The Railways of Canada Archives -- One Every Two and a Half Miles A brief look at the railway stations on the Prince Edward Island Railway

One Every Two and a Half Miles
A brief look at the railway stations on the Prince Edward Island Railway

by Allan Graham

(PART II)

B. WAY OR CROSSING STATIONS

Map of P.E.I. showing the "Way or Crossing" stations in 1874

Besides the original six "terminal" stations, Swinyard discusses twelve "way or crossing" stations. At the time he did his survey in 1874, each of these twelve consisted of a structure 42 x 22 feet containing a waiting room, ticket office and freight storage. The twelve communities graced by these functional depots were O'Leary Road, Port Hill, Wellington, Kensington, Hunter River, North Wiltshire, Royalty Jct., Mt. Stewart, Cardigan, Morell, St. Peter's and East Souris Road. The only ones of these buildings to survive until C.N. no longer needed them were Wellington, Hunter River, North Wiltshire, Royalty Jct., Cardigan and St. Peter's. Hunter River and Cardigan had the freight shed area greatly enlarged during the years. Hunter River is now a craft shop at Marco Polo Campground in Cavendish, P.E.l. and St. Peter's is now a senior citizens' club. Royalty Jct. and North Wiltshire have been turned into houses and Cardigan is now a craft outlet. Wellington station was torn down under a make-work project on the supposition that it was a fire hazard. Royalty Jct. station had an unusual roof owing to its location within a wye.

Owing to the tremendous growth of O'Leary after the arrival of the railway, this original structure was soon replaced by a two-storey station with a mansard roof similar to Souris. This beautiful building was used until early in the 1900's when a one storey traditional station was erected nearer to Main Street and the mansard-roofed structure was sold to Sanford Phillips who turned it into two apartments. It eventually burned. The third station has been closed by C.N. within the last two years and the building sold to the O'Leary Museum.

Hunter River station 1971. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

North Wiltshire station 1971 with a freight heading for Charlottetown. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

St. Peter's station 1971. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

All over P.E.I. during the first two decades of the 1900's beautiful architecturally-pleasing stations were replaced by more functional single storey structures. Presumably the costs of energy and upkeep were partly to blame but it seems sad that so much of our railway heritage was destroyed at one period in time. These early structures added a grace and charm to communities that the more practical stations could not.

Port Hill Station was the source of much controversy, located as it was on a clay road in the middle of the woods. This station should have been located a mile away in the booming village of Tyne Valley but political pressures were brought to bear on the powers that be. Over the years several surveys were made at election time, the stated purpose of which was to divert the railway line into Tyne Valley. Many a resident of Tyne Valley cursed the politicians as they began the nightime walk through mosquito-filled swampland after disembarking from the train at Port Hill Station.

The original Port Hill Station consisted of a waiting room, ticket office, freight shed and dwelling. The waiting room now sits beside Route 2 in Springhill, P.E.I., where a farmer had planned to make it ’into a winter garage. The freight shed became part of a warehouse across the track from its original site. After the dispersement of the original station complex, the second Sherwood Station was moved to this site to store oysters in while they awaited shipment. Originally this station had an open arch, but a door was installed to allow for some security.

Kensington soon outgrew its first station as well and a new mansard-roofed structure like Souris and O'Leary soon appeared. This station was used until 1905 when a magnificent boulder station was built and the second one was hauled up the hill to School Street where it became the residence. Kensington's third station was named a National Historic Site in 1978. It has recently been abandoned by VIA who now use the nearby Kensington Recreation Centre as the stop for their chartered bus to Moncton. A tourist bureau and handcraft outlet are now occupying this boulder station. (see Canadian Rail Issue 332 for further information on the boulder stations).

Another of these "way or crossing" stations was Mt. Stewart Jct. On May 20, 1911, what must have been the first station was completely destroyed by fire as reported in the newspapers of the day:

The station house at Mount Stewart was destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon. The origin of the fire is not known but it is believed to have been caused by a spark from a passing locomotive. The fire was not discovered until after the last train had cleared, and it was then well under way. An engine was sent out from Charlottetown to save the cars on the siding, it being impossible to do anything to prevent the destruction of the station.

The third O'Leary station with the mansard-roofed second station
in the background. (Photo by Jack Turner; P.E.I. Archives Collection).

The third O'Leary station as it was being constructed with the second
one barely visible in the background. (postcard in Roy Leard Collection).

The residents of Mt. Stewart were well aware of the boulder stations recently constructed in Alberton and Kensington and the grand stone station too- after all, Mt. Stewart was an important junction point! Instead the railway officials completely ignored the residents and by July no efforts had been made to replace the burned structure as the Charlottetown Guardian stated in its July 20, 1911 issue:

The people of Mt. Stewart are puzzled to know why there are no signs of rebuilding the railway station destroyed by fire nearly two months ago. It seems strange that the Liberal Government which claims such ability for putting through public works with fine dispatch should be so slow in this respect. It did not take them very long at Ottawa this spring to vote some of themselves a snug pocket full to go to the Coronation with but the really necessary things must stand over till they get "good and ready”.

On Nov. 23, 1911 a new two-storey gable-roofed structure with an odd-shaped freight shed was opened on the site of the old one, in the center of the wye. This station, built of wood against the wishes of the residents of Mt. Stewart, lasted until the agent was removed in the 1980's, then the freight shed was removed and the station itself remodeled into a restaurant which should be opening in the summer of 1984.

Morell is the last of the "way" stations we will look at. According to a local history of this area, the first Morell Station was like the one in York (see picture in this article). The second station in Morell was a large rambling house which was closed by C.N. on Oct. 28, 1972 and torn down in 1975.

Postcard showing the second Kensington station with its mansard
roof in the background and the newly-constructed boulder station in
the foreground - around 1905-1905. (P.E.I. Archives Collection).

Kensington's second station as it now exists - a residence on School Street in the Town. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

The second Mt. Stewart station 1971. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

The second Morell station 1971. (Margaret E. Mallett photo).

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