Maine Central Milk Cars

MEC hauled milk cars on a regular basis that originated on the Beecher Falls branch. They carried these over the mountain division to Portland and sometimes interchanged with B&M on the west end. I am planning a model railroad based on the mountain div, centered on Bartlett and points mostly west of there. I need to build several of these cars as they appeared often. I have a few pics but none show the cars from the side so you can get a good idea of how they were built.

Any info about them, especially pics, or leads to a place to buy ready made that could be kitbashed-repainted etc would be greatly appreciated.

Good to meet another Mountain Division modeler. I model the ST J & LC, so I have a need for MEC equipment also.

Most milk traffic was handled in private cars, so Intermountain and Athearn milk cars are very appropriate for the trains you wish to model. There was a softcover book published a few years ago by Bob Lillestrand (and perhaps David Sweetland?) that may have had photos of MEC cars. I'll take a look for it and let you know.

IIRC, the milk cars off the Beecher Falls line only went west on the B&M on Sundays. I'll have to check that out too.

Ron

Ron, Thanks for the info. In the pictures I have you can see several milk cars. There appear to be more than one kind. Some look like an insulated box car judging by the doors, others seem to have a curve at the top of the side/roof joint. Don't have any side view stuff at all. My info is that they picked up 3 or more cars a day and hauled most to Portland for interchange with B&M. The Sunday interchange on the west end was with a Sunday-only B&M train I think. Considering the cars being loaded, those in transit full, in transit empty, and being unloaded at the destination there must have been quite a few. I suspect from what i have been able to see of them that there were several different kinds. Even a reefer could have been used. Even if not iced it was still insulated. I know one company was Whitings, another HP Hood. Keep me informed. And I will let you know anything I find out about it.

Bartlett is going to be the centerpiece of my layout as that is where I live plus there was lots of activity here. I am part of the group that is trying to restore the roundhouse and some other artifacts. Slow work. I am going to model Quebec Jct, the Beecher Falls branch and the St Johnsbury line at least to Gilmans and probably staging at the west end. I am just working on my train room walls at the moment but making plans and trying to acquire rolling stock appropriate to the time. I am going to place it in 1953 but am going to use modelers license to keep steam around a bit longer than it really was and bring in a couple of Alcos that I have loved for a long time. I am quite interested in operation and think it can provide pretty good oportunity for same. I am working that way anyway.

Thanks for the info so far.

Nathan

Hello Nathan,

I found the Lillestrand / Sweetland book I was looking for, but that doesn't have any info on milk cars. However, the hard-cover book "Northern New England Color Guide for Freight and Passenger Equipment", published by Morning Sun Books a couple of years ago, has 3 photos of MEC milk cars. Two are wooden, and one appears to be rebuilt from a heavyweight baggage car. There were several MEC books published in the last few years that may have other photos.

The General American - Pfaudler milk cars are available from Walthers and Intermountain; milk cars are also available in N Scale (which I model in) from Athearn and Intermountainn. These models are available lettered for Whiting and H.P. Hood (among others) and are quite appropriate for what you wish to accomplish.

I've often thought of tearing down my SJL layout and replacing it with a "Crawford Notch" area-based one, but current finances dictate that I bring this one to a better state of completion rather than start over again right now. I model 1952, with enough modeler's license to run steam on the SJL; I have a 2-8-2 lettered for MEC # 606 as she was still under steam in mid-1952. I still need better info on the mix of traffic that the MEC carried through to the CPR at St J in those days.

I think I recall a model kit of the Crawford Notch depot a long time ago, but doubt it is still around. If you can make it to the Amherst show in late January, you will probably find a fair amount of models and kits that should get you started.

Regards,

Ron

Ron, I got intereted in this thing last year. We bought a house in bartlett and it had basement room. I was going to build the Sandy River and Rangely Lakes in On30. then I got interested in restoring the Bartlett roundhouse, built in 1972. In talking with some of the fellows involved, one in particular whose granddad worked there I began to be fascinated with events here. Bartlett was a booming railroad town in the 1940' and early 50's. This was the base for helper operations on the 14 miles of hell from Bartlett to Crawfords. It was 2.2% much of the way. They had 6 steam engines on many freights. The old mikes served faithfully for many years. I have pictures of a freight working towards the notch with 6 steam engines on it. A photo was taken around Willey Brook Bridge and it is spectacular. In addition to the lots of work here there was lots of local freight developed on the Beecher falls branch. Most of that went to Portland but some pulpwood went to gilmans, some pulpwood, often 30 cars a day from that branch went to Carthage, NY. I assume these were run into St Johnsbury. I am not sure what routing they took from there. The mountain division was a bridge line to the midwest. MEC kept their freight on this line rather than interchanging with B&M in Portland. As that kept all the money in MEC's pocket. If they put it off to B&M it went west throught the Hoosac route which was a much better grade. In fact when Guilford bought the whole works that is just what they did. The mountain was surplus as they owned the D&H connection so the m ountain ended.

There were lots of local freights that ran. The Bartlett extras ran up the hill and west every day. Extras both ways on the Beecher Falls branch had lots of traffic. I am not at all sure what went on the CPR but am interested in finding out more.

I am going to do this in 1953 but use modelers license to keep some steam on even though most went in 1950. I am going to keep traffic on that was gone by then. I am going to bring in some diesels that really didn't operate here but they have been long time favoirtes. Old Alcos RS@ #554 and my all time favorite RS3 #557. 557 was built in 1953 but saw service elsewhere. I hope to operate my line much as the prototype was opeprated. I hve never done this before. It has always been just for the models.


The Maine Central Mountain division is a great book by the 470 RR club. I just got a copy and have learned more than from any other source. Unfortunately it is relatively rare. I am glad I found mine. If I find out anything about the CPR connections I will send it along.

The line from Bartlett west through the notch has lots of modeling possibilities.n Don't give up that idea just yet.

Thaks for the info on the milk cars. I know that Whitings and HP Hood were two dairiies served so that makes sense.

Til next time.

Nathan

t

There is a nice photo of a Milk car on the Beecher Falls local in color in Mornimng Sun's book, Maine Central in Color, Vol. 3. Kind of a 3/4 view. Should help you a lot modeling. George Melvin (GSM When I hear him on the radio) has done an excellent job again putting these pictures together.
Mike