McAdam's Historic Railway Station
On the July 1st, 2000 weekend, McAdam staged "Celebration 2000 Village of McAdam Homecoming". One of the attractions being the opening of a small portion of the McAdam Railway Station, a National Historic Site. This also marked the 100th year of its existence.
Unfortunately, I didn't take the tour until one hour before closing time, so I did not have time to go back and get better pictures of those areas that turned out poorly.
Only a very small portion of the building was made ready for viewing, and even this portion still needed much work, as can be seen in the condition of the small window in view 14. However, given the financial status of the project, and the time frame they were working with, a very enjoyable glimps was had of the station in its prime.
The exterior of the building still has many boarded up window, and unrepaired portions, and it will take many dollars to see it restored to the state all interested parties would like. The building received a thourough cleaning inside and out - no small task, for vandals and animals over the years of its vacancy did much damage.
The portions that were opened to the public were
My photos were taken by entering via the back of the building, in all except the jail. This is the side of the building that now faces the roadway (Saunders Street). Upon entering the doors of the waiting room from this side, one looks across a large room, to a wall dominated by two hugh sets of windows. The set on the right, having a large door to the front platform, where pasengers boarded and departed their trains. In this room one can see signs of modernization of flooring (tiles) but it also seems to have retained its original character.
- the main waiting room
- the telegraph office
- the hotel entrance and one bedroom and bathroom
- the lunch counter
- the jail
To the right upon entering this door is a window, leading to the Telegrapher's Office. This window was probably the ticket booth. On the left side is another booth, that was a newspaer stand. There are a few doors leading off this room to other portions of the building. One side being the bagage area, the other the old dinning room (which was a luxurious one, with crystal chandeliers, linen table cloths and napkins.)
- The scale was a penny feed, which is said to still work. 02
- The Waiting Room - these doors opening onto the front platform. 04
- The "Telegrapher" guide, telling about the Waiting Room. Doors opening onto the front platform. 05
Exiting the building, the same way I came in, and turning to my left, I walked the platform, shown in picture 08, and with the tour guide "conductor" 09 until I reached the door to the hotel rooms 10, which are on the second floor. You entered into a small hall, then up three small flights of stairs - one forward, one backward, and forward again, and emerged at a small reception desk, placed there for our guide, 14, beside which was a small display of photos and a workman's tool chest, 13.
- The waiting room entrance to the Telegrapher's Office. That is probably the Ticket Window. 01
- Interior of the Telegrapher's Office from the "ticket" window. 06
- Exterior of the building at the Telegraph Office windows. 03
Here we turned right, and a few doors down, also on our right, was the display bedroom. 11 Small, but quite comfortable. Entering the room, the bed was on the right, with a chair at the foot, beside a piece of furniture. The opposite side from the bed can be seen in photo. (Sorry the other pictures did not turn out.)
When the hotel began, there were only 7 rooms, with one common bath. By 1910-11, ten more rooms were added, with one bathroom between each two rooms.
We retraced our steps, back to the platform, and continued down to the lunch room, which was added in 1911. This was the common travellers eating room, and at first had one horseshoe counter, with a mahagony counter top. However, due to traffic, this was replaced with the two, seen in photos 17 & 18, and "modern" counter tops were added. At one time in about a 40 minute time frame, the lunch counter served approx. 1200 persons, from the Boston and Montreal trains, plus many military personnel from World Wars I and II, that passed through McAdam.
On the front platform, on the opposite end of the building, there was a small jail. This was operated by the staff of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and was used to house individuals that had to be removed from the trains for various infranctions, such as theft, debauchery and vagrancy. The CRP maintained an Officer here fron ca. 1889 until 1 Apr 1982.
The Jail entrance opens into a small hallway, about 6 feet wide, 8 feet long. Off to your right within this hall was the door to the cell. The cell was about the same size. Just enough room for a bunk bed, and a water closet at one end. Not a nice place to have to spend much time. 07
Unfortunately, these areas will not be open to the public again for some time. Much work still has to be done on the building, and the grounds. But the tour gave an interesting glimps into its use over the years.
For a glimps of the stattion in days past - click here. ROC ARCHIVES - The Railways of Canada Archives.
These Pictures taken 3 July 2000
by Cleadie B. Barnett
