The Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division

>>We can only hope that common sense will prevail.

Been around here long, fella?

PBM

Be it known that Chairman Knapp did respond to my query today. While I will ask his permission to reprint his message on this forum I am inclined not to bother as his answer is unlikely to change anybody's minds (though I am more inclined to support). His arguments are basicly the same that I have made in other threads, that traditional cost-benefit analysis have limitations. I'll stop myself there. Don't kill the messenger! Wait till I reprint!

Is the part through Sebago Lake still an active line? I know the tracks are still in place. And from Google Map's satelite shot of the area shows MOW equipment on the tracks just north of the old ferry dock. Though who knows when that shot was taken.

No, everything west of Westbrook is inactive.

The Map says Google 2006 in the water. Hard to tell exactly what that is for machinery. Looks like that could be a chipper on the back of it. They did a lot of brush removal in that section to get the rail trail in there. And then brush removal up the line. Also 2006 is about the time when the Portland Water District fenced everything there off. The area looks a whole lot different now.

Thats the chipper with the hy-rail boom truck. Like Mike said, years a go they chipped the line using prisoners. Makes it a very nice ride for the speeders. Wish NHDOT would allow us to clear cut like MEDOT did.

Why won't NHDOT allow you to clear cut the brush?

b&m 1566 wrote:Why won't NHDOT allow you to clear cut the brush?

They dont want 66'-100' clear cuts like MEDOT does. No real good reason, just a current DRED/NHDOT administration opinion.

I was told today that some more possible illegal scrapping was going on again on this line. This time, the guard rail has been removed over the Saco River at Hiram. He said the torch cuts were recent enough so they were not rusty (as of 2 weeks ago). Anyone with contacts with ME DOT that can alert them of this? Or see if it was done by them? The price of steel is headed up again and these type of things may become more common in areas not traveled often.

Mike

miketrainnut wrote:I was told today that some more possible illegal scrapping was going on again on this line. This time, the guard rail has been removed over the Saco River at Hiram. He said the torch cuts were recent enough so they were not rusty (as of 2 weeks ago). Anyone with contacts with ME DOT that can alert them of this? Or see if it was done by them? The price of steel is headed up again and these type of things may become more common in areas not traveled often.

Mike

Thanks,
I'll take a look and get ahold of Nate.

from Progressive Railroading today:

"...The job creation legislation also will provide... $4 million to help restore rail service in western Maine along a Mountain Division Line, according to Baldacci..."

The good news is that Maine's spending their own money on the Mountain. The bad news is that it still will be money wasted. I'm curious as to what the funding will go towards...

It'll make interchanging with the Conway Scenic RR much easier!

Not necessarilly. Even if ME does rehab right up to the state line, the rest of the route between there and Redstone
is in sad shape. Track components have been removed from the Center Conway area and reused elsewhere, in
particular-joint bars. The line would also require a major tie job, ballasting, ditching, vegitation removal, crossing
rehab, culverts and bridges repaired or replaced,etc. Also, the bridge over the Saco would need substantial work.
Too much expense to justify for just an interchange point.

I can attest to the CSRR removing joint bars from the Redstone branch since I was part of the crew removing them. I did so with a heavy heart, but when I made my displeasure known to the powers that be they reassured me that if the line were to see any service in the future it would be on the CSRRs watch so all the better to help the line succeed.
On the other hand, I was just up there this last weekend and noticed some substantial brush clearing going on up to the ME border. So at least its not a total lost cause.

4266 wrote:I can attest to the CSRR removing joint bars from the Redstone branch since I was part of the crew removing them. I did so with a heavy heart, but when I made my displeasure known to the powers that be they reassured me that if the line were to see any service in the future it would be on the CSRRs watch so all the better to help the line succeed.
On the other hand, I was just up there this last weekend and noticed some substantial brush clearing going on up to the ME border. So at least its not a total lost cause.

Yeah those damn joint bars! That was my first motorcar derailment. We were unaware of them being removed when I first went on this section with another car,...he was in front and as he crossed on to the next rail it pushed down and popped the rail I was approaching up a bit and my rail sweep caught it and pushed me off the track! Lesson learned, stay 2 rail lengths back!

Didn't know there was some brush clearing going on. We try to cut it back when ever we go up to Redstone bridge but if its having some substantial brush clearing that would be great.