Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division
Encyclopedia
The Mountain Division is a railroad line that was once owned and operated by the Maine Central Railroad
. It stretches from Portland, Maine
on the Atlantic Ocean
, through the Western Maine Mountains
and White Mountains
of New Hampshire
, ending at St. Johnsbury, Vermont
in the Northeast Kingdom
. The line was deactivated and eventually abandoned in 1983 by Maine Central's then-new parent company, Guilford Transportation Industries
. Guilford retained a stub between Portland and Westbrook
. A section in New Hampshire remains active today as the Conway Scenic Railroad
.
hotels, including the Bay of Naples Inn in Naples
(reached by connection with Sebago Lake
steamboats), the Crawford House in Crawford Notch
, and the Mount Washington Hotel
in Bretton Woods
. Cool, clean air at Sebago Lake and the White Mountains provided a refreshing escape from the heat, humidity, smoke and smells of 19th-century cities. Autumn foliage and winter skiing
extended the tourist season. The Flying Yankee
train-set operated as the Mountaineer from Boston
to Crawford Notch via Intervale Junction
during World War II
, but passenger service had been reduced to a single daily round-trip between Portland and St. Johnsbury by the 1930s. The train between Portland and St. Johnsbury usually consisted of a RPO
-express
car, a baggage car
and a single coach after the 1920s; and substitution of a stainless steel combination
for the coach and baggage car reduced the train to two cars for the last several years before the end of passenger service in 1958.
This line was the shortest route from Portland to points west of Chicago
. It saw relatively heavy through freight traffic from termination of the joint operating agreement with the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1953, until abandonment in 1983 when Guilford Transportation Industries ownership again favored Boston & Maine routing. The westbound grade was 2.2% for 18.5 miles from Bemis (Notchland) to the summit at Crawford Notch. Maine Central operated 2-6-6-2
Mallet locomotive
s #1201-1204 on the Mountain Division from 1911 through the 1920s. The Mallets had been built for the Boston & Maine Railroad Hoosac Tunnel
in 1910; and were sold to Maine Central when Hoosac Tunnel was electrified
the following year. The Mallets were built to burn oil
, but were converted to burn coal
after local fire departments had difficulty extinguishing oil fires. Two large firemen were required to hand fire the coal-burning Mallets westbound. One Mallet was stationed in Portland, another at Lancaster
on the Beecher Falls Branch, and a third at the Bartlett
helper wye, while the fourth Mallet was undergoing maintenance.
USRA Light Mikado
s (Maine Central class S) handled freight train
s on the Mountain Division after the last Mallet was retired in 1931; and class O 4-6-0
s handled local trains and (often in tandem) provided helper service. EMD F3
s and GP7s replaced steam locomotive
s in 1953. Four or five diesel locomotive
s were typical head-end power for diesel-era freight trains; and a pair of EMD SW7
s or non-dynamic-braked GP7s often provided helper service westbound. First generation diesels were replaced by similar numbers of EMD GP38
s, ten GE U18B
s and two ALCO RS-11
s. Helpers were less common with these second generation diesels.
, a heritage railroad, operates summer and fall excursion trains on the portion of the Mountain Division between North Conway
through Crawford Notch to Fabyan
.
The portion of the line from Westbrook, Maine
to the Maine–New Hampshire border is owned by the Maine Department of Transportation and is currently inactive, although MDOT has long-term plans to reactivate the line for freight and commuter rail service.
Maine Central's parent company, Pan Am Railways
, retains ownership of the section of the line from Milepost 0 to Westbrook, which it operates as the "Mountain Branch."
Milepost 0: Portland
interchange with Boston & Maine Railroad and Grand Trunk Railway
; operated by Portland Terminal Company
.
Milepost 5.4: Cumberland Mills
S. D. Warren Paper Mill
and junction with the Boston & Maine Railroad's Worcester, Nashua & Portland Division; operated by the Portland Terminal Company. Agent's station closed 1983.
Milepost 10.8: South Windham
agent's station closed 1981.
Milepost 12: Newhall
company town
for the Oriental Powder Company
. Gunpowder
mill closed in 1905 and agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 13.6: White Rock
agent's station closed 1921.
