Official Belfast & Moosehead Lake Thread - 2009

What happened in the City of Belfast was a failure in communication. It is in the past and should remain in the past. There is a possible "re-birth" of the B&ML in Belfast and Brooks Preservation Society needs all the support they can get.

Unity Property Management currently owns three miles of track from the Waldo/Belfast town line to under the Rt.1 Bridge. The Brooks Preservation Society leased the three miles from Unity Property Management. They ran a train a few Saturdays ago to the end of the Unity Property Management property. The train started in Brooks and concluded at Rt.1 Bridge in Belfast. Go to brookspreservation.org and look for the link to the Society's facebook page and you will find the news coverage of the event.

The property from Rt. 1 bridge to Pierce Street (near the foot bridge) is owned by Penobscot Frozen Foods which operate a frozen potato facility on site. From Pierce Street to Thompson's wharf (the former back track of the B&ML) the City of Belfast owns the right of way. The City of Belfast plans to make a walking path from Thompson's Wharf to Pierce Street. The right of way will be a permanent trail from Thompson's Wharf to the boundary of the Stinson property (set of blue buildings). From the Stinson property to the foot bridge the City plans to create a temporary walking path with stone dust.

The rails are in place from the boudary of the Stinson property west to the foot bridge. The rails are still in place from the footbridge west to the Rt. 1 bridge and beyond.

Brooks Preservation Society is currently working with both Penobscot Frozen Food and the City of Belfast to return rail service to Belfast using the tracks curretnly in place. The Society wishes to terminate near the old turn table if possible. If not a loading platform would be built near Pierce Street. Riders of the B&Ml would need to park at the former parking lot and walk the wlkaing trail a short distance to baord the train.

What are the chances of BPS succeeding in negotiations with the city of Belfast? Clearly the development project never worked out.

how the railroad just pulled up and left

Umm, they were denied the use of the steam loco in city limits (does that really hold up in court, or did teh rr just not feel it was worth th elegal battle/hassle/expense?) and ultimately evicted over a paltry lease payment that was late. The railroad did not pull up and leave, the track was pulled up after the railroad was evicted by the city so tehy could build a yuppie playground that ultimately failed before it started.

oibu wrote:

how the railroad just pulled up and left

Umm, they were denied the use of the steam loco in city limits (does that really hold up in court, or did teh rr just not feel it was worth th elegal battle/hassle/expense?) and ultimately evicted over a paltry lease payment that was late. The railroad did not pull up and leave, the track was pulled up after the railroad was evicted by the city so tehy could build a yuppie playground that ultimately failed before it started.

The rail was pulled by the railroad theres pictures on nerail of them doing it The steam locomotive wasn't being run because of I believe for its Form 4 it was the FRA that sideline the loco not the city. But im just gonna let the argument Belfast Vs railroad die hopefully BPS can return rail service to Belfast

^The City had blocked teh railroad from running the steam loco due to concerns about the smoke being detrimental to tourism (huh?! yeah, we all know having attractions is detrimental to tourism... ). Hence for several years the RR ran the steam loco out of Unity instead. The steamer's boiIer issues are the result of several years of use out of Unity and then lack of funds and/or a reason (not necessarily in that order) the last several years to make repairs. The railroad was denied use of the steamer in Belfast almost immediatley after arrival from Sweden in the early 90s, but the steamer was in servic euntil just a few years ago out of Unity. I believe part of, if not THE, reason for the move to Unity in teh first place was to be able to run the steamer free and clear of the City. As for the railroad removing the track in Belfast, yes since the railroad owned the tracks which were located on teh CIty's land, it was presumably obligated to remove them when the City forced the railroad off the land. The mere fact that the railroad performed teh action doesn't mean it was the railroad's choice, it just means it was their track on somebody else's property which they had to vacate. What a shame that the railroad never took ownership of the proeprty after the City sold the RR, I wonder if any attempts were made or whether the City's destiny as a tourist attraction was already clear at that point so the City wouldn't sell? Come to think of it, the land ownership issue was probably the only leg the City had to stand on legally when they prevented the steam loco from running... they probably couldn't block teh railroad from operating it, but they legally probably would be able to deny the operation of steam on their property in Belfast, which is all they needed to do to effectviely prevent steam from operating on that end of the line at all.

Anybody ever eat at the Weathervane Restaurant down there in good old Belfast?
I've seen the bowels of that place during hours. Smoke from a steam engine would probably help add flavor to their food.

Seriously, If the city does put down a path to the current end of track, it could work out for both parties. The B&ML could bring people in from out up north and they could use that new path to have a pretty nice walk along the river into downtown. Seeing it come true would be another thing. That old building by the footbridge should just be blown up,though. Real eye sore.

While visiting the excellent North Carolina Transportation Museum on the 29th (March) I saw two ex B&ML coaches on TTX flat cars next to the roundhouse at Spencer. IIRC these were formerly Southern Railway coaches, so they are back to their home railroad territory. They probably will be eventually used on the passenger train that takes people on about a 2 mile ride around the extensive site.

See 2010 thread: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=126&t=72410

-otto-