St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
Encyclopedia
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada
, is a short line railroad operating between Portland, Maine
on the Atlantic Ocean
and Montreal
, Quebec
on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Canada-U.S. border at Norton, Vermont
, and is owned by short line operator Genesee and Wyoming.
The line was originally built by the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad in the U.S. and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway in Canada, meeting at Island Pond
, Vermont
south of the International Boundary. Major communities served include Portland and Lewiston
in Maine; Berlin
, New Hampshire
; Island Pond, Vermont; and Sherbrooke and Montreal in Quebec.
in 1844 by Portland entrepreneur John A. Poor
. Portland was desperate to connect its ice-free port with Montreal, and Maine was at risk of being eclipsed by a similar proposal running from nearby Boston
, Massachusetts
. Montreal saw an advantage in linking with the smaller port at Portland and Poor's idea became a reality.
on February 10, 1845, New Hampshire
July 30, 1847 and Vermont
October 27, 1848 to build a continuous line from Portland
northwest into northeastern Vermont. The line was originally built to the Portland gauge
of . Construction started in Portland on July 4, 1846. The first section, from Portland to Yarmouth
, opened July 20, 1848. Further extensions up the Royal River
to Danville (now Auburn
) opened in October, 1848, and to Mechanic Falls
in February, 1849. Construction then proceeded up the Little Androscoggin River
to Oxford in September, 1849, and Paris in March, 1850. Construction was then completed down the Alder River
to the Androscoggin River
at Bethel
in March, 1851. Simultaneous construction of Portland gauge connecting railways occurred from Danville and Mechanic Falls. Sections into and within New Hampshire
opened to Gorham on July 23, 1851 and Northumberland July 12, 1852, and the full distance to Island Pond
, Vermont on January 29, 1853.
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway was chartered to build the part of the line in Quebec
, and on August 4, 1851 agreed to meet the Atlantic and St. Lawrence at Island Pond. Regular operations began April 4, 1853 between Montreal
(Saint-Lambert
) and Portland.
leased the two companies, giving the Toronto
-Montreal line an extension east to Portland. A branch was also built from Richmond, Quebec
northeast to Point Levi, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City
. Grand Trunk enlarged their waterfront facilities at Portland by purchasing land from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. The increased traffic from Portland and Point Levi to Montreal placed significant demands on the small train ferry
(car float
?) service across the Saint Lawrence River
at Montreal, and this was replaced by the Victoria Bridge
by 1860.
The locomotives burned wood exclusively until the cost of seasoned firewood increased during the winter of 1871-72 to make other fuels competitive. Peat
from Quebec was used briefly before coal
became the standard. Coal was used exclusively between Portland and Gorham by 1879, but use of wood continued for a few more years north of Gorham.
Interchange with standard gauge
railroads became a problem during the 1860s. Grand Trunk equipped approximately one thousand freight cars with experimental "sliding-wheels" in 1863 at company shops in Sarnia, Ontario
, and Pointe-Saint-Charles
in Montreal. Gauge could be adjusted by removing and inserting axle pins on special tapered-gauge track segments at interchange points. Safety problems were reported despite high maintenance costs. All lines west of Montreal were converted to standard gauge on October 3 and 4, 1873. Grand Trunk purchased 200 standard gauge locomotives (including 62 from Portland Company
) and converted 135 old locomotives. Ten-thousand standard gauge bogie
s were purchased for conversion of freight cars. The railway from Portland to Montreal was standard-gauged in September, 1874.
During the week preceding the change, each section foreman made sure all ties on his section were properly adze
d and clear of gravel. Spikes were laid out beside each tie, and some sidings were re-gauged before the main line. Two eight-man squads were assigned to each five-mile section. They slept by the track with their tools on the night of September 25, 1874. Work began at Portland when the last Portland gauge train from Island Pond arrived at 2:00 am September 26, and the main line was ready for standard gauge trains by 9:00 am the same day. The change resulted in nearly complete replacement of locomotives on the New England line, since most of the Portland gauge locomotives were sold or scrapped. Five new "Burnside" 2-6-0
locomotives from Rhode Island Locomotive Works
had arrived in Portland from Boston to resume service.
The GTR line to Portland was built during the boom period for New England textile
mills
, and various mill towns in northern New England soon saw an influx of French Canadian
workers who quickly found work in the region.
Grain elevator
s were constructed at Portland to facilitate storage and loading of Canadian wheat
for export. The first elevator was built on Galt Wharf in 1863. The elevator with capacity for 150,000 bushels burned in 1873, and was replaced with a larger elevator in 1875. Portland Elevator Company built an elevator with capacity of one million bushels in 1897; and New England Elevator Company built the largest elevator on the Atlantic coast at the time, with capacity of 1.5 million bushels, in 1901.
