Edaville Discussion

Thanks for the information guys.

Now that you mention it, I don't think I saw anyone in the diesel engine.

Good for them, it seems that the steam engine is capable of pulling the train.

I suppose that they can pull the diesel like a boxcar, it's there is a problem, it's right there. However, it doesn't make a very good looking double header. Two steam engines would be a different story.

Of course, UP runs a steam / diesel double header they run their challenger, so there is precedent.

From our "Dumb Question" Department comes this:
If the Diesel isn't performing a function, why is it in the consist? For "rescue"? On such a short loop, it would seem a waste to drag the thing around for that purpose. I'd think it's there for some reason, but then again we're talking Edaville.
Oh, did I mention that this is probably a dumb question?

Well, there seems to be a right way, a wrong way, and the Edaville way of doing things.

Unfortunately the Edaville way seems to be closer to the wrong way than the right way most of the time.

However, possible reasons for dragging this thing around include...

They think it looks good to have the double header.

They haven't got anyplace else to put the diesel.

They're too lazy to switch it out.

They don't know any better.

It's easier to just add the steam engine to the front of the train when running steam, they feel no compelling need to switch it out because they plan on running the diesel most of the time.

This was a one time thing and they normally do switch the diesel out.

Unfortunately, as they have said publicly, they are catering to the age 2-13 crowd thus any resemblance to proper railroading practices and procedures is purely coincidental.

I wonder if anyone has ever made up a map showing the sidings and yard tracks?

From pictures it is clear that there once was a track to the left side of the screen house, as viewed from the front. This track was for loading and unloading cranberries.

The picture that I saw was in the book on Edaville that was put out around 1950 by Moody I believe.

Other pictures have shown that more than one of the garage type doors on the back of the screen house had tracks going to it.

I only remember seeing traces of one track going to the screen house, that track was to where the Rangely was stored. In my last visits in the late 80's that track was in sad shape and not usable without some work.

The Maine Two Footers book has a track map but doesn't show much in the yard.

Would be nice if there was a track map to look at.

number7 wrote:Well, there seems to be a right way, a wrong way, and the Edaville way of doing things.

Aint that the truth.....

Here is an interesting video from the 1950's.

Note the tracks going to the screen house.

What about that switch in the beginning of the video that they two guys are throwing, is that going to the bypass track? Can anyone tell?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrrUyY5JWVo

Interesting video. Rare shot of the SR&RL/B&HR railcar with what looks like the original REO front end. I've only seen it with the Ford Model A nose that was installed after a grade crossing accident at Edaville.

number7 wrote:Here is an interesting video from the 1950's.

WOW! Did that ever refresh some previously dim childhood memories!!!
Thank you for posting that!

Awsome clip....

Nice to see Edaville in it's hayday.

http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/massmarket ... z1mc294dPB

I found that article today, sounds like they had a good season.

Re: a track plan for Edaville of old. I can recall bock in the mid 1960's one of the modeling mags,either MRC or MR did an article on the yard areas of Edaville and a track diagram was included. The theme for the article was a sort of railroad you could model . I don't have any back issues my self but a search at rail show flea markets could turm up a copy of this issue.

Thank you Farmer Phil, very interesting, I'll have to see if I can get ahold of it.

If you had the space, it would be a fun railroad to model.

When going through "the woods" there was a siding that went off with a trailing point switch on your left that went between two bogs. (Assuming you're going around the loop in the normal counter clockwise direction. Does anyone know when or why that was taken up? I'm sure it was no longer needed but it's good to leave sidings in because it enhances the railroad, makes it more interesting. Of course, I agree, a switch is a liability, maybe if you spike it the vandals won't throw it on you.

The other siding or spur was into the sandpit. Anyone know when that was taken up? Again, it's too bad because spurs like that enhance the railroad. It would have been nice if they had left the siding at the location of the original station.

I see in pictures that there was a ball signal on the south edge of the station platform where passengers board. I believe it survived well into the Bartholomew era.

Well, I haven't turned up a track plan or map yet, however I did come across an interesting historical resource thanks to The Internet Archive, and the scans of "Cranberries: The National Cranberry Magazine" located HERE. Going through this takes a lot of patience as it is scanned pages in groups of 500 (+-) at a whack. Not for those who demand instant gratification. I suggest viewing in PDF format. The search tool is your friend! Great info about Ellis D.. He and his Edaville appear to have done a lot for the Cranberry industry as well as Railway Preservation. Happy digging!

I wonder if placement on the National Register of Historic Places years ago would have dissuaded those who perpetrated the tragedy that befell this treasure.

Oh, HERE's a map that may be of interest.

Comparing the museum in the late 70's to the late 80's there seemed to be little left. I think that Bartholomew had been slowly selling the stuff off and what ever was left at the end, not likely very much, he either kept or sold I would imagine.

It's too bad.