Milepost 16.7: Sebago Lake Station
connection with Sebago Lake
steamboats. Queen Anne style agent's station built 1890 and closed 1935. Turntable and 2-stall enginehouse
built in 1890.
Milepost 24.6: Steep Falls privately built depot with dance hall upstairs dismantled 1961.
Milepost 26.4: Mattock's
agent's station closed 1933.
Milepost 31.7: Cornish
agent's station closed 1962.
Milepost 33.4: West Baldwin
agent's station closed 1930.
Milepost 36.3: Bridgton Junction
interchange with narrow-gauge Bridgton and Saco River Railroad
. Agent's station closed 1930.
Milepost 36.8: Hiram
agent's station closed 1949.
Milepost 43.3: Brownfield
agent's station closed 1935.
Milepost 49.8: Fryeburg agent's station closed 1971.
Milepost 54.3: Conway Center, New Hampshire
agent's station closed 1933.
Milepost 56.9: Redstone
large granite quarry. Agent's station closed 1935.
Milepost 59.3: North Conway
agent's station closed 1952.
Milepost 61.4: Intervale Junction
with Boston & Maine Railroad to Rochester, New Hampshire
. Agent's station closed 1958.
Milepost 64.8: Glen
agent's station closed 1950.
Milepost 70.5: Bartlett
helper terminal for the westbound grade up through Crawford Notch. Agent's station closed 1962, then reopened 1981-1984.
Milepost 74.8: Sawyer's River
junction with Sawyer River Railroad. Agent's station closed 1921.
Milepost 76.6: Bemis flag stop renamed Notchland in 1931.
Milepost 78.2: Carrigain
junction with Saco Valley Railroad. Agent's station closed 1898.
Milepost 79.5: Frankenstein Trestle
Milepost 80.8: Willey House
section foreman's house.
Milepost 83.5: Mount Willard
section foreman's house.
Milepost 85: Crawford Notch
agent's station closed 1955 and sold to Appalachian Mountain Club
.
Milepost 88.3: Fabyan
, junction with the Boston & Maine Railroad and spur to the Mount Washington Cog Railway at Marshfield Station
. Agent's station closed 1958.
Milepost 93.6: Twin Mountain
Milepost 99.5: Quebec Junction with Maine Central Quebec Division (later Beecher Falls
branch) to Lime Ridge, Quebec
Milepost 103.6: Whitefield
junction with Boston & Maine Railroad to Berlin
.
Milepost 106.8: Scott, New Hampshire, junction with Boston & Maine Railroad to Groveton
. Agent's station closed 1931.
Milepost 109.1: Lunenburg, Vermont agent's station closed 1924.
Milepost 111.5: Gilman paper mill agent's station closed 1983.
Milepost 113.5: Mayo
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 116.4: Miles Pond
agent's station closed 1921,
Milepost 119.7: Essex
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 123.5: Concord
agent's station closed 1949.
Milepost 127.2: Griswold
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 131.4: St. Johnsbury
interchange with Boston & Maine Railroad (became Canadian Pacific Railway
in 1926) and St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County Railroad
.
at Dudswell Junction to Lime Ridge, Quebec
. In 1888, the Upper Coos Railroad built a railroad north to the Quebec border from the Grand Trunk Railway
at North Stratford, New Hampshire. In 1889, William Bullock Ives
' Hereford Railway purchased the Dominion Lime Company railroad and extended it south to connect with the Upper Coos Railroad. Maine Central Railroad leased the Upper Coos Railroad and the Hereford Railway in 1890 and built a connecting Coos Valley Railroad in 1891 from North Stratford to the Mountain Division at Quebec Junction. This line was operated as the Maine Central Railroad Quebec Division until Maine Central terminated lease of the Hereford Railway in 1925. Canadian Pacific Railway
later operated over some of this abandoned line through Quebec. The Upper Coos Railroad and Coos Valley Railroad were purchased by the Maine Central Railroad in 1931 and operated as the Beecher Falls branch of the Mountain Division. The former Coos Valley Railroad was dismantled in 1948 when Maine Central negotiated trackage rights over the Boston and Maine Railroad
to Groveton, New Hampshire
and over the former Grand Trunk Berlin Subdivision from Groveton to North Stratford. The remaining line north of North Stratford operated as the North Stratford Railroad
after 1976.