By 1881, all wooden bridges had been replaced by iron and stone structures, and steel rail had replaced early iron rail. Fourteen steamship lines were serving the Grand Trunk wharves at Portland by 1896 with connections to Bristol
, London
, Liverpool
, Glasgow
, and Antwerp. Fifty steamships visited Portland that winter, and as many as seven could load simultaneously from the Grand Trunk wharves. More powerful 2-6-0
mogul locomotives increased freight train length from 16 to 30 cars.
Passenger train service included the Seaside and White Mountains Special (later called the International Limited) from Chicago
to Portland equipped with plush silk
and mahogany
-finished Pullman
dining, sleeping, parlor, and observation cars including a library
and a barber
shop.
, notably Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, and their now ex-GTR mainline to Montreal soon became a secondary mainline under CNR as traffic dropped significantly. Within a decade, annual export tonnage leaving Portland declined to 21,000 tons, from an average of 600,000 tons during the early 1920s.
Paper mill
s remained a major source of traffic. Annual car loadings in 1973 were 12,758 for Berlin
, 5,794 for Groveton
, and 1,161 for Mechanic Falls
; but Boston and Maine Railroad
carried some of the traffic for the New Hampshire mills. Dressed meat from Chicago to Maine continued to use the shorter Canadian routing as long as railway reefers remained competitive with highway trucking.
From 1934 to 1939 the twice-weekly Maine Coast Special from Montreal left the Grand Trunk at Yarmouth Junction to follow the Maine Central Railroad
to Portland's Union Station and then the Boston and Maine Railroad
to the beach communities of Old Orchard Beach
and Kennebunkport
during July and August. The Canadian National Railway
class U-1 4-8-2
locomotives pulling as many as 17 car trains around Dominion Day
would be serviced at Rigby Yard in South Portland
before making the return trip. Daily except Sunday passenger trains 16 and 17 continued to carry a railway post office
between Portland and Island Pond through the 1950s. These trains remained popular with summer vacationers from Montreal; and summer weekend service continued until 1967 after daily train service ended in 1960. Passengers were transported by bus from Portland station to Old Orchard Beach. Portland station was razed in 1966.
Despite the decline in traffic being handled over the line, its strategic connection to the Atlantic Ocean for Montreal saw other use arise during World War II
. Bauxite
from British Guiana
was shipped via rail from Portland to avoid shipping losses to U-boat
s during the Battle of the St. Lawrence
. The Portland–Montreal Pipe Line was built to carry oil from terminals in South Portland to refineries in Montreal; the pipeline followed the GTR route along certain parts and is still in use today. Wharves at Portland were used by the United States Navy
as Casco Bay
became destroyer
base Sail during the Battle of the Atlantic.
CN
(acronym/name change post-1960) continued to operate the Portland-Sherbrooke line as its Berlin Subdivision but traffic continued to decline and by the late 1980s, following deregulation
of the U.S. railroad industry, it became a candidate for divestiture to a shortline operator.
-Portland section, and several years later this was extended to the border at Norton. In 1998, following Canadian deregulation, the short line operator formed a subsidiary St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (Quebec) to operate the remaining line from the border at Norton through to Sainte-Rosalie
, where it connects with the CNR main line to Montreal.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is a short line railroad operating between 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...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 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....
on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Canada-U.S. border at Norton, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and is owned by short line operator Genesee and Wyoming.
The line was originally built by the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad in the U.S. and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway in Canada, meeting at Island Pond
Island Pond, Vermont
Island Pond is a census-designated place in the town of Brighton in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
south of the International Boundary. Major communities served include Portland and Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
in Maine; 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...
, 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...
; Island Pond, Vermont; and Sherbrooke and Montreal in Quebec.
Route
- Milepost 0: PortlandPortland, MainePortland 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...
terminal facilities including wharvesWharfA wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
, grain elevatorGrain elevatorA grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
s, Portland CompanyPortland CompanyThe Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and...
shops, and interchange with Portland Terminal CompanyPortland Terminal CompanyThe 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 1.4: Portland Junction with Portland and Rochester Railroad from 1871 to 1947
- Milepost 1.5: Back Cove Trestle abandoned following fire damage in 1984
- Milepost 2.4: East Deering stockyard with resting pens for 2,500 head of export livestock and 15-stall roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
with steam locomotive servicing facilities (station closed 1939) - Milepost 4.4: Presumpscot RiverPresumpscot RiverThe Presumpscot River is a river located in Cumberland County, Maine. It is the main outlet of Sebago Lake.-Course:The river flows through the communities of Standish, Windham, Gorham, Westbrook, Portland, and Falmouth before emptying into Casco Bay at Falmouth...
bridge - Milepost 5.5: FalmouthFalmouth, MaineFalmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,185 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
station razed about 1932 - Milepost 8.9: CumberlandCumberland, MaineCumberland is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,211 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- Milepost 11.3: Yarmouth StationYarmouth, MaineYarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
station built in 1906 closed in 1968
- Milepost 11.7: Royal RiverRoyal RiverThe Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
trestle - Milepost 12.2: Yarmouth JunctionYarmouth, MaineYarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
with Kennebec and Portland Railroad (later Maine Central RailroadMaine Central RailroadThe 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...
