Turners Island LLC (shortline RR in South Portland, ME)

[ronjenx]

Fantastic picture, Leo. I had not realized anything other than trolley traffic used those rails.
I lived just to the left of the picture, on A Street, back in the '50s.

The South Portland Historical Society would be interested in this and any other pictures you have, if you want to contact them.

[Leo Sullivan]

I tooK a look to see if I could find any more on the So. Portland trolley freight operation.
Found the following in O.R. Cummings' history of the Portland RR.
Freight to the shipyards at Ferry Village Began in 1917. There was a siding into Ft. Preble and several other
sidings to industries. There were few photos of the freight operation and all I have seen are 1930s ones around the location already posted. Service must have ended in 1940 with the trolleys.
Charles Heseltine, a South Portland fireman (Cash Corner) and major railway historian wrote booklets on the trolley history of Portland area towns. I have the Scarborough one and assume that there must be
one for South Portland. They were manuscripts, given to the local library or historical society.
Scarborough printed copies of theirs. I hope that So. Portland did also as it would probably shed a light on the operation in question.
At any rate it would be worth asking.
LS

[BM6569]

That's great info. Thanks for sharing

[ronjenx]

Leo, thanks for the great post/information. It definitely gives me a direction in which to go.
At first glance, it looks like freight service to the Ferry Village area was on the trolley tracks. That would explain how the village had the service before the "Burma Road" tracks went in from the Turner's Island area.

[markhb]

Actually, the thing that jumped out at me from that SP map: Broadway wasn't always Broadway all the way through? This is the first time I've ever heard that it once had different names,

[Leo Sullivan]

Yes, the freight service was on the regular trolley tracks. In Portland as in most of Maine the
trolley track was able to accept the MCB (railroad) wheel profile. As far as i know there was
no regular interchange freight on the Portland RR outside of South Portland though, I believe,
railroad cars could be hauled over almost the whole system. Except for sidings, there was no
freight only track. Here's a cut of Thompson's Point from the 1914 city atlas (nothing to do with trolleys)
LS

[ronjenx]

Yes, the freight service was on the regular trolley tracks. In Portland as in most of Maine the
trolley track was able to accept the MCB (railroad) wheel profile. As far as i know there was
no regular interchange freight on the Portland RR outside of South Portland though, I believe,
railroad cars could be hauled over almost the whole system. Except for sidings, there was no
freight only track. Here's a cut of Thompson's Point from the 1914 city atlas (nothing to do with trolleys)
LS

You mean Turner's Island.

[Leo Sullivan]

Of course I do mean Turners Island. I don't know where i got Thompson's point.
LS

[Leo Sullivan]

I just found two more pictures of the Portland RR freight locomotive in South Portland.
This thread has probably already gathered the best people to give me actual locations
with the advantage of further pinpointing where there was carload freight in So. Portland
before the war. Both pictures are from 1936.

20 South Portland 1936 -.jpg

LS

[Cosmo]

Now THAT would make for a NEAT model railroad.

[BM6569]

Wonder what is being hauled on those flats?

[ronjenx]

Just a guess, but...

The item on the first car looks a lot like a snow plow; maybe even made in Portland. I see a cab, front blade, frame for the wings, and a wing behind it, lying on the flatcar.
The item on the second car looks similar, but in an earlier stage of assembly.

[MEC407]

Video by dcarpine28:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpsI6451SY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ronjenx]

Video by dcarpine28:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpsI6451SY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that!
At the left of the screen is where I used to board the P.T. switchers, back in the '60s. No signals back then.

[hh660]

There seems to be a fair amount of activity at Turner's Island. From the Portland side of the Fore River, you can make out what appears to be large containers on flatcars-at least 4. It appears one of these 'containers (they are taller than a regular shipping container) has been unloaded, or waiting to be loaded, near the pier portion of the property. Anyone know what is going on here?
S