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
. It stretches from Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, through the Western Maine Mountains
Western Maine Mountains
The Western Maine Mountains region spans most of Maine's western border with New Hampshire. A small part of the scenic White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. This is essentially all of Oxford County and northern York County and Cumberland Counties. Notable towns include Bethel,...
and White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, ending at St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
in the Northeast Kingdom
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
. The line was deactivated and eventually abandoned in 1983 by Maine Central's then-new parent company, Guilford Transportation Industries
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
. Guilford retained a stub between Portland and Westbrook
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
. A section in New Hampshire remains active today as the Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...
.
History
Built as the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad before acquisition by the Maine Central Railroad, the line initially provided transportation for summer visitors to grand VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
hotels, including the Bay of Naples Inn in Naples
Naples, Maine
Naples is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,274 at the 2000 census, and it is home to part of Sebago Lake State Park. Naples is a resort area.-History:The area...
(reached by connection with Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
steamboats), the Crawford House in Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is the steep and narrow gorge of the Saco River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located almost entirely within the town of Hart's Location...
, and the Mount Washington Hotel
Mount Washington Hotel
The Mount Washington Hotel opened in 1902 near Mount Washington, in the town of Carroll, New Hampshire. The area is better known as Bretton Woods, and includes the Bretton Woods ski resort nearby. It is located at the northern end of Crawford Notch, east of the village of Twin Mountain, New...
in Bretton Woods
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Bretton Woods is an area within the town of Carroll, New Hampshire, USA, whose principal points of interest are three leisure and recreation facilities...
. Cool, clean air at Sebago Lake and the White Mountains provided a refreshing escape from the heat, humidity, smoke and smells of 19th-century cities. Autumn foliage and winter skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
extended the tourist season. The Flying Yankee
Flying Yankee
The Flying Yankee was a diesel-powered streamliner built in 1935 for the Maine Central Railroad and the Boston and Maine Railroad by Budd Company and with mechanical and electrical equipment from Electro-Motive Corporation...
train-set operated as the Mountaineer from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Crawford Notch via Intervale Junction
Intervale, New Hampshire
Intervale is an unincorporated village located on the boundary between the towns of Bartlett and Conway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The village is part of the Mount Washington Valley, a resort area that also includes the communities of North Conway and Jackson.Intervale is found along...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but passenger service had been reduced to a single daily round-trip between Portland and St. Johnsbury by the 1930s. The train between Portland and St. Johnsbury usually consisted of a RPO
Railway post office
In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
-express
Railway Express Agency
The Railway Express Agency was a the national monopoly set up by the Untied States federal government in 1917. Rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure much as UPS functions today using the road system...
car, a baggage car
Baggage car
A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
and a single coach after the 1920s; and substitution of a stainless steel combination
Combine car
A combine car in North American parlance, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....
for the coach and baggage car reduced the train to two cars for the last several years before the end of passenger service in 1958.
This line was the shortest route from Portland to points west of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It saw relatively heavy through freight traffic from termination of the joint operating agreement with the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1953, until abandonment in 1983 when Guilford Transportation Industries ownership again favored Boston & Maine routing. The westbound grade was 2.2% for 18.5 miles from Bemis (Notchland) to the summit at Crawford Notch. Maine Central operated 2-6-6-2
2-6-6-2
In Whyte notation, 2-6-6-2 refers to a railroad steam locomotive that has two leading wheels followed by six coupled driving wheels, a second set of six coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels...