"lower road") since 1849 - Milepost 15.3: Dunn'sNorth Yarmouth, MaineNorth Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- Milepost 18.4: PownalPownal, MainePownal is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,491 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pownal is home to Bradbury Mountain State Park....
69-car passing siding (station closed 1953) - Milepost 22.7: New GloucesterNew Gloucester, MaineNew Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, in the United States. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, the last active Shaker Village in the U.S...
station burned in 1940 - Milepost 23.9: Royal RiverRoyal RiverThe Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
bridge - Milepost 24.3: Royal RiverRoyal RiverThe Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
bridge - Milepost 24.8: Royal RiverRoyal RiverThe Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
bridge - Milepost 26.8: Royal RiverRoyal RiverThe Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
bridge - Milepost 27.6: Danville JunctionAuburn, MaineAuburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
with Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad (later Maine Central RailroadMaine Central RailroadThe 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...
"back road") - Milepost 29.7: Lewiston JunctionAuburn, MaineAuburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
with 5.4-mile branch to Lewiston, MaineLewiston, MaineLewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
since 1874 (Lewiston station closed 1971) - Milepost 32.1: Empire RoadPoland, MainePoland is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,866 at the 2000 census. Home to Range Ponds State Park, Poland is a historic resort area...
passed under Portland and Rumford Falls Railway from 1893 to 1952 (station closed 1941) - Milepost 36.2: Mechanic FallsMechanic Falls, MaineMechanic Falls is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,138 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area.-History:It was originally...
junction with Buckfield Branch Railroad, later Portland and Rumford Falls Railway until 1952 (station razed 1968) - Milepost 36.3: Little Androscoggin RiverLittle Androscoggin RiverThe Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
bridge - Milepost 40.9: Oxford station closed 1965
- Milepost 46.7: Little Androscoggin RiverLittle Androscoggin RiverThe Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
bridge - Milepost 47.3: South ParisSouth Paris, MaineSouth Paris is a census-designated place located within the town of Paris in Oxford County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 2,237 at the 2000 census...
junction with 1.4-mile branch to Norway, Maine since 1879 and 3-stall roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
until 1929 (Norway station closed in 1964 and was razed in 1968) - Milepost 55.6: Little Androscoggin RiverLittle Androscoggin RiverThe Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
bridge - Milepost 55.7: BatesWest Paris, MaineWest Paris is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,722 at the 2000 census.-History:It began as part of Paris, granted by the Massachusetts General Court in 1771 to Captain Joshua Fuller and his company of 64 soldiers as payment for their service to the colony...
65-car passing siding and roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
for 1.1 percent Bacon's Grade helper engine to Bryant Pond. FeldsparFeldsparFeldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
was mined, processed and loaded here for the manufacture of porcelainPorcelainPorcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
from 1925 to 1988. Station built in 1851, enlarged in 1879, and closed in 1967 was razed in 1968. - Milepost 58: Little Androscoggin RiverLittle Androscoggin RiverThe Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
bridge - Milepost 58.9: Little Androscoggin RiverLittle Androscoggin RiverThe Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
bridge - Milepost 61.8: Bryant PondWoodstock, MaineWoodstock is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,307 at the 2000 census. The village of Bryant Pond, on State Route 26 in the northern part of Woodstock, is the town's urban center and largest settlement.-Geography:...
2-stall roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
until 1923 (station built in 1851 closed in 1958) - Milepost 65.3: Locke MillsGreenwood, MaineGreenwood is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 802 at the 2000 census. The town was named for surveyor Alexander Greenwood...
- Milepost 67: Alder RiverAlder RiverThe Alder River is a river in Maine. A tributary of the Androscoggin River, the Alder flows west from Locke Mills to Bethel.-References:**...
bridge - Milepost 68.2: Alder RiverAlder RiverThe Alder River is a river in Maine. A tributary of the Androscoggin River, the Alder flows west from Locke Mills to Bethel.-References:**...
bridge - Milepost 69.6: Alder RiverAlder RiverThe Alder River is a river in Maine. A tributary of the Androscoggin River, the Alder flows west from Locke Mills to Bethel.-References:**...
bridge - Milepost 70.1: BethelBethel, MaineBethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of West Bethel and South Bethel...
station built in 1865 was enlarged in 1899 and closed and razed in 1968 - Milepost 74: Allen'sBethel, MaineBethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of West Bethel and South Bethel...
