Somerset Railroad (Maine)
Encyclopedia
The Somerset Railroad was built to serve a large wooden Victorian era
destination hotel
on Moosehead Lake
. The railway became part of the Maine Central Railroad
in 1911; and a portion remains in intermittent operation by Pan Am Railways
.
from the Maine Central Railroad "back road" at Oakland, Maine
. The line originally shared the Maine Central Portland gauge of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm). Construction reached Norridgewock in 1873, Madison in 1875, and North Anson
in 1877. The company defaulted in 1879 and was reorganized as the standard gauge
Somerset Railway in 1884 before construction continued to Solon
in 1889 and Bingham in 1890. The reorganized company extended the line to Moosehead Lake in 1906 and built a large resort hotel called the Mount Kineo
House. Hotel patrons arrived on Pullman
trains from large eastern cities, and reached the hotel by steamboat from the railroad terminal at Kineo Station. Maine Central railroad purchased the Mount Kineo House with the Somerset Railway; and the railway became the Kineo branch of the Maine Central Railroad in 1911. The last passenger train over the branch ran in September, 1933; and the line north of Bingham was dismantled that year. The Mount Kineo House was razed in 1938. Bingham became an important loading point for pulpwood
floated down the Kennebec River to Wyman Dam until environmental regulations curtailed log driving
in the 1970s. A paper mill
at Madison was the last major customer on the branch originating or terminating 3,000 annual carloads in 1973.
Victorian 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...
destination hotel
Destination hotel
A destination hotel is a hotel whose location and amenities make the hotel itself a destination for tourists, rather than merely a convenient place to stay while traveling through or visiting the area for other reasons. Destination hotels are also called destination lodgings and sometimes...
on Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, the lake is the source of the Kennebec River. Towns that border the lake include Greenville to the south and...
. The railway became part of the Maine Central Railroad
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...
in 1911; and a portion remains in intermittent operation by 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...
.
History
Somerset Railroad was chartered in 1860 to build north along the Kennebec RiverKennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
from the Maine Central Railroad "back road" at Oakland, Maine
Oakland, Maine
Oakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,240 at the 2010 census. . Gateway to the Belgrade Lakes region, Oakland is 4 miles west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles north of Augusta, the state capital.-History:It was first settled about 1780 by...
. The line originally shared the Maine Central Portland gauge of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm). Construction reached Norridgewock in 1873, Madison in 1875, and North Anson
North Anson, Maine
North Anson is a village in the town of Anson in Somerset County, Maine, United States.-History:According to an 1886 History of Anson, Maine, "In 1845 [Anson] was divided, and North Anson incorporated out of it; but a re-union of the parts took place in 1855. North Anson has in the "Union Advocate"...
in 1877. The company defaulted in 1879 and was reorganized as the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
Somerset Railway in 1884 before construction continued to Solon
Solon, Maine
Solon is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 940 at the 2000 census. Solon is a picturesque village containing historic architecture.-History:...
in 1889 and Bingham in 1890. The reorganized company extended the line to Moosehead Lake in 1906 and built a large resort hotel called the Mount Kineo
Mount Kineo
Mount Kineo, situated beside Moosehead Lake in Maine, is in the northern Maine forest, which stretches north to Canada. Kineo is a peninsula, comprising 1,150 acres , which extends from the easterly shore into the lake...
House. Hotel patrons arrived on Pullman
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
trains from large eastern cities, and reached the hotel by steamboat from the railroad terminal at Kineo Station. Maine Central railroad purchased the Mount Kineo House with the Somerset Railway; and the railway became the Kineo branch of the Maine Central Railroad in 1911. The last passenger train over the branch ran in September, 1933; and the line north of Bingham was dismantled that year. The Mount Kineo House was razed in 1938. Bingham became an important loading point for pulpwood
Pulpwood
Pulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.-Applications:* Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance...
floated down the Kennebec River to Wyman Dam until environmental regulations curtailed log driving
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
in the 1970s. A paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
at Madison was the last major customer on the branch originating or terminating 3,000 annual carloads in 1973.
Railway mileposts
- Milepost 0: OaklandOakland, MaineOakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,240 at the 2010 census. . Gateway to the Belgrade Lakes region, Oakland is 4 miles west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles north of Augusta, the state capital.-History:It was first settled about 1780 by...
on the Maine Central Back Road
- Milepost 13: Norridgewock
- Milepost 20.9: Madison
- Milepost 21.3: Anson
- Milepost 25.3: North AnsonNorth Anson, MaineNorth Anson is a village in the town of Anson in Somerset County, Maine, United States.-History:According to an 1886 History of Anson, Maine, "In 1845 [Anson] was divided, and North Anson incorporated out of it; but a re-union of the parts took place in 1855. North Anson has in the "Union Advocate"...
- Milepost 30.4: EmbdenEmbden, MaineEmbden is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 881 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...
- Milepost 33.9: SolonSolon, MaineSolon is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 940 at the 2000 census. Solon is a picturesque village containing historic architecture.-History:...
- Milepost 41: Bingham
- Milepost 48.2: Deadwater
- Milepost 52.2: Bald Mountain
- Milepost 60.1: Mosquito
- Milepost 64.7: Lake Moxie
- Milepost 85.3: Somerset Junction (with the 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...
International of Maine Division)
- Milepost 91.5: Kineo Station