Mallet locomotive
Mallet locomotive
The Mallet Locomotive is a type of articulated locomotive, invented by a Swiss engineer named Anatole Mallet ....
s #1201-1204 on the Mountain Division from 1911 through the 1920s. The Mallets had been built for the Boston & Maine Railroad Hoosac Tunnel
Hoosac Tunnel
The Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile-long railroad tunnel in western Massachusetts which passes through the Hoosac Range, an extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. Work began in 1848 and was finally completed in 1875...
in 1910; and were sold to Maine Central when Hoosac Tunnel was electrified
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
the following year. The Mallets were built to burn oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, but were converted to burn coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
after local fire departments had difficulty extinguishing oil fires. Two large firemen were required to hand fire the coal-burning Mallets westbound. One Mallet was stationed in Portland, another at Lancaster
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
on the Beecher Falls Branch, and a third at the Bartlett
Bartlett, New Hampshire
Bartlett is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,788 at the 2010 census. Bartlett includes the villages of Glen, Lower Bartlett and Intervale. It is set in the White Mountains, surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest...
helper wye, while the fourth Mallet was undergoing maintenance.
USRA Light Mikado
USRA Light Mikado
The USRA Light Mikado was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I...
s (Maine Central class S) handled freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s on the Mountain Division after the last Mallet was retired in 1931; and class O 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
s handled local trains and (often in tandem) provided helper service. EMD F3
EMD F3
The EMD F3 was a , B-B freight- and passenger-hauling diesel locomotive produced between July 1945 and February 1949 by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant...
s and GP7s replaced steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s in 1953. Four or five diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s were typical head-end power for diesel-era freight trains; and a pair of EMD SW7
EMD SW7
The EMD SW7 was a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between October 1949 and January 1951. It was powered by a V12 567A engine developing . 489 SW7 locomotives were produced. The majority of the SW7s were built by EMD Plant #3 in Cleveland, Ohio...
s or non-dynamic-braked GP7s often provided helper service westbound. First generation diesels were replaced by similar numbers of EMD GP38
EMD GP38
An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated ....
s, ten GE U18B
GE U18B
The GE U18B Diesel-electric locomotive was introduced by GE Transportation as a branch line roadswitcher in 1973.Easy to spot due to its relatively short length — 54 ft 8 in — it was the only North American locomotive powered by the 8-cylinder 7FDL engine.The Seaboard Coast...
s and two ALCO RS-11
ALCO RS-11
The ALCO RS-11 is a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type rated at 1,800 hp , that rode on two-axle trucks, having a B-B wheel arrangement.-Development:...
s. Helpers were less common with these second generation diesels.
Today
The Conway Scenic RailroadConway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...
, a heritage railroad, operates summer and fall excursion trains on the portion of the Mountain Division between North Conway
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway, which is bounded on the east by the Maine state line. The White...
through Crawford Notch to Fabyan
Carroll, New Hampshire
Carroll is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 763 at the 2010 census. The two largest villages are Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods. Carroll is an important access point for recreational areas in the White Mountains, including many 4,000-footers, the Zealand...
.
The portion of the line from Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
to the Maine–New Hampshire border is owned by the Maine Department of Transportation and is currently inactive, although MDOT has long-term plans to reactivate the line for freight and commuter rail service.
Maine Central's parent company, Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
, retains ownership of the section of the line from Milepost 0 to Westbrook, which it operates as the "Mountain Branch."
Route mileposts
Milepost 0: Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
interchange with Boston & Maine Railroad and Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
; operated by Portland Terminal Company
Portland Terminal Company
The Portland Terminal Company was a terminal railroad notable for its control of switching activity for the Maine Central and Boston & Maine railroads in the Maine cities of Portland, South Portland, and Westbrook.- History :...
.
Milepost 5.4: Cumberland Mills
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
S. D. Warren Paper Mill
S. D. Warren Paper Mill
S. D. Warren Paper Mill is a small mill built on the Presumpscot River in the 1730s in a rural and fairly unpopulated area. In 1854, that small paper mill, in the soon-to-be established town of Westbrook, Maine, was purchased for $28,000 by Samuel Dennis Warren. The mill was named Grant, Warren and...
and junction with the Boston & Maine Railroad's Worcester, Nashua & Portland Division; operated by the Portland Terminal Company. Agent's station closed 1983.
Milepost 10.8: South Windham
Windham, Maine
Windham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 17,001 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of South Windham and North Windham...
agent's station closed 1981.
