Memory Junction Railway Museum facts for kids
Postcard showing the Brighton station, circa 1910.
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| Established | 1857 (station) 1995 (museum) |
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| Location | 60 Maplewood Avenue, Brighton |
| Type | defunct railway museum |
| Key holdings | former railway station, locomotive and cars |
| Collections | rail equipment and memorabilia |
| Owner | Ralph and Eugenia Bangay |
The Memory Junction Railway Museum was a special place in southeastern Ontario, Canada. It used to keep a large collection of items related to trains and railways. The museum closed its doors in 2017, and its collections were sold off in 2021. It was located inside the old Grand Trunk Railway station in Brighton, Ontario. This station first opened way back in 1857 and served train passengers until the 1960s.
Contents
History of Brighton's Railways
Brighton is a town with a rich train history. It sits on the main train lines that connect Montréal and Toronto. Both the Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) lines run right through the village, side-by-side. Long ago, there was even a third railway called the Canadian Northern Railway.
Early Train Days
Brighton's railway story began on October 27, 1856. That's when the Grand Trunk railway line opened, connecting Montréal to Toronto. Back then, Maplewood Street was called Railroad Street. Farming was becoming more important than logging in the area. People who used to rely on boats for travel were excited for trains. Railways meant they could send their goods to bigger markets.
The Old Brighton Station
In its busiest times, the Brighton Grand Trunk Railway station was a big place. It had seven buildings and a special area for livestock. There was a shed for freight, two private coal sheds, and a large wooden water tank. There were also big piles of lumber because the Grand Trunk's steam trains used to burn wood for fuel.
The station building itself is a "Type C" station. It's a single-story building with five arched doors or windows on its sides. It has two arches on each end. Many stations like this were built from limestone. But the Brighton station is special because it was built with brick.
Trains Help the Town Grow
The railway was very important for Brighton. It allowed fruit to be canned in Brighton and then sent to ports for shipping overseas. It also carried Brighton's dairy products to markets in Toronto. In the summer, thousands of passengers would arrive by train to visit Presqu'ile Provincial Park. This park became an Ontario provincial park in 1922.
Around 1914, when World War I started, another railway came to town: the Canadian Pacific Railway. At that time, there were only about fifty cars in the whole village! A third national railway, the Canadian Northern (CNoR), finished its line across Canada in 1915.
Changes in the Railway World
The Canadian Northern railway went out of business by the end of World War I. It was too much for the market to handle three big railways. So, the government combined it with what is now Canadian National. CN built a new Canadian Northern station in Brighton in 1920. But they soon stopped using it. The Grand Trunk railway also had problems and became part of CNR by 1923.
Much of the Canadian Northern's tracks and buildings were not needed anymore. Passenger service moved back to the original 1857 Brighton station. The 1920 Canadian Northern station was eventually torn down.
The Station Closes
Over time, roads became more important. A major highway, Ontario Highway 401, was built and bypassed the old main road. Fewer and fewer people rode trains. Train passenger numbers were highest around World War II. After that, they dropped very quickly. Brighton's small 1857 passenger train station was closed and boarded up in the 1960s. It sat empty through the 1970s and 1980s.
Even though many train tracks and buildings were removed, the original Brighton station building survived. It was officially recognized as a heritage building on August 16, 2000. It then served as the Memory Junction Railway Museum until 2017.
The Museum's Collection
In 1995, a couple named Ralph and Eugenia Bangay bought the old Brighton Station from CN. They paid $400 for it! They wanted a place to keep their growing collection of Brighton railway items. They fixed up parts of the old brick station. These rooms housed hundreds of artifacts. The ladies' waiting room became a souvenir shop.
What Was on Display
The museum had some really cool things to see. A large steam locomotive (#2534) from 1906 was a main attraction. It had been moved from a park in nearby Belleville. There were also two box cars, one from 1913, and a flat car. You could also see three cabooses, including one from 1929. An 1898 velocipede was also there. This was a type of handcar that railway workers used to travel along the tracks.
Another building, called the Murrow Building, held even more items. Before 1920, this building was used to distribute Ford cars to dealers. The museum also had an old Hops Barn from the 1880s. Inside, you could find everything from old Coca-Cola bottles to Morse code equipment.
The busy CN and CP main train lines still run right next to where the museum was. However, the many Via Rail trains carrying passengers between Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto do not stop in Brighton anymore.
As mentioned, the museum closed in 2017. In 2021, all the items in its collection were sold at an auction.
Other Railway Places to See
Nearby Stations
Many Grand Trunk stations were built when the line opened in 1856. About half a dozen of the original ones are still around on the Montréal-Toronto main line:
- Napanee railway station and Port Hope railway station have been restored. They are still used for passenger train service.
- The Belleville, Ontario railway station was used until 2012. A new station was built next to it. The old one now has offices inside.
- The station in Prescott, Ontario now holds the local historical society office. Trains do not stop there anymore.
- The Ernestown, Ontario station is boarded up and empty.
- Brighton's station became the Memory Junction Museum.
Not much is left of the Kingston, Ontario outer station ruins except its stone walls. Two original stations on the Toronto-Sarnia line are still standing. One of them, the Georgetown GO station, is still used by passengers.
Other Railway Museums
There is one museum left on the old Canadian Northern line that went from Toronto to Brighton, Napanee, and Smiths Falls. The old Smiths Falls station is now the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. The train line through Sydenham was removed in the 1980s.
