Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum facts for kids
The Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum is a special place! It's the only original train station still standing in Wellington County, Ontario. It's also one of the few railway museums in this part of the province. You can find the Palmerston Station at 166 William Street in Palmerston, Ontario.
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How the Station Started
The story of the Palmerston Railway Station is closely tied to how the town of Palmerston grew. The very first station was built in 1871. It was put up by the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway. This was where a new railway line branched off from the main line that ran between Guelph and Harriston, Ontario.
This first station was a simple, one-story building. Over time, the town of Palmerston began to grow around it. By 1876, more and more trains were using the station. So, railway officials decided to add a second story. This new floor was used for offices. The ground floor then became just for waiting areas and baggage rooms.
The Grand Trunk Railway Takes Over
In 1900, the Grand Trunk Railway took control of the station. They made some big changes to make it better. The Grand Trunk Railway wanted to compete with the Canadian Pacific Railway. So, they decided to upgrade many of their stations.
Palmerston Station seemed to get the most improvements! They added a new section to the front of the station. They also created a storage attic that you could walk into. A small tower was built above the ladies' washroom. Sadly, this tower was destroyed by a fire in 1912.
Changes by Canadian National Railway
After the Canadian National Railway (CNR) took over from the Grand Trunk Railway, the station changed again. During the Great Depression, the CNR put in a drop ceiling in the main waiting room. This helped them save money on heating costs. In 1936, the station was painted in the CNR's colors.
By the early 1950s, the outside of the station was covered up. The original wood was hidden by a material called insulbrick, which was then painted red. By 1959, steam locomotives were replaced by diesel locomotives. This meant that the old roundhouse, turntable, and coal sheds were no longer needed and were removed.
When the Station Closed
The last passenger train left the Palmerston station in 1970. Many other stations were being closed or torn down around this time. However, the Palmerston station stayed open as a place for freight trains until the mid-1980s.
In 1982, the CNR officially closed the station. They asked for permission to stop using the railway line through Palmerston. The station remained empty until 1996. That's when the train tracks from Harriston to Stratford, Ontario were removed.
Bringing the Station Back to Life
On June 3, 1996, the Town of Palmerston offered to buy the railway property from the CNR. Later that year, local volunteers started working to restore the station. They began raising money to fix the leaky roof. By 1998, the Town of Palmerston was able to buy the 26-acre yard from the CNR. They also started a special group called the CN Property Task Force. This group was in charge of developing the property and fixing up the station.
With the help of volunteers and the Palmerston Lions Club, major renovations began. These efforts led to the station's current look. It has been restored to how it looked in 1900 during the Grand Trunk era. The insulbrick was removed, and the original board and batten siding was put back. The drop ceiling was taken out, and the original wood ceiling was carefully restored to look like new. The Agent's Office was stripped down to its original tin ceiling. The Conductor's Room was even turned into a kitchen by the Lions Club!