Milepost 12: Newhall
Windham, Maine
Windham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 17,001 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of South Windham and North Windham...
company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
for the Oriental Powder Company
Oriental Powder Company
Oriental Powder Company was a gunpowder manufacturer with mills located on the Presumpscot River in Gorham and Windham, Maine. The company was one of the four largest suppliers to Union forces through the American Civil War.-History:...
. Gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
mill closed in 1905 and agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 13.6: White Rock
Gorham, Maine
Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 16,381 at the 2010 census. In addition to an urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town also encompasses a number of smaller, unincorporated villages and hamlets with distinct...
agent's station closed 1921.
Milepost 16.7: Sebago Lake Station
Standish, Maine
Standish is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Standish Corner, Sebago Lake Village and Steep Falls, and the localities known as Richville, Standish Neck and Two Trails...
connection with Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake
Sebago Lake is the deepest and second largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of , covers about in surface area, has a length of and a shoreline length of . The surface is around above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present...
steamboats. Queen Anne style agent's station built 1890 and closed 1935. Turntable and 2-stall enginehouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
built in 1890.
Milepost 24.6: Steep Falls privately built depot with dance hall upstairs dismantled 1961.
Milepost 26.4: Mattock's
Baldwin, Maine
Baldwin is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,290 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
agent's station closed 1933.
Milepost 31.7: Cornish
Cornish, Maine
Cornish is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
agent's station closed 1962.
Milepost 33.4: West Baldwin
Baldwin, Maine
Baldwin is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,290 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
agent's station closed 1930.
Milepost 36.3: Bridgton Junction
Hiram, Maine
Hiram is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Hiram, East Hiram, South Hiram and Durgintown...
interchange with narrow-gauge Bridgton and Saco River Railroad
Bridgton and Saco River Railroad
The Bridgton and Saco River Railroad was a gauge railroad that operated in the vicinity of Bridgton and Harrison, Maine. It connected with the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad from Portland, Maine, to St...
. Agent's station closed 1930.
Milepost 36.8: Hiram
Hiram, Maine
Hiram is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Hiram, East Hiram, South Hiram and Durgintown...
agent's station closed 1949.
Milepost 43.3: Brownfield
Brownfield, Maine
Brownfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2000 census. Brownfield is home to the Stone Mountain Arts Center.-History:...
agent's station closed 1935.
Milepost 49.8: Fryeburg agent's station closed 1971.
Milepost 54.3: Conway Center, New Hampshire
Center Conway, New Hampshire
Center Conway is a village within the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. From the late 19th century until the Second World War, Center Conway was known for its corn cannery. Today the homes are mostly residential, with many vacationers visiting the scenic Conway Lake...
agent's station closed 1933.
Milepost 56.9: Redstone
Redstone, New Hampshire
Redstone is a village within the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the road from Center Conway to North Conway at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain...
large granite quarry. Agent's station closed 1935.
Milepost 59.3: North Conway
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway, which is bounded on the east by the Maine state line. The White...
agent's station closed 1952.
Milepost 61.4: Intervale Junction
Intervale, New Hampshire
Intervale is an unincorporated village located on the boundary between the towns of Bartlett and Conway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The village is part of the Mount Washington Valley, a resort area that also includes the communities of North Conway and Jackson.Intervale is found along...
with Boston & Maine Railroad to Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
. Agent's station closed 1958.
Milepost 64.8: Glen
Glen, New Hampshire
Glen is an unincorporated village in the town of Bartlett in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The village is the home of Story Land, a popular amusement park in the Mount Washington Valley region, a resort area that also includes the communities of North Conway and Jackson.Glen is found at...
agent's station closed 1950.
Milepost 70.5: Bartlett
Bartlett, New Hampshire
Bartlett is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,788 at the 2010 census. Bartlett includes the villages of Glen, Lower Bartlett and Intervale. It is set in the White Mountains, surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest...
helper terminal for the westbound grade up through Crawford Notch. Agent's station closed 1962, then reopened 1981-1984.
Milepost 74.8: Sawyer's River
Sawyer River
The Sawyer River is a 9.1 mile long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saco River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine....
junction with Sawyer River Railroad. Agent's station closed 1921.
