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Nova Scotia Central Railway

By John R. Cameron

The Nova Scotia Central, from Middleton to Bridgewater and Lunenburg, was a long time building. The statutory maze of its various reorganizations as it wended its way towards Bridgewater over the South Mountain is remarkable. The progress of the railway was as slow as its famous Blueberry Special, so-called, because (at least by report) a passenger could jump off the front end and pick a pail of blueberries before the last coach came by. These trains were typically fairly short, reducing the apparent speed even more. Another name for the trains was the Sauerkraut train, obviously referring to the German original of the settlers in Lunenburg County to which they were bound.

The route, up the Nictaux River and then down the Lahave, presents serious difficulties for railroading. The Nictaux gorge in its upper reaches has little flat land. The overland route to Bridgewater was seldom used; the real destination was Liverpool. The 1860 Appropriation Act (c.41) refers to a grant of $60 to John Merry "to enable him to keep a halfway house between Liverpool and Nictaux". (The Merry family resided generally in the Zwicker Lake area.)

The Nictaux and Atlantic Railway Company was chartered in 1873 (c.40) to build a railway from Middleton, in the Annapolis Valley, to Bridgewater and Mahone Bay, with an extension to Liverpool. Middleton was already served by the Windsor and Annapolis, but Bridgewater would not be connected directly to Halifax for another thirty years. The railway was well-capitalized in theory: the authorized capital was $2.5 million with power to raise it to $5 million. The company was to receive free land for a right of way, plus 75,000 acres of Crown land in Annapolis and Lunenburg counties, and 25,000 acres in any other county it passed through.

In 1875, the company changed its name for the first time, to the Nova Scotia, Nictaux and Atlantic. The opportunity was taken to extend the time for start-up and for completion. Provincial policy to assist the railway was spelled out in 1876, c.2, authorizing splitting the proposed subsidy among several companies if they would build parts of the railway from Middleton to Lunenburg, provided the line was diverted to run within six miles of Pleasant River Bridge, Queens County. Gauge was set at standard (4'8-1/2"). In 1878 (c.23), the requirement to divert to near Pleasant River Bridge was deleted.

A further time extension was obtained in 1879 (c.67). The "railway from Middleton to Lunenburg" was part of the grand scheme for railway consolidation advanced in 1882 (c.20), at the last session of the Holmes-Thompson administration. This Act (in a schedule) noted both that the line had yet to be constructed and that it would run about seventy-two miles. The new company would get unexpended subsidies less a potential arbitration award for unpaid labour and materials on the Nictaux and Atlantic, as well as 150,000 acres of land located as provided in the Nictaux and Atlantic legislation.

The company's own legislation was also amended in 1882 (c.22). It would get an extension and a subsidy, but the subsidy was cut because the route was shorter. Railway wharves were to be built at Lunenburg, Mahone Bay and Bridgewater. A spur to Mader's Cove was authorized. Interestingly, the company was required to use steel rather than iron rails. The land subsidy was to be conveyed as soon as the company spent $30,000 of its own money. The financial subsidy would be paid $10,000 for every $20,000 spent by the company, but half the total subsidy would be held back until completion. The company was required to settle all outstanding claims. As well, a line to Liverpool (bonused at 2,500 acres of land per mile) was authorized. The final section of this comprehensive revitalization provided that the company was exempt from the proposed railway consolidation.

Two years later, the company needed more time, although it had settled the outstanding claims and resumed operations (1884, c.6). The Provincial Loan Act (1884, c.3) authorized borrowing $350,000 to pay the subsidy to the Nova Scotia, Nictaux and Atlantic if it became entitled to it. Another extension (but only to the middle of December) was granted in 1885 (c.38).

Another name change followed in 1886 (c.17), this time to the Nova Scotia Central Railway Company. A further extension of time was granted, if the company demonstrated that it had vigorously resumed operations. A further extension came in 1887 (c.3) and the company received further powers and had its financing approval. Part of the subsidy held back was also advanced. Then in 1888 (c.77), it was allowed an extension if it had laid 34 miles of track and the balance was in an advanced state of completion.

In 1889, it seems the company was getting close to the end. One act (c.79) extended time and allowed more of the outstanding subsidy to be paid. Another provided for the terminal at Bridgewater (c.80). Still another (c.81) allowed the railway to extend its line from Middleton over the North Mountain to Margaretville on the Bay of Fundy. The geographical obstacles this line would face are perhaps no more than those already overcome in traversing the South Mountain (higher, though not as steep). This is another case of sudden optimism overcoming a company when its railway seems finally complete.

In 1890, there were another three statutes relating to the line: c.65 respecting compensation for landowners in Lunenburg county, c.66 to change the location of the railway near Mahone Bay and to ensure the payment of its bills, and c.67 respecting the depot at Bridgewater. The railway was regarded as substantially completed. Land compensation in Lunenburg was the subject of 1891, c.67; c.93 provided for final payment of the subsidy, but as the railway "has been in operation for over a year, but is not thoroughly completed", payment would be postponed until it was completed to the satisfaction of Cabinet.

Completion, of course, did not mean the railway's troubles were over. Optimism was high though. Land damages (1892, c.114) were still unsettled and the railway obtained a one-year extension for final completion (1892, c.115). "Owing to the length of time that the Nova Scotia Central Railway was under construction, and the many changes that were made from time to time in its location, certain doubts and disputes have arisen as to the width of the said road in certain localities, and the quantity of land expropriated therefor" (1893, c.47), it was necessary to define the route specifically. A highway was authorized from the station in the rear of Mahone Bay to the village (1893, c.116).

In 1891, the Central Railway Company was incorporated to build a railway from New Germany to Windsor or Bedford. Among its incorporators were James D. Eisenhauer and Fletcher B. Wade, active in financing the Nova Scotia Central (c.125) to allow the Central to buy the Nova Scotia Central and, at the same time, extend a branch to Annapolis Royal. At this time, Eisenhauer and Wade had effective control of the Nova Scotia Central debentures. The charter was renewed in 1896 (c.89), authorizing acquisition of the Nova Scotia Central and a line to Annapolis Royal, and a line from Blockhouse or Mahone Bay to Halifax. Another statute (1896, c.90) recites an order of foreclosure on the Nova Scotia Central on bonds of $1,000,000, with sale to Eisenhauer and Wade for $550,000, with a subsequent sale to the Central Railway and validates the transactions. The Crown lands that were to go to the Nova Scotia Central were vested in the new company. Then, in 1903, the Central Railway was authorized to sell out to the Halifax and South Western, with the province advancing $425,000 to the H&SW in return for a first mortgage on the Central. The H&SW was also authorized to borrow a $100,000 by way of a second mortgage on the Central, and the general H&SW mortgage to the province under 1902, c.1, became a third charge. Mackenzie, Mann & Co. Limited were to get the proceeds of the second mortgage.

Thus, thirty years after it was first proposed, but barely ten years after it was completed, the Nova Scotia Central became part of the Canadian Northern, eventually Canadian National. The route was operated for passenger service into the 1950s and for freight until abandoned in the 1980s.

[SOURCE: A Legislative History of Nova Scotia Railways, by John R. Cameron, 1999.]

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