- Milepost 75: Pleasant RiverPleasant River (Androscoggin River)Pleasant River is a river in Oxford County, Maine in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east and south to join the Kennebec River in Merrymeeting Bay near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 80.1: Gilead, MaineGilead, MaineGilead is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Upon incorporation in 1804, it was named for the large quantity of Balm of Gilead trees in the town center. The population was 156 at the 2000 census.- History :...
junction with Wild River RailroadWild River (Androscoggin River)The Wild River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east and south to the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean.-Route:...
from 1891 to 1904 - Milepost 80.5: Wild RiverWild River (Androscoggin River)The Wild River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east and south to the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean.-Route:...
bridge - Milepost 82.6: state line
- Milepost 85.9: Shelburne, New HampshireShelburne, New HampshireShelburne is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 372 at the 2010 census. It is located in the White Mountains, and part of the White Mountain National Forest is in the south. Shelburne is home to Leadmine State Forest...
- Milepost 87.9: Rattle RiverRattle RiverThe Rattle River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 88: Rattle RiverRattle RiverThe Rattle River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 88.2: Rattle RiverRattle RiverThe Rattle River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 88.4: east end of Androscoggin RiverAndroscoggin RiverThe Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
causeway - Milepost 89.2: west end of Androscoggin River causeway
- Milepost 91: Peabody RiverPeabody RiverThe Peabody River is a 12.9 mile long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
trestle - Milepost 91.6: GorhamGorham, New HampshireGorham is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,848 at the 2010 census. Gorham is located in the White Mountains, and parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the south and northwest. Moose Brook State Park is in the west. The town is crossed by the...
12 stall roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
and coaling tower until 1956 with shops from 1869 to 1902 Station built in 1907 housed the Gorham Historical Society when railroad occupancy ended. - Milepost 92.8: Moose RiverMoose River (New Hampshire)The Moose River is an long stream in northern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 93.1: Moose Brook bridge
- Milepost 93.3: 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...
crosses overhead on high bridge - Milepost 96: CascadeCascade, New HampshireCascade is a village within the town of Gorham and the city of Berlin, New Hampshire. The village gets its name from an alpine waterfall which is visible in the hills to the east....
- Milepost 97.9: BerlinBerlin, 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...
junction with Berlin Mills Railway - Milepost 101: Dead RiverDead River (New Hampshire)The Dead River is a river located entirely in the city of Berlin in northern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
bridge - Milepost 103.3: CoppervilleMilan, New HampshireMilan is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,337 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area....
station closed 1929 - Milepost 103.7: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 106.3: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 108.7: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 109.4: West MilanMilan, New HampshireMilan is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,337 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area....
junction with Upper Ammonoosuc Railroad from 1893 to 1903 with 37-car siding for pulpwoodPulpwoodPulpwood 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...
loading (station closed 1957) - Milepost 110.2: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 110.5: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 111.6: CrystalStark, New HampshireStark is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 556 at the 2010 census. It has a famous covered bridge. The town includes the villages of Percy and Crystal as well as the village of Stark, located on the Upper Ammonoosuc River. New Hampshire Route 110 runs through...
- Milepost 111.7: Phillips BrookPhillips BrookPhillips Brook is a 19.6 mile long river in northern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Upper Ammonoosuc River and part of the Connecticut River watershed....
bridge - Milepost 114.3: PercyStark, New HampshireStark is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 556 at the 2010 census. It has a famous covered bridge. The town includes the villages of Percy and Crystal as well as the village of Stark, located on the Upper Ammonoosuc River. New Hampshire Route 110 runs through...
76-car passing siding and 13-car team trackTeam trackA team track is a small railroad siding or spur track intended for the use of area merchants, manufacturers, farmers and other small businesses to personally load and unload products and merchandise, usually in smaller quantities. The term "team" refers to the teams of horses or oxen delivering... - Milepost 116.4: StarkStark, New HampshireStark is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 556 at the 2010 census. It has a famous covered bridge. The town includes the villages of Percy and Crystal as well as the village of Stark, located on the Upper Ammonoosuc River. New Hampshire Route 110 runs through...
- Milepost 117.3: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 121.8: Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
bridge - Milepost 122.2: GrovetonGroveton, 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...
junction with the 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...
Groveton branch and (from 1948 to 1976) the Maine Central RailroadMaine Central RailroadThe 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...
Beecher FallsCanaan, 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...
branch - Milepost 126.4: MapletonStratford, New HampshireStratford is a town located on the Connecticut River in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 746 at the 2010 census. Within the town are the villages of North Stratford and Stratford Hollow. U.S...