Milepost 76.6: Bemis flag stop renamed Notchland in 1931.
Milepost 78.2: Carrigain
Mount Carrigain
Mount Carrigain is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is named after Phillip Carrigain, NH Secretary of State , and is on the south side of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, the source of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River in the heart of the White Mountains,...
junction with Saco Valley Railroad. Agent's station closed 1898.
Milepost 79.5: Frankenstein Trestle
Hart's Location, New Hampshire
Hart's Location is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Since 1948, the town has been one of the first places to declare its results for the New Hampshire Presidential primary and U.S. Presidential elections....
Milepost 80.8: Willey House
Mount Willey
Mount Willey is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is named after Samuel Willey, Jr. and his family, who in 1825 moved into a house in Crawford Notch...
section foreman's house.
Milepost 83.5: Mount Willard
Mount Willard (New Hampshire)
Mount Willard, elevation , is a mountain located in Carroll County, New Hampshire, in the center of Crawford Notch. Its summit provides excellent views, and it is accessible by the Mount Willard Trail.-References:...
section foreman's house.
Milepost 85: Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is the steep and narrow gorge of the Saco River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located almost entirely within the town of Hart's Location...
agent's station closed 1955 and sold to Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
.
Milepost 88.3: Fabyan
Fabyan
Fabyan may refer to:* John Fabyan Parrott, was a United States representative and senator from New Hampshire in the early 19th century* Fabyan Windmill, an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s located in Geneva, Illinois...
, junction with the Boston & Maine Railroad and spur to the Mount Washington Cog Railway at Marshfield Station
Marshfield Station
Marshfield Station is located in the township of Thompson and Meserve's Purchase, at the base of the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire, USA. It was formerly a transfer point from passenger train service to the cog train taking tourists to the hotels at the summit...
. Agent's station closed 1958.
Milepost 93.6: Twin Mountain
Twin Mountain, New Hampshire
Twin Mountain is a village within the town of Carroll in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is named for two prominent summits which rise to the south of the village, North Twin Mountain and South Twin Mountain ....
Milepost 99.5: Quebec Junction with Maine Central Quebec Division (later Beecher Falls
Canaan, Vermont
Canaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,078 at the 2000 census. Canaan contains the village of Beecher Falls, located at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Halls Stream...
branch) to Lime Ridge, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
Milepost 103.6: Whitefield
Whitefield, New Hampshire
Whitefield is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, in the White Mountains Region. The population was 2,306 at the 2010 census. Situated on the northern edge of the White Mountains, Whitefield is home to the Mount Washington Regional Airport and the White Mountains Regional High...
junction with Boston & Maine Railroad to Berlin
Berlin, New Hampshire
Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest...
.
Milepost 106.8: Scott, New Hampshire, junction with Boston & Maine Railroad to Groveton
Groveton, New Hampshire
Groveton is a census-designated place in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S...
. Agent's station closed 1931.
Milepost 109.1: Lunenburg, Vermont agent's station closed 1924.
Milepost 111.5: Gilman paper mill agent's station closed 1983.
Milepost 113.5: Mayo
Concord, Vermont
Concord is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area, and contains the villages of North Concord and Miles Pond.- History :...
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 116.4: Miles Pond
Concord, Vermont
Concord is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area, and contains the villages of North Concord and Miles Pond.- History :...
agent's station closed 1921,
Milepost 119.7: Essex
Concord, Vermont
Concord is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area, and contains the villages of North Concord and Miles Pond.- History :...
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 123.5: Concord
Concord, Vermont
Concord is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area, and contains the villages of North Concord and Miles Pond.- History :...
agent's station closed 1949.
Milepost 127.2: Griswold
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
agent's station closed 1932.
Milepost 131.4: St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
interchange with Boston & Maine Railroad (became Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in 1926) and St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County Railroad
St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad
St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad was constructed in the 1870s as the Vermont Division of the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway to connect the Great Lakes with the seaport of Portland, Maine. The westerly connection with the Great Lakes was never made...
.
