{{Short description|Museum in Nova Scotia, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=November 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox museum | name = Middleton Railway Museum | logo = Middleton Railway Museum logo.png | logo_alt = | logo_caption = Museum logo | image = | alt = | caption = | coordinates = {{coord|44.9457|-65.07254|display=inline,title}} | former_name = Memory Lane Railway Museum | established = {{start year|2017}} | location = Middleton, Nova Scotia, Canada | type = Railway museum | key_holdings = | collections = | collection_size = | visitors = 2,000+ (2024)<ref name="register"/> | website = {{official URL}} }}
The '''Middleton Railway Museum''' is a Canadian railway museum located in Middleton, Nova Scotia.
==History== The Museum occupies a Canadian Pacific Railway station built in 1916, the third station to have served the town of Middleton. <ref>[https://www.cptracks.ca/data/RSR/RSR-094_CP_Middleton_NS.pdf Harry Jost and Barry Moody, Historic Sites and Monuments Board Report, Railway Station Report, Canadian Pacific Railway Middleton, Nova Scotia, RSR-94, April/May 1992, Canadian Pacific Historical Association Document Library]</ref> Canadian Pacific closed the station in 1990 after freight traffic to Middleton on the Dominion Atlantic Railway ended.<ref>[https://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Middleton_Station "Middleton Station", ''Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative'']</ref>
The Middleton Railway Museum began in 1993 as a community museum named the Memory Lane Railway Museum.<ref>{{cite news |last=Duke |first=Laura Churchill |date=8 August 2017 |title=Take a trip to Memory Lane this summer: Middleton train museum will appeal to all ages |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/take-a-trip-to-memory-lane-this-summer-middleton-train-museum-will-appeal-to-all-ages-3289 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> On 7 July 2017, the Middleton Railway Museum Society was established to facilitate operations of the museum.<ref>{{cite web |author=((MRMS)) |author-mask=[MRMS] |date=2024 |title=Our museum's history |url=https://middletonrailwaymuseum.ca/history/ |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Middleton Railway Museum Society |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref>
The museum received the locomotive from the defunct Upper Clements Park in 2020, which had been there since 1989.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chiu |first=Elizabeth |date=20 December 2020 |title='It's a wonderful Christmas present': Steam train finds new home at Middleton museum |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/steam-train-new-home-middleton-museum-1.5848028 |work=CBC News |location=Nova Scotia |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McGraw |first1=Cory |last2=Kaiser |first2=Leigha |date=13 January 2021 |title=One of world's oldest CN locomotives gets new life at N.S. museum |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/article/one-of-worlds-oldest-cn-locomotives-gets-new-life-at-ns-museum/ |work=CTV News |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> On 29 December 2022, the museum acquired a steam locomotive, tender, and boxcar from the Museum of Industry in Stellarton,<ref>{{cite news |last=Powell |first=Lawrence |date=2 January 2023 |title=Middleton Railway Museum receives engines, tender from Museum of Industry in Stellarton, N.S. |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/middleton-railway-museum-receives-engines-tender-from-museum-of-industry-in-stellarton-ns-100810465 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=((CBC)) |author-mask=[CBC] |date=2 January 2023 |title=Middleton Railway Museum prepares for reopening with new acquisitions |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/middleton-railway-museum-equipment-reopening-displays-nova-scotia-1.6700845 |work=CBC News |location=Nova Scotia |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> soon followed by the acquisition of a 117-year-old CNR 7260 engine which served as a switching engine in Bridgewater throughout the 1940s.<ref>{{cite news |author=((PNI Atlantic)) |author-mask=[PNI Atlantic] |date=17 February 2023 |title=1906 steam locomotive to be on permanent display at railway museum in Middleton, N.S. |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/1906-steam-locomotive-to-be-on-permanent-display-at-railway-museum-in-middleton-ns-100825860 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Petracek |first=Heidi |date=8 March 2023 |title=117-year-old steam locomotive finds permanent home at N.S. museum |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/article/117-year-old-steam-locomotive-finds-permanent-home-at-ns-museum/ |work=CTV News |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Knight |first=Heather |date=8 March 2023 |title=Museum of Industry donates 117-year-old steam locomotive to Middleton Railway Museum |url=https://www.pictouadvocate.com/community/museum-of-industry-donates-117-year-old-steam-locomotive-to-middleton-railway-museum/article_b9fb2d12-bd1d-11ed-9239-1ffb66df7af4.html |work=Pictou Advocate |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref>