- Milepost 129.5: MasonsStratford, New HampshireStratford is a town located on the Connecticut River in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 746 at the 2010 census. Within the town are the villages of North Stratford and Stratford Hollow. U.S...
crossing the Maine Central RailroadMaine Central RailroadThe 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...
Beecher Falls branch from 1887 until Maine Central negotiated trackage rights from Groveton to North Stratford in 1948 - Milepost 134.6: North Stratford, New HampshireStratford, New HampshireStratford is a town located on the Connecticut River in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 746 at the 2010 census. Within the town are the villages of North Stratford and Stratford Hollow. U.S...
junction with the North Stratford RailroadNorth Stratford RailroadThe 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...
from 1887 to 1989 - Milepost 134.7: Connecticut RiverConnecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
bridge - Milepost 142.3: Wenlock, VermontFerdinand, VermontFerdinand is an unincorporated town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for German Prince Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Brunswick-Lunenburg....
station closed 1925 - Milepost 145.3: East BrightonBrighton, VermontBrighton is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,260 at the 2000 census. The town was named Gilead in its original grant in 1780. The town was sold to a group consisting primarily of soldiers commanded by Colonel Joseph Nightingale and subsequently named Random. The...
- Milepost 149.5: Island PondIsland Pond, VermontIsland Pond is a census-designated place in the town of Brighton in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census...
ice harvesting facilities for reefer icing and passenger car air-conditioning until 1959 and division point yard with 20-stall roundhouseRoundhouseA 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...
and locomotive servicing facilities until 1966
History
The line was first proposed as a connection between Portland and Sherbrooke, QuebecQuebec
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 1844 by Portland entrepreneur John A. Poor
John A. Poor
John Alfred Poor was an American lawyer, editor, and entrepreneur best remembered for his association with the Grand Trunk Railway and his role in developing the railroad system in Maine. He was the older brother of Henry Varnum Poor of Standard & Poor's, who was his partner in some business...
. Portland was desperate to connect its ice-free port with Montreal, and Maine was at risk of being eclipsed by a similar proposal running from nearby 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...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Montreal saw an advantage in linking with the smaller port at Portland and Poor's idea became a reality.
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad
The Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad was chartered in MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
on February 10, 1845, 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...
July 30, 1847 and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
October 27, 1848 to build a continuous line from 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...
northwest into northeastern Vermont. The line was originally built to the Portland gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
of . Construction started in Portland on July 4, 1846. The first section, from Portland to Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
, opened July 20, 1848. Further extensions up the Royal River
Royal River
The Royal River is a small river, long, in southern Maine, United States. The river originates in Sabbathday Pond in New Gloucester and flows northeasterly into Auburn and then southerly through New Gloucester, Gray and North Yarmouth into Casco Bay at Yarmouth. The river is bridged by...
to Danville (now Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
) opened in October, 1848, and to Mechanic Falls
Mechanic Falls, Maine
Mechanic Falls is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,138 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area.-History:It was originally...
in February, 1849. Construction then proceeded up the Little Androscoggin River
Little Androscoggin River
The Little Androscoggin River is a river in Maine. It flows from Bryant Pond in Woodstock to its confluence with the Androscoggin River in Auburn...
to Oxford in September, 1849, and Paris in March, 1850. Construction was then completed down the Alder River
Alder River
The Alder River is a river in Maine. A tributary of the Androscoggin River, the Alder flows west from Locke Mills to Bethel.-References:**...
to the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
at Bethel
Bethel, Maine
Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of West Bethel and South Bethel...
in March, 1851. Simultaneous construction of Portland gauge connecting railways occurred from Danville and Mechanic Falls. Sections into and within 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...
opened to Gorham on July 23, 1851 and Northumberland July 12, 1852, and the full distance to Island Pond
Island Pond, Vermont
Island Pond is a census-designated place in the town of Brighton in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census...
, Vermont on January 29, 1853.
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway was chartered to build the part of the line in 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....
, and on August 4, 1851 agreed to meet the Atlantic and St. Lawrence at Island Pond. Regular operations began April 4, 1853 between Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(Saint-Lambert
Saint-Lambert, Quebec
Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...
) and Portland.