Beecher Falls Branch
The Dominion Lime Company built a railroad in 1887 from the Quebec Central RailwayQuebec Central Railway
The Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the area of Quebec called the Eastern Townships, south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Eastern Townships and Kennebec...
at Dudswell Junction to Lime Ridge, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. In 1888, the Upper Coos Railroad built a railroad north to the Quebec border from the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
at North Stratford, New Hampshire. In 1889, William Bullock Ives
William Bullock Ives
William Bullock Ives, PC, QC was a Canadian politician. He was the President of the Privy Council and Minister of Trade and Commerce.-Early life:...
' Hereford Railway purchased the Dominion Lime Company railroad and extended it south to connect with the Upper Coos Railroad. Maine Central Railroad leased the Upper Coos Railroad and the Hereford Railway in 1890 and built a connecting Coos Valley Railroad in 1891 from North Stratford to the Mountain Division at Quebec Junction. This line was operated as the Maine Central Railroad Quebec Division until Maine Central terminated lease of the Hereford Railway in 1925. Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
later operated over some of this abandoned line through Quebec. The Upper Coos Railroad and Coos Valley Railroad were purchased by the Maine Central Railroad in 1931 and operated as the Beecher Falls branch of the Mountain Division. The former Coos Valley Railroad was dismantled in 1948 when Maine Central negotiated trackage rights over the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
to Groveton, New Hampshire
Groveton, New Hampshire
Groveton is a census-designated place in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S...
and over the former Grand Trunk Berlin Subdivision from Groveton to North Stratford. The remaining line north of North Stratford operated as the North Stratford Railroad
North Stratford Railroad
The North Stratford Railroad was an interstate railroad in northeastern Vermont and northwestern New Hampshire. It ran from the village of North Stratford in Stratford, New Hampshire to the village of Beecher Falls in Canaan, Vermont, a distance of approximately .-Origin of the line:The line was...
after 1976.
Route
- Milepost 99.5: Quebec Junction
- Milepost 101.9: Waumbek Junction with Boston and Maine RailroadBoston and Maine RailroadThe Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
to Berlin, New HampshireBerlin, New HampshireBerlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest... - Milepost 104.4: JeffersonJefferson, New HampshireJefferson is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,107 at the 2010 census. It is home to parts of the White Mountain National Forest in the south and northeast and to two theme parks: Santa's Village and...
station closed 1921 - Milepost 111.4: Lancaster, New HampshireLancaster, New HampshireLancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
station closed 1933 - Milepost 112.5: Coos Junction with Boston and Maine RailroadBoston and Maine RailroadThe Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
to Groveton, New HampshireGroveton, New HampshireGroveton is a census-designated place in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S...
(joint station closed 1932) - Milepost 124.1: Maidstone, Vermont
- Milepost 126.9: Mason's diamond crossing Grand Trunk RailwayGrand Trunk RailwayThe Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
- Milepost 132.0: North Stratford, New Hampshire junction with Grand Trunk RailwayGrand Trunk RailwayThe Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
- Milepost 144.8: Colebrook, New HampshireColebrook, New HampshireColebrook is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Great North Woods Region, it is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and home to Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area....
station closed 1974 - Milepost 152.8: West Stewartstown, New HampshireWest Stewartstown, New HampshireWest Stewartstown is a census-designated place in the town of Stewartstown in Coos County, New Hampshire. It had a population of 386 at the 2010 census....
station closed 1956 - Milepost 154.5: Beecher Falls, VermontCanaan, VermontCanaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,078 at the 2000 census. Canaan contains the village of Beecher Falls, located at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Halls Stream...
station closed 1933 - Milepost 183.6: Sawyerville, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
- Milepost 190.3: Cookshire JunctionCookshire-Eaton, QuebecCookshire-Eaton is a ville in the Estrie region in Quebec. It was formed in 2002 by the amalgamation of the villages of Cookshire and Sawyerville, and the township of Eaton. It is the seat of Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality....
with Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001... - Milepost 203.3: Dudswell JunctionDudswell, QuebecDudswell is a municipality of 1,600 people in Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality, in Quebec, Canada....
with Quebec Central RailwayQuebec Central RailwayThe Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the area of Quebec called the Eastern Townships, south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Eastern Townships and Kennebec... - Milepost 207.6: Lime Ridge