The architectural grandeur of the McAdam Railway Station has endured 125 years in a small New Brunswick village, with optimism that a $1.5-million upgrade will signal a bright future for the national historic site. A special ceremony was held Tuesday to mark the station’s anniversary, along with the completion of a geothermal heating and cooling installation throughout the entire granite building. Frank Carroll, a member of the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission, said the installation itself marks a big milestone. “It’s really been a three-year process with lots of challenges, especially during times when it was difficult to get contractors,” said Carroll. “There was a shortfall of that skill set required all the way through.” Carroll said the addition of a new HVAC system and 44 roof-mounted solar panels should increase activity at the station. “We are so delighted to be able to have this building now fully operational with heat and cool temperatures,” said Carroll. “We are ready to move the station forward with not just operations in the summer, but operations throughout the year.” The new heating and cooling system should reduce energy costs in the building by 50 per cent, with the rooftop solar panels generating about 25 kW of energy. Steve Tweedie, president of Moncton-based Tweedie & Associates Consulting Engineers Inc., said it was a tall order to modernize the building without taking away from the train station’s iconic Chateau style. “That was one of the goals, to make things as unobtrusive as possible and retain the heritage look of the building,” said Tweedie. For decades the train station served as a key connection point for Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) lines running in and out of the Maritimes. The station’s size doubled 10 years after its official opening, reflecting the growing number of travellers passing through daily from Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New York. The train station’s expansion included more hotel rooms, a dining room, a lunch counter, a post office, a customs office, an express room and baggage space, and even a jail cell. The building, with its pitched roof and dormer window, is noted as a rare surviving railway station/hotel combination. As many as 16 passenger trains stopped daily in McAdam during the station’s peak, with its last regularly scheduled passenger train travelling by in December 1994. Luke Saunders, the McAdam Railway Station’s operations manager, said the goal of re-opening hotel accommodations in the station’s upper floors was a little bit closer to becoming a reality with modern temperature controls part of the building. “Next on our radar will be more energy efficiency upgrades,” said Saunders. “We’ll look to improve the efficiency of our windows and doors to better air seal the building. Once we have that we’ll be looking at fire suppression, because when we talk about opening the hotel in the future, fire suppression becomes very important.” The McAdam Railway Station is open for tours throughout the summer season from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