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad locomotives
| A&StL # | Name | Date | Type | Weight | Drivers | Cylinders | Works & number | GTR # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder | April 1848 | British built | (retired) | |||||
| July 1848 | British built; purchased from contractor | (retired) | ||||||
| Bristol | September 1848 | British built; purchased used | (retired) | |||||
| 1 | Montreal | September 1848 | 4-4-0 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
23 tons | 60" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 2 |
101 |
| 2 | Machigonne | 30 December 1848 | 4-4-0 | 23 tons | 60" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 5 |
102 |
| 3 | (1st) Oxford | 24 February 1849 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 60" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 6 |
103 |
| 4 | William P. Preble | 16 May 1849 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 14x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 8 |
104 |
| 5 | Waterville | 30 December 1949 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 66" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 13 |
105 |
| 6 | Coos | 1 February 1850 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 66" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 14 |
106 |
| 7 | Felton | January 1851 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 60" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 19 |
107 |
| 8 | Railway King | June 1851 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 54" | 17x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 20 |
108 |
| 9 | Casco | December 1851 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 60" | 14x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 28 |
109 |
| 10 | Forest City | January 1852 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 66" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 29 |
110 |
| 11 | Danville | March 1852 | 4-4-0 | 20 tons | 60" | 13x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 30 |
111 |
| 12 | Falmouth | May 1852 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 60" | 14x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 32 |
112 |
| 13 | Daniel Webster | 11 November 1852 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 60" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 36 |
113 |
| 14 | Cumberland | January 1853 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 16x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 40 |
114 |
| 15 | Nulhegan | 27 January 1853 | 4-4-0 | 21 tons | 66" | 14x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 42 |
115 |
| 16 | Paris | 11 April 1853 | 4-4-0 | 23 tons | 72" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 43 |
116 |
| 17 | Norway | April 1853 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 16x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 41 |
117 |
| 18 | Yarmouth | 23 May 1853 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 45 |
118 |
| 19 | Amonoosuc | June 1853 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 46 |
119 |
| 20 | Gloucester | 24 June 1853 | 4-4-0 | 23 tons | 66" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 44 |
120 |
| 21 | Vermont | 20 September 1853 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 16x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 48 |
121 |
| 22 | Gorham | 16 November 1853 | 4-4-0 | 22 tons | 72" | 14x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 49 |
122 |
| 23 | J.S.Little | 1 December 1853 | 4-4-0 | 23 tons | 72" | 15x22 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 56 |
123 |
| 24 | United States | March 1854 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 15x24 | Hinkley Locomotive Works Hinkley Locomotive Works Hinkley Locomotive Works was one of a number of railroad steam locomotive manufacturers of the United States in the 19th century.-History:The company that was to become known as Hinkley Locomotive Works got its start in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1831. Holmes Hinkley and his partner Daniel F... # 504 |
124 |
| 25 | Canada | March 1854 | 4-4-0 | 24 tons | 60" | 15x24 | Hinkley Locomotive Works Hinkley Locomotive Works Hinkley Locomotive Works was one of a number of railroad steam locomotive manufacturers of the United States in the 19th century.-History:The company that was to become known as Hinkley Locomotive Works got its start in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1831. Holmes Hinkley and his partner Daniel F... # 505 |
125 |
| 26 | Jenny Lind | 1850 | 4-4-0 | 25 tons | 60" | 15x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 18 |
(retired) |
| 27 | Consuelo | 1852 | 4-4-0 | 23 tons | 60" | 13x20 | Portland Company Portland Company The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and... # 31 |
(retired) |
Grand Trunk Railway
Four months later, on August 5, 1853 the Grand Trunk RailwayGrand 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...
leased the two companies, giving the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-Montreal line an extension east to Portland. A branch was also built from Richmond, Quebec
Richmond, Quebec
Richmond, population 3,336 , is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke and Drummondville, in the heart of Estrie in Quebec, Canada.-Richmond today:...
northeast to Point Levi, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. Grand Trunk enlarged their waterfront facilities at Portland by purchasing land from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. The increased traffic from Portland and Point Levi to Montreal placed significant demands on the small train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
(car float
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...
?) service across the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
at Montreal, and this was replaced by the Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge (Montreal)
Victoria Bridge , formerly originally known as Victoria Jubilee Bridge, is a bridge over the St. Lawrence River, linking Montreal, Quebec, to the south shore city of Saint-Lambert....
by 1860.
The locomotives burned wood exclusively until the cost of seasoned firewood increased during the winter of 1871-72 to make other fuels competitive. Peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
from Quebec was used briefly before 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...
became the standard. Coal was used exclusively between Portland and Gorham by 1879, but use of wood continued for a few more years north of Gorham.
Interchange with 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...
railroads became a problem during the 1860s. Grand Trunk equipped approximately one thousand freight cars with experimental "sliding-wheels" in 1863 at company shops in Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
, and Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles is a neighbourhood in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:...
in Montreal. Gauge could be adjusted by removing and inserting axle pins on special tapered-gauge track segments at interchange points. Safety problems were reported despite high maintenance costs. All lines west of Montreal were converted to standard gauge on October 3 and 4, 1873. Grand Trunk purchased 200 standard gauge locomotives (including 62 from Portland Company
Portland Company
The Portland Company was established 10 November 1846 by John A. Poor and Norris Locomotive Works engineer Septimus Norris as a locomotive foundry to build railroad equipment for the adjacent Portland terminus of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad connection between Portland, Maine and...
