McAdam station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McAdam station |
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Station after its inauguration in 1901
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Châteauesque |
| Town or city | McAdam, New Brunswick |
| Country | Canada |
| Construction started | 1900 |
| Completed | 1901 |
| Cost | $30,000 |
| Client | Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edward Maxwell |
| Official name: McAdam Railway Station (Canadian Pacific) National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1976 |
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Heritage Railway Station (Canada)
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| Official name: Canadian Pacific Railway Station (VIA) | |
| Designated: | 1990 |
| Reference #: | 2005 |
| Official name: McAdam Train Station | |
| Type: | Provincial Historic Site |
| Designated: | September 12, 2003 |
The McAdam station is a large, old train station that stands out in the village of McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada. It was once the biggest passenger station in the province. While trains no longer stop here for passengers since December 17, 1994, part of the station is now a fun museum.
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A Look Back at Railway History
The story of trains in McAdam began a long time ago, in the 1850s and 1860s. Back then, a railway called the St. Andrews and Quebec Railway was built through this area. At first, McAdam was just a small place known as City Camp, with several camps for lumberjacks.
Later, in the 1860s, another railway, the European and North American Railway, connected Saint John to the US border. City Camp became an important meeting point where these two railways crossed. Because of this, the area was renamed McAdam.
In 1889, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built a new line, completing its goal of having a railway that stretched all the way across Canada. In 1890, the CPR took over the railway lines in McAdam, making Saint John its main eastern stop.
Building the Grand Station
In 1900, the CPR started building the huge McAdam station. It was designed to be both a train station and a hotel! This was to serve rich passengers who were changing trains to go to the fancy resort town of St. Andrews. There, they would stay at the CPR's own hotel, The Algonquin.
The station was ordered by Sir William Van Horne, a very important president of the CPR. He had a private home in St. Andrews. His special train would often pass through McAdam on its way to his summer house. Sometimes, he even stayed at the station hotel.
Station Design and Features
The station was built in a style called "Chateau style," which makes it look a bit like a Scottish castle. It was made from strong local granite.
The hotel part of the station had 20 rooms and took up most of the second floor. Downstairs, on the ground floor, there was a busy lunch counter. It had a big, M-shaped counter with swivel stools. Here, hotel guests and train passengers could grab a meal while waiting for their next train or for customs checks. It was common for 2,000 people a day to eat here!
The middle of the ground floor had a more formal dining room and a kitchen. The eastern side of the building held the waiting rooms for passengers, the ticket office, and baggage storage. The station even had its own jail cell, used by the Canadian Pacific Railway Police.
During World War II, many troop trains left from McAdam station. Soldiers would head towards Halifax to travel overseas. A mural in town remembers this important time.
In 1955, the CPR started a fast train service called The Atlantic Limited from Saint John to Montreal. Later, Via Rail continued this service as the Atlantic. However, local connecting trains to other towns like St. Andrews and Fredericton were stopped in the early 1960s. This left McAdam with only one passenger train in each direction.
Famous Railway Pies
The station became famous for its "Railway pies." A newspaper article from the early 1900s mentioned how popular these pies were. People would visit the lunch counter, which could seat 65 people, just to order coffee and "railroad pie." Some say a "railway pie" was similar to a Boston cream pie.
As fewer people traveled by train in the 1950s, the lunch counter eventually closed. But the tradition of railway pies came back in 2010! It was a way to raise money for the station. This continued until 2019, when the volunteers found it too much work. The station then published a cookbook about railway pies to keep the tradition alive. It even notes that these pies were cut into five perfect 72-degree slices. Since 2023, railway pies are served again on Sundays at the lunch counter, run by the McAdam Station Museum.
Via Rail and the End of Passenger Service
The CPR used the station until 1978. Then, the government-owned company Via Rail took over passenger train services. The hotel part of the station had already closed in the early 1960s and was used for offices. The CPR still owned the building while Via Rail operated trains through McAdam from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1985 to 1994.
Via Rail stopped the Atlantic train in 1981, meaning McAdam had no passenger service for a while. The train service started again in 1985 but ran only three times a week by 1990. It was completely stopped on December 17, 1994. This happened because the CPR planned to close the entire railway line from Saint John to Montreal.
A Protected Piece of History
After passenger service ended, the CPR sold its railway line through McAdam. The station building was empty after December 1994. However, the federal government recognized it as a protected heritage railway station. The railway company then gave ownership of the station to the village of McAdam in the late 1990s.
Since then, the village has worked hard to raise money and make repairs to the station. It is now open during the summer for tours.
The station is officially recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada since 1976 and a Provincial Historic Site since 2003. It is also a Designated Heritage Railway Station since 1990. People admire its tall roof, many gabled windows, towers, and smooth walls, which are all part of its unique style. It's also special because it's a rare example of a building that was both a train station and a hotel. This makes the McAdam CPR station look much grander than it needed to be just for trains.
McAdam Railway Station
1900
Constructed of local granite by the Canadian Pacific Railway, this combined station/hotel in the Chateau style symbolizes the railway's significance to this community.
As of 2017, the station is an active museum. It offers tours, special meals, and places for meetings. The Government of New Brunswick, Parks Canada, and The McAdam Historical Restoration Commission (which runs the station) have invested nearly $400,000 to help the station continue to be a success.
A Lasting Legacy
On May 5, 1989, Canada Post released a stamp called 'Railway Station, McAdam'. The stamp shows an image of the McAdam Railway station. This beautiful building was designed by architect Edward Maxwell from Montreal.
