Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads Read online

  This map represents Maine narrow-gauge railroads at their peak c. 1915. The heavy lines indicate the two-foot railroads at that time. Standard-gauge railroads are shown with the light lines, and the broken lines show the proposed narrow-gauge extensions.

  Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads

  Robert L. MacDonald

  Copyright © 2003 by Robert L. MacDonald

  9781439628676

  Published by Arcadia Publishing

  Charleston, South Carolina

  Printed in the United States of America

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2003100244

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  The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum’s official logo is featured on patches, badges, newsletters, and other materials provided for members and guests. It illustrates a front-end view of an early rear-tank-type engine. The Portland Company constructed eight of these for use on Maine two-foot-gauge railroads. They were the last steam railroad locomotives of any gauge built by the Portland Company, which a century later became the site for survivors of the Maine narrow-gauge era.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  One - THE PROTOTYPE AND THE PIONEERS

  Two - THE TRANSPLANT GROWS

  Three - THE SIX BECOME ONE

  Four - BRIDGTON CONNECTS

  Five - THE WISCASSET DREAM

  Six - MONSON SLATE

  Seven - THE SOLDIERS’ RAILROAD

  Eight - DOOMSDAY COMES

  Nine - SAVED AND SALVAGED

  Ten - REVIVED AND GROWING

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  RELATED MUSEUMS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Most of the material used in this book came from the author’s collection of photographs and memorabilia gathered over 60 years. However, some came from the archives of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum and from its various members. Where borrowed items are involved from other sources, these are credited accordingly. In some instances, even though pictures have been in the author’s possession for several decades, the name of the photographer is noted where that information is known.

  All the two-foot-gauge operating railroads and museums in Maine are dependent on volunteers. Throughout the text, reference is made to these splendid endeavors in behalf of keeping alive Maine’s narrow-gauge heritage. The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum, located on Fore Street in Portland, is an especially ambitious project initiated in the fall of 1992 by Phineas Sprague Jr. with attorney Edward Ashley and trucker Erving Bickford. Through their efforts and the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and supporters, it became possible for the return to Maine of many authentic Maine two-foot-gauge engines and cars from the old Edaville Railroad after it shut down in 1991 and faced foreclosure. There is a great spirit of cooperation and sharing among the various museums dedicated to the work of restoring and preserving Maine two-foot-gauge relics.

  The author is deeply grateful to those who were initially responsible for saving equipment from being dismantled, including Ellis D. Atwood, Edgar Mead, Van Walsh, John Holt, Eric Sexton, the Ramsdells, and others. There were many people who saved car bodies from being junked when lines were abandoned; the bodies were later salvaged, making possible their eventual restoration for public enjoyment. This book is dedicated to all of these people and to those actively involved today in preserving Maine’s narrow-gauge heritage.

  INTRODUCTION

  Track gauges (the distance between rails), established for the movement of railway equipment over various track routes, may be as varied as their geographical locations. As to what may be recognized as standard, between broad and narrow, is relative to what is most commonly used in a particular locality. In North America, the earliest railroads were usually patterned after those in the United Kingdom. Especially in Wales, the necessity to move minerals in wagons from mines to ports for reshipment by water resulted in the application of iron tracks for ease of movement in the early years of the 19th century. Prior to this, the wagons followed ruts in the roads, reputed to have been established centuries earlier by Roman chariots. These rut-spaced wheels ultimately became the standard for most railroad construction in Great Britain. Since the earliest locomotives used in North America were of British manufacture, the gauge of four feet eight and one-half inches also became an American standard.

  Because of the exceptionally rugged terrain in the western part of Wales, where slate mining flourished, a greater flexibility was needed, which was provided by a much smaller gauge of a mere 60 centimeters (approximately two feet). One such pioneer narrow gauge was the Festiniog Railway between Portmadoc and Blaenau Festiniog. Originally, wagons were gravity propelled downhill with outbound ladings and were horse drawn light on the return upward movement to the mines. After the Festiniog became steam operated in the late 1860s, passenger service was introduced. At that time, the efficiencies realized of using narrow gauge on the Festiniog gained worldwide attention from potential builders of short lines in areas that larger systems had bypassed. After the American Civil War, the explosion of railroad construction in America excluded many isolated localities, which led to widespread interest in use of narrower gauges.

  Most American railroad promoters and engineers, after visiting the Festiniog and observing the advantages of narrow gauge over standard, adopted a three-foot gauge as most practical, rather than the two-foot gauge. One such American promoter, George E. Mansfield, from Massachusetts, thought otherwise. He was the first to develop a two-foot-gauge system for American railroads. With his pioneer Billerica & Bedford Railroad of Massachusetts was introduced an entirely new concept of narrowness for common carrier railroad use. The standards developed for his two-foot-gauge experiment were found practical for the times and continued to be used for over 50 years at several locations in the state of Maine. Not until the spread of highway motor carriers in the 1920s and 1930s was the narrow gauge rendered virtually obsolete. However, the failure of his Billerica & Bedford Railroad came in just six months (between 1877 and 1878) as the result of impatient creditors not allowing enough time for business to develop. Its proven efficiencies, nevertheless, were not lost to interested visitors from Franklin County.