) and converted 135 old locomotives. Ten-thousand standard gauge bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s were purchased for conversion of freight cars. The railway from Portland to Montreal was standard-gauged in September, 1874.
During the week preceding the change, each section foreman made sure all ties on his section were properly adze
Adze
An adze is a tool used for smoothing or carving rough-cut wood in hand woodworking. Generally, the user stands astride a board or log and swings the adze downwards towards his feet, chipping off pieces of wood, moving backwards as they go and leaving a relatively smooth surface behind...
d and clear of gravel. Spikes were laid out beside each tie, and some sidings were re-gauged before the main line. Two eight-man squads were assigned to each five-mile section. They slept by the track with their tools on the night of September 25, 1874. Work began at Portland when the last Portland gauge train from Island Pond arrived at 2:00 am September 26, and the main line was ready for standard gauge trains by 9:00 am the same day. The change resulted in nearly complete replacement of locomotives on the New England line, since most of the Portland gauge locomotives were sold or scrapped. Five new "Burnside" 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
locomotives from Rhode Island Locomotive Works
Rhode Island Locomotive Works
Rhode Island Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company of the 19th century located in Providence, Rhode Island. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plants locomotive production was shut down...
had arrived in Portland from Boston to resume service.
The GTR line to Portland was built during the boom period for New England textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mills
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, and various mill towns in northern New England soon saw an influx of French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
workers who quickly found work in the region.
Grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
s were constructed at Portland to facilitate storage and loading of Canadian wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
for export. The first elevator was built on Galt Wharf in 1863. The elevator with capacity for 150,000 bushels burned in 1873, and was replaced with a larger elevator in 1875. Portland Elevator Company built an elevator with capacity of one million bushels in 1897; and New England Elevator Company built the largest elevator on the Atlantic coast at the time, with capacity of 1.5 million bushels, in 1901.
By 1881, all wooden bridges had been replaced by iron and stone structures, and steel rail had replaced early iron rail. Fourteen steamship lines were serving the Grand Trunk wharves at Portland by 1896 with connections to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and Antwerp. Fifty steamships visited Portland that winter, and as many as seven could load simultaneously from the Grand Trunk wharves. More powerful 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
mogul locomotives increased freight train length from 16 to 30 cars.
Passenger train service included the Seaside and White Mountains Special (later called the International Limited) from 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...
to Portland equipped with plush silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
-finished 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....
dining, sleeping, parlor, and observation cars including a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop.
Canadian National Railways Berlin subdivision
The GTR's bankruptcy in the early 1920s saw it nationalized by the Canadian federal government, which merged it into the nascent Canadian National Railways (CNR). Unfortunately for Portland, the CNR also included various other rail lines to ice-free Canadian ports in the MaritimesMaritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
, notably Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and their now ex-GTR mainline to Montreal soon became a secondary mainline under CNR as traffic dropped significantly. Within a decade, annual export tonnage leaving Portland declined to 21,000 tons, from an average of 600,000 tons during the early 1920s.
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 :...
s remained a major source of traffic. Annual car loadings in 1973 were 12,758 for 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...
, 5,794 for 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...
, and 1,161 for Mechanic Falls
Mechanic Falls, Maine
Mechanic Falls is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,138 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area.-History:It was originally...
; but 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...
carried some of the traffic for the New Hampshire mills. Dressed meat from Chicago to Maine continued to use the shorter Canadian routing as long as railway reefers remained competitive with highway trucking.
From 1934 to 1939 the twice-weekly Maine Coast Special from Montreal left the Grand Trunk at Yarmouth Junction to follow 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...
to Portland's Union Station and then 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 the beach communities of Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and Kennebunkport
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
during July and August. The Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
class U-1 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotives pulling as many as 17 car trains around Dominion Day
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
would be serviced at Rigby Yard in South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
before making the return trip. Daily except Sunday passenger trains 16 and 17 continued to carry a railway post office
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...
between Portland and Island Pond through the 1950s. These trains remained popular with summer vacationers from Montreal; and summer weekend service continued until 1967 after daily train service ended in 1960. Passengers were transported by bus from Portland station to Old Orchard Beach. Portland station was razed in 1966.
Despite the decline in traffic being handled over the line, its strategic connection to the Atlantic Ocean for Montreal saw other use arise 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...
. Bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
from British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
was shipped via rail from Portland to avoid shipping losses to U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s during the Battle of the St. Lawrence
Battle of the St. Lawrence
The Battle of the St. Lawrence involved a number of submarine and anti-submarine actions throughout the lower St. Lawrence River and the entire Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Strait of Belle Isle and Cabot Strait from May-October 1942, September 1943, and again in October-November 1944...
. The Portland–Montreal Pipe Line was built to carry oil from terminals in South Portland to refineries in Montreal; the pipeline followed the GTR route along certain parts and is still in use today. Wharves at Portland were used by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
became destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
base Sail during the Battle of the Atlantic.
CN
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(acronym/name change post-1960) continued to operate the Portland-Sherbrooke line as its Berlin Subdivision but traffic continued to decline and by the late 1980s, following deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the U.S. railroad industry, it became a candidate for divestiture to a shortline operator.
Locomotives with long-term assignments on the Berlin Subdivision
| Number | Builder | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | Rhode Island Locomotive Works Rhode Island Locomotive Works Rhode Island Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company of the 19th century located in Providence, Rhode Island. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plants locomotive production was shut down... |
4-4-0 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1874 | 657 | class A-14a retired 1924 |
| 261-262 | Rhode Island Locomotive Works Rhode Island Locomotive Works Rhode Island Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company of the 19th century located in Providence, Rhode Island. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plants locomotive production was shut down... |
4-4-0 4-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1882 | 1216-1217 | class B-11a retired 1927 |
| 650 | Grand Trunk Shops | 2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
1896 | 1263 | class E-6a retired 1937 |
| 713 | Grand Trunk Shops | 2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
1900 | 1314 | class E-7a assigned to the Lewiston, Maine Lewiston, Maine Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine... branch and preserved in 1957 |
| 732-734 | Dickson Manufacturing Company Dickson Manufacturing Company Dickson Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of boilers and steam engines used in various industries but most known in railway steam locomotives... |
2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
1900 | 1184-1185 & 1189 | class E-7a retired 1935-47 |
| 861-862 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
2-6-0 2-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul... |
1907 | 31679 & 31761 | class E-7a retired 1941 |
| 1601-1604 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
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... |
1906 | 40625-40628 | class I-8a returned to CNR system in early 1930s |
| 2574-2576 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-0 2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1907 | 42058-42060 | class N-4a retired 1958-59 |
| 2611-2612 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-0 2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1907 | 43548-43549 | class N-4a retired mid-1950s |
| 3406 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1913 | 52789 | class S-1f retired 1956 |
| 3410-3411 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1913 | 52793-52794 | class S-1f retired 1956 |
| 3414 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1913 | 52797 | class S-1f retired 1954 |
| 3432-3433 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1913 | 40255-40256 | class S-1f retired 1957 |
| 3445 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1913 | 40342 | class S-1f retired 1956 |
| 3701 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1918 | 59564 | USRA design class S-3a retired 1954 |
| 3703-3710 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1918 | 59566-59574 | USRA design class S-3a retired 1956-57 |
| 3712-3716 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
1918 | 59576-59577 & 60300-60302 | USRA design class S-3a retired 1953-59 |
| 4442-4450 | EMD | GP9 EMD GP9 An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including... |
1956 | class GR-17d | |
| 4558-4559 | EMD | GP9 EMD GP9 An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including... |
1957 | class GR-17j | |
| 4902-4906 | EMD | GP9 EMD GP9 An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including... |
1956 | steam generator equipped class GRG-17e | |
| 5582-5584 | Grand Trunk Shops | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
1911 | 1509-1511 | class K-3-b returned to CNR system 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... |
| 7110 | Grand Trunk Shops | 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... Tank locomotive Tank locomotive A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon... |
1895 | 1284 | class O-8-a retired 1932 |
| 7154 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1907 | 42330 | class O-9-a retired 1942 |
| 7155-7156 | Baldwin Locomotive Works Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1908 | 32892-32893 | class O-9-a retired 1939 |
| 7158 | Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1912 | 1200 | class O-9-a retired 1939 |
| 7475 | Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1920 | 6019 | class O-18-b retired 1956 |
| 7527-7531 | ALCO Schenectady American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:... |
0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
1919 | 61298-61302 | class O-19-a retired 1956 |
St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad
In 1989, the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad was formed to take over operation of the Island PondIsland Pond, Vermont
Island Pond is a census-designated place in the town of Brighton in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census...
-Portland section, and several years later this was extended to the border at Norton. In 1998, following Canadian deregulation, the short line operator formed a subsidiary St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (Quebec) to operate the remaining line from the border at Norton through to Sainte-Rosalie
Sainte-Rosalie, Quebec
Sainte-Rosalie is a former town in Quebec, Canada which was annexed to the town of Saint-Hyacinthe in 2002.-External links:*...
, where it connects with the CNR main line to Montreal.