Middleton Railway Museum

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Middleton Railway Museum
Middleton Railway Museum logo.png
Museum logo
Middleton Railway Museum
Former name
Memory Lane Railway Museum
Established2017 (2017)
Location Middleton, Nova Scotia, Canada
Coordinates 44°56′45″N65°04′21″W / 44.9457°N 65.07254°W / 44.9457; -65.07254
Type Railway museum
Visitors2,000+ (2024) [1]
Website middletonrailwaymuseum.ca

The Middleton Railway Museum is a Canadian railway museum located in Middleton, Nova Scotia.

Contents

History

The Middleton Railway Museum was established in 2017 as the Memory Lane Railway Museum. [2] On 7 July 2017, the Middleton Railway Museum Society was established to facilitate operations of the museum. [3]

The museum received the locomotive from the defunct Upper Clements Park in 2020, which had been there since 1989. [4] [5] On 29 December 2022, the museum acquired a steam locomotive, tender, and boxcar from the Museum of Industry in Stellarton, [6] [7] soon followed by the acquisition of a 117-year-old CNR 7260 engine which served as a switching engine in Bridgewater throughout the 1940s. [8] [9] [10]

In April 2023, a fire started inside the Middleton Railway Museum during renovations. The fire destroyed some windows in the building and damaged the waiting room walls, but the fire was contained to only one room and damage to the museum was minimal. [11] [12] The building suffered extensive smoke damage as a result of the fire and was unable to re-open for over a year while undergoing repairs. [13]

In 2024, the Middleton Railway Museum had over 2,000 visitors during its 60-day period of operation. [1] The same year, museum acquired a CN caboose, donated by the Blackburn family of Bible Hill; [14] as well as a vintage 32-foot Fruehauf trailer, purchased from the Fleetworx company of New Minas. [15] In 2025, the museum completed the restoration of their building, holding on official opening on 7 June. [1]

Exhibits

The Middleton Railway Museum depicts early 20th century locomotive history, in an era when diesel engines were in the process of replacing steam engines. [13] The museum's large model railway of the Annapolis Valley is a particularly popular attraction. The museum features a variety of rolling stock, a 75-foot turntable, [13] and an extensive collection of artifacts relating to the Dominion Atlantic Railway. [16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Malloy, Jason (9 June 2025). "Middleton Railway Museum officially opens after restoration project". Annapolis Valley Register . Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  2. Duke, Laura Churchill (8 August 2017). "Take a trip to Memory Lane this summer: Middleton train museum will appeal to all ages". PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  3. [MRMS] (2024). "Our museum's history". Middleton, N.S.: Middleton Railway Museum Society. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  4. Chiu, Elizabeth (20 December 2020). "'It's a wonderful Christmas present': Steam train finds new home at Middleton museum". CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  5. McGraw, Cory; Kaiser, Leigha (13 January 2021). "One of world's oldest CN locomotives gets new life at N.S. museum". CTV News . Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  6. Powell, Lawrence (2 January 2023). "Middleton Railway Museum receives engines, tender from Museum of Industry in Stellarton, N.S." PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  7. [CBC] (2 January 2023). "Middleton Railway Museum prepares for reopening with new acquisitions". CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  8. [PNI Atlantic] (17 February 2023). "1906 steam locomotive to be on permanent display at railway museum in Middleton, N.S." PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  9. Petracek, Heidi (8 March 2023). "117-year-old steam locomotive finds permanent home at N.S. museum". CTV News . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  10. Knight, Heather (8 March 2023). "Museum of Industry donates 117-year-old steam locomotive to Middleton Railway Museum". Pictou Advocate. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  11. Chisholm, Cassidy (29 April 2023). "Volunteer grateful for quick response after small fire at Middleton Railway Museum". CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  12. Bailey, Mitchell (30 April 2023). "Disaster avoided after fire breaks out at railway museum in Middleton, N.S." Global News . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 Powell, Lawrence (21 August 2024). "It's full speed ahead for historic little train station in Middleton, N.S." PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  14. Malloy, Jason (13 September 2024). "Bible Hill, N.S., family donates caboose to Middleton Railway Museum". PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  15. [PNI Atlantic] (22 March 2024). "Vintage van pays tribute to trucking industry at railway museum in Middleton, N.S." PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  16. Starratt, Kirk (2 September 2021). "History on track: Gifted boxcar an added attraction to Middleton Railway Museum". PNI Atlantic News . Middleton, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 15 November 2025.