  The equipment became the initial rolling stock for a narrow-gauge Sandy River Railroad between Farmington and Phillips in 1879. This Sandy River was the first of nearly a dozen such lines in various parts of Maine—plus scores of others proposed. These were not just industrial operations (there were many of these) but were recognized common carriers, which conducted their business subject to the same supervision and regulations of their wider counterparts. They transported passengers, mail, express, and freight of all kinds.

  Between 1979 and 1943, the various Maine two-footers gradually succumbed to highway competition and were abandoned and dismantled. Unfortunately, they ended their days during the Great Depression, and little survived in way of equipment and rolling stock for the interest of posterity. However, thanks to a wealthy cranberry grower in South Carver, Massachusetts, Ellis D. Atwood, the preservation of remaining surviving Maine two-foot-gauge equipment became a possibility after 1941. Even while the salvage company was dismantling the 16-mile Bridgton & Harrison Railway in September 1941, Atwood made his move to purchase all the rolling stock for use on his cranberry plantation. U
nfortunately, World War II prevented him from having his narrow-gauge treasures being transported. With the ending of hostilities in late 1945, Atwood began moving not only the Bridgton & Harrison equipment but also any other surviving two-foot-gauge relics he could acquire from different parts of Maine. Tragically, he died after an oil burner explosion in late 1950. His Edaville Railroad continued under different managements for many years until late 1991, when bankruptcy closed it down.

  The home-grown genre of Maine narrow-gauge preservationists had already been established long before the closing of the popular Edaville Railroad (which has since been revived and expanded as a continuing popular theme park). The Sandy River narrow gauge at Phillips and the Wiscasset & Quebec at Alna had already been revived on a section of their original roadbeds. Museums of Maine two-foot-gauge railroads were established for public inspection at Boothbay, Bridgton, and Monson. The most ambitious program for two-foot-gauge revival in Maine began in October 1992, when the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum was formed. The initial inspiration came from Phinias Sprague Jr. of the Portland Company (where eight of the two-foot-gauge engines and scores of other rolling stock were built) to return to Maine the major part of equipment brought to South Carver, Massachusetts, back in 1946. It was a massive undertaking made possible by the persistent efforts of Sprague, attorney Edward Ashley, and trucker Erving Bickford—plus hundreds of other supporters and volunteers. From the beginning, the various narrow-gauge museums worked together, sharing efforts in the common interest of preserving an American heritage for all to enjoy.

  One

  THE PROTOTYPE AND THE PIONEERS

  George E. Mansfield (1839–1913) introduced the two-foot-gauge railroad concept to Maine in 1878 after the financial failure of his experimental Billerica & Bedford Railroad in Massachusetts. The railroad was patterned after the Festiniog Railroad in Wales, which attracted worldwide attention as an inexpensive alternative to wide-gauge railroads. Mansfield superintended the building and operation of the pioneer Maine two-footer, the Sandy River Railroad. Later, in another part of Maine, he did the same for the Bridgton & Saco River Railroad. (Courtesy of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum.)

  The Festiniog Railroad in Wales, the earliest of the narrow-gauge railroads, was built in 1832 to haul slate to Portmodoc from inland mines at Tanyblch and Blaenau Festiniog. After adopting steam power in 1863, the Festiniog became the center of interest for prospective builders of smaller-gauge railroads from around the world, including the United States. George E. Mansfield, a Massachusetts businessman, was one such person inspired by his visit to the Festiniog. His 8.63-mile two-foot-gauge experimental railroad between Bedford and North Billerica, Massachusetts, became the prototype for two-foot-gauge common carrier railroads to follow. Still operating in Wales as a tourist line, the Festiniog continues to be a center of interest, both for its historic appeal and the charisma derived from its trains in miniature. This scene could have been taken well over 100 years earlier in the same location. Although the various narrow-gauge railroads in Maine were abandoned 60 or more years ago, the same enthusiasm for preservation of the narrow gauge abounds in America as with its ancestor in Wales.

  The Puck was one of two Forney-type two-foot-gauge engines that George E. Mansfield had built for the Billerica & Bedford Railroad by the Hinkley Locomotive Works in Boston in 1877. The other was named the Ariel. Burning coal, they were designed to run “backwards” for stability, with their four-wheel tank truck in the lead.

  In this 1881 view of a Sandy River Railroad train in Farmington, the Puck has become the Echo. The train consist is made up entirely of former cars of the Billerica & Bedford Railroad. The lead car, designated A (used as a baggage car here), is actually the Billerica & Bedford’s boxcar with end platforms. The coach and excursion car follow.