In April 2023, a fire started inside the Middleton Railway Museum during renovations. The fire destroyed some windows in the building and damaged the waiting room walls, but the fire was contained to only one room and damage to the museum was minimal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chisholm |first=Cassidy |date=29 April 2023 |title=Volunteer grateful for quick response after small fire at Middleton Railway Museum |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/volunteer-grateful-fire-middleton-railway-museum-1.6827027 |work=CBC News |location=Nova Scotia |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Mitchell |date=30 April 2023 |title=Disaster avoided after fire breaks out at railway museum in Middleton, N.S. |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9662602/middleton-railway-museum-fire-dominion-atlantic-railway/ |work=Global News |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> The building suffered extensive smoke damage as a result of the fire and was unable to re-open for over a year while undergoing repairs.<ref name="fullspeed">{{cite news |last=Powell |first=Lawrence |date=21 August 2024 |title=It's full speed ahead for historic little train station in Middleton, N.S. |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/its-full-speed-ahead-for-historic-little-train-station-in-middleton-ns-100987621 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref>
In 2024, the Middleton Railway Museum had over 2,000 visitors during its 60-day period of operation.<ref name="register">{{cite news |last=Malloy |first=Jason |date=9 June 2025 |title=Middleton Railway Museum officially opens after restoration project |url=https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/annapolis-valley/middleton-railway-museum-officially-opens-after-restoration-project |work=Annapolis Valley Register |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> The same year, museum acquired a CN caboose, donated by the Blackburn family of Bible Hill;<ref>{{cite news |last=Malloy |first=Jason |date=13 September 2024 |title=Bible Hill, N.S., family donates caboose to Middleton Railway Museum |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/bible-hill-ns-family-donates-caboose-to-middleton-railway-museum-100993694 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> as well as a vintage 32-foot Fruehauf trailer, purchased from the Fleetworx company of New Minas.<ref>{{cite news |author=((PNI Atlantic)) |author-mask=[PNI Atlantic] |date=22 March 2024 |title=Vintage van pays tribute to trucking industry at railway museum in Middleton, N.S. |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/vintage-van-pays-tribute-to-trucking-industry-at-railway-museum-in-middleton-ns-100949860 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> In 2025, the museum completed the restoration of their building, holding on official opening on 7 June.<ref name="register"/>
==Exhibits== The Middleton Railway Museum depicts early 20th century locomotive history, in an era when diesel engines were in the process of replacing steam engines.<ref name="fullspeed"/> The museum's large model railway of the Annapolis Valley is a particularly popular attraction. The museum features a variety of rolling stock, a 75-foot turntable,<ref name="fullspeed"/> and an extensive collection of artifacts relating to the Dominion Atlantic Railway.<ref>{{cite news |last=Starratt |first=Kirk |date=2 September 2021 |title=History on track: Gifted boxcar an added attraction to Middleton Railway Museum |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/history-on-track-gifted-boxcar-an-added-attraction-to-middleton-railway-museum-100629826 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location=Middleton, N.S. |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref>
==See also== * List of railway museums * List of museums in Nova Scotia
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [https://novascotia.com/listing/middleton-railway-museum/ Middleton Railway Museum] at Tourism Nova Scotia * [https://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Middleton_Station History of Site and Building, "Middleton Station", ''Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative'']
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Category:Middleton, Nova Scotia Category:Transport museums in Nova Scotia Category:Museums in Annapolis County Category:Railway museums in Canada Category:Rail transport in Nova Scotia Category:2017 establishments in Nova Scotia