 174: 170: 166: 156: 152: 148: 143:1,676 mm 136: 132: 128: 122:1,435 mm 102: 100: 96: 91: 87: 84: 80: 76: 72: 69: 65: 62: 58: 54: 52: 48: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 24: 20: 515: 507: 498: 483: 476: 461:. Retrieved 457:the original 450: 443: 435: 430: 422: 416: 399: 392: 377: 372:Vernon Smith 370:showing the 307: 289: 244:Vernon Smith 220: 206: 177: 164: 162: 31:Headquarters 310:broad gauge 300:New England 292:Minas Basin 272:stage coach 268:Lord Lisgar 264:Hortonville 188:Nova Scotia 169:Nova Scotia 147:broad gauge 99:Track gauge 64:Nova Scotia 34:Corporate: 536:Categories 475:Gary Ness 463:2013-09-23 408:References 296:Saxby Gale 276:Saxby Gale 256:Avon River 404:in 2013. 402:Wolfville 352:Kingsport 224:Kentville 93:Technical 88:1894-1993 82:Successor 340: in 118: in 55:W&AR 26:Overview 335:⁄ 303:tourism 240:Halifax 207:Gabriel 192:Halifax 180:Windsor 113:⁄ 40:England 228:London 154:Length 68:Canada 60:Locale 36:London 393:The 163:The 324:of 312:of 262:at 209:in 182:to 171:'s 538:: 242:. 230:, 198:. 175:. 145:) 124:) 66:, 38:, 466:. 342:( 337:2 333:1 330:+ 328:8 316:( 141:( 120:( 115:2 111:1 108:+ 106:8

Index

London
England
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Reporting mark
Nova Scotia
Canada
Dominion Atlantic Railway
Track gauge
standard gauge
broad gauge
Nova Scotia
Annapolis Valley
Windsor
Annapolis Royal
Nova Scotia
Halifax
Dominion Atlantic Railway

Kentville, Nova Scotia
Fox, Walker and Company
Kentville
London
United Kingdom
Nova Scotia Railway
Halifax
Vernon Smith
Henry Ernest Milner
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Avon River
Gaspereau River

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