  In time, the Sandy River Railroad Dawn (formerly Billerica & Bedford engine Ariel) dropped the name for a No. 1. Its twin, the Puck (Sandy River Echo) became No. 2. Both engines were reconverted from wood-burning engines back to coal for fuel, with a cap stack replacing the diamond.

  Even in the early years of the Sandy River Railroad, there began a need for much heavier engines to handle burgeoning traffic. The railroad’s second No. 2, a 2-6-0 Mogul type built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in 1892, was just one such example. The first No. 2 became Franklin and Megantic Railway No. 2.

  In 1901, the Sandy River Railroad had the Jackson and Sharp Company of Wilmington, Delaware, build America’s only two-foot-gauge parlor car. It was named Rangeley after its destination station, serving a popular resort for the affluent from the big cities to the south. The jointly operated Sandy River–Phillips & Rangeley Rangeley Express enabled Boston and New York nabobs to travel first-class all the way.

  The interior of the Rangeley featured 10 green mohair upholstered swivel seats, lavatory, sink and drinking water dispenser, plate-glass mirrors, and an observation section on one end and a smoker room on the other.

  This example of early trestling (in the 1890s) on the Sandy River Railroad was later filled over with earth. It was known as the Porter trestle. In the background is the town of Strong. The train is led by Sandy River’s Baldwin Mogul No. 2.

  The Sandy River Railroad’s Salmon Hole Bridge is shown crossing the Sandy River on the approaches to the Phillips terminal. The trestling work on either side of the abutments was later filled in, as was the practice with similar structures elsewhere on the line.

  Pictured are two examples of early Sandy River Railroad stations at Strong and Phillips, where trains actually ran through the buildings. This sometimes resulted in damage and loss of buildings and equipment from fires. Later, the buildings were either replaced or rebuilt without the run-through feature.

  Sandy River Railroad Nos. 4 and 5 were damaged in the roundhouse fire of 1903. This picture shows how they appeared after being pulled out of the roundhouse. They were quickly repaired and put back in service. No. 5 survives today as Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington No. 9.

  This interesting picture previews the next chapter. Sandy River Railroad No. 2 has become Franklin & Megantic Railroad No. 2. The baggage car is a Franklin & Megantic, and the coach is a Phillips & Rangeley. This late-1890s scene is at Phillips on the Sandy River Railroad. A bonanza of two-foot-gauge railroads has boomed.

  Two

  THE TRANSPLANT GROWS

  In 1883, the second slim-track railroad to be constructed in Franklin County branched off the Sandy River Railroad at Strong, about halfway to Phillips from Farmington. The Franklin & Megantic Railroad ran 14½ miles north to Kingfield. Shown here is the railroad’s No. 1, built by Hinkley of Boston in 1883. The coach is of Sandy River ownership, trailed by a baggage car.

  This head-on view from December 10, 1884, shows Franklin & Megantic Railroad No. 1 on the first train into Kingfield on the newly completed railroad. The engineer on the left with an oil can is Dan Cushman.

  In 1900, the Kingfield & Dead River extension of the Franklin & Megantic Railroad was lengthened to reach Crockertown, as close to Megantic, Quebec, as the Franklin & Megantic ever came. The station was called Bigelow and served the extensive lumber plant of Prouty and Miller. The picture above, looking south, shows track still being laid in the early 20th century. The view below, looking north, was taken three or four years later and shows the extensive facilities of the railroad, including the enginehouse, turntable, station, and freight shed. The Prouty and Miller sawmill complex would keep the Bigelow agency busy for another decade. Typically, the mill operations would start big and end abruptly when their source of wood was cleaned out. (Above, courtesy of David Fletcher.)

  Franklin & Megantic No. 2 (later No. 3), one of the earliest Baldwin locomotives on a Maine two-footer, came to the Franklin & Megantic in 1884. This tiny engine with no running boards and a huge cab later added brace rods to stabilize the cab.

  This is the first train off the Carrabasset extension of the Franklin & Megantic Railr
oad from Kingfield in 1895. Actually, the “extension” was a new line (the Kingfield & Dead River Railroad), existing with tracks but with no equipment of its own. Note Sandy River engine No. 4; it was a common sight to see mixed-ownership equipment on the narrow gauge.

  The 28-mile Phillips & Rangeley Railroad was completed between the two points in its name in 1891. The railroad not only tapped the vast forest resources of Franklin County but also served the resort region of the Rangeleys. Shown here is a Sandy River Railroad engine with an open inspection car on a newly constructed line close to Dead River station.

  Phillips & Rangeley Railroad engine No. 1 is taking on water at the Sanders tank c. 1900. Named the Calvin Putnam, No. 1 was a Portland Company 1890 Forney type.

  Phillips & Rangeley prospered early with bountiful harvests from surrounding forests. The railroad was the first to have an engine built with a separate tender of the 2-6-0 Mogul type, delivered from Baldwin in 1891 and named the George M. Goodwin after a Phillips & Rangeley official.