11 November 2004 McAdam Railway Station McAdam - Five miles east of Vanceboro, Maine sits the village of McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada. Like Vanceboro, McAdam was built around a busy railroad hub in the latter half of the 19th century.   In 1900, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a magnificent building that served as its passenger station, as well as one of the CP's grand hotels. The McAdam Railway Station was built in the same gothic and baroque architectural styles as the Banff Hotel in Alberta and the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.     During both world wars, the station served many thousands of service men and women, American and Canadian alike, as they traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia and the trans-Atlantic convoys.   The hotel was closed in 1959.   In the 1980's the station was dedicated a Canadian National Historic Site and a Heritage Railway Station. However, these honors generated no funding for the station's restoration and upkeep.   VIA Rail passenger service continued to use part of the station until 1997 when the service east of Quebec was re-routed to the CNR, at which time the grand station fell into disuse.   When the CPR abandoned its lines east of Sherbrooke, Quebec, the Irving Corporation of New Brunswick formed several small railroads to take its place on the former CPR rails. In the process, Irving sold the McAdam railway station to the village for one dollar.   This left the village of 1,200 residents with the monumental task of caring for one of the largest historic buildings in eastern Canada, with almost no funds to do the job. The McAdam Historic Restoration Commission (MHRC), a small group of volunteers, was formed to care for and restore the structure.   The building was and is in serious need of repair. Over the past few years, fund raising and limited grants have managed to get the roof replaced, at a cost of $350,000, to retard damage by the elements and by flocks of pigeons and other birds. However, much work remains, including some emergency masonry to arrest ongoing water damage.   Approximately 25,000 visitors tour the station each summer, providing just enough money to run the tours.   The MHRC is planning several fundraising efforts, including a buy-a-brick program to repave the platform areas around the station with paver bricks engraved with names of individual and corporate donors. However, the Commission feels that a large obstacle to fundraising the obscurity of the McAdam station and the limited number of people who even know it exists; being generally unknown even among railroad buffs.   Further, the historical designation limits redevelopment options, which are also hindered by active tracks, used by the New Brunswick Southern railway, on both sides of the building   The Commission would welcome advice on venues for publicity and fundraising opportunities. Tax deductible donations and other correspondence may be sent to either:   McAdam Railway Station P.O. Box 218 Vanceboro, ME, 04991   or   McAdam Railway Station 146 Saunders Road McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada EJ6 1L2