MNGRR and Portland, ME

Hi all,
Looks like MNGRR is serious about connecting to the ballparks and their progress on #4 is incredable! :D I think the 4 will actually have been down for less time than WW&F #10! Although the level of work wasn't quite as extensive the speed at which it has so far progressed is fantastic!
Perhaps this will prove to the city folk that the MNGRR is a real "CAN DO!" operation. If Portland is serious about RR transportation in and around the city, then these guys are definitely up to the task.

Actually WW&F #10 had boiler work done in the winter of 2000. We abated the asbestos, removed the tubes, ultrasounded it, put in new tubes, and returned it to service by Memorial Day weekend of that year.

It wouldn't surprise me if Monson #4 will return to service by Memorial Day, most of what they're doing is boiler work. It appears as if the newly-installed tubes don't have to be pulled, so that saves a lot of time.

#10's work in the last 15 months has all been external to the boiler - a complete tear-down, inspection, and repair/replacement of needy parts. #9's restoration in a year or so will be just as extensive. I don't know if Monson #4 underwent such an extensive tear-down while it was being retubed, but I do know it took them a number of years to return #4 to service.

to any one that is intesteed in buying a motor car they are two for sale the man who was restoring them died now his wife wanted to sell them to some who could restore if anyone is email me [email protected]

I have bin keeping up with the #4 FRA progect and they have bin moving with great speed, but the repairs are minor compaired to the #10 and other locos. The real test will be when they start on the 7 or the 8. They need alot more work. Now another thing was that they didnt have to make any major boiler repairs. Nether MNG or the WW&F have had to do that yet. If they had come acrossed that they wouldnt be working on them as much because they wouldnt be aloud to do the repairs. As far as i know neather of the organization hold a R stamp. Without it you cant do boiler work in your shop you have to get a R stamp shop to do it. Retubing is not in that. I am a volunteer at The New Jersey Museum of Transportation (aka Pine Creek RR). We are the only all volunteer R stamp shop in the U.S. We had to get it to do the work on our 1914 Porter 2-6-0 and our 1912 baldwin 2-8-0 outside frame locomotives. We have bin working for 2 years on the mogul. But anyway, enough about that. I wish the best to the Maine 2 footers and i would love to see the extension on the MNG.

-Eric

Just Curious, where do the MNGRR and WWF museums get the money to do this extensive work? I just can't imagine that the summer draw of tourists provided enough of an influx of operating capital to undertake Steam projects these days, and I thought that know both groups would be subject to FRA inspections, which makes Steam even more costly. Are there grants involved or just private donations? My hats off to both operations who can accomplish so much in today's red tape society

Brooks
by way of Freeport, Maine

Ambitious plans, indeed. The MGNRR is to be commended --- they've come a long way in a short time. However, I have a question (and this also pertains to Amtrak's plans to extend passenger service to Brunswick, Lewiston and other points north/east): If the long-embargoed track that parallels I-295 from the ball park to Washington Avenue is extended, what happens to East Commercial Street (which, I surmise, is the roadbed on which the track originally rested years ago when it was wrapped around the northwest corner of Munjoy Hill)? As far as I can see, there isn't any room there for a railroad unless the street is discontinued. So what are they gonna do --- tunnel under the hill? Am I missing something?

If I'm not mistaken myself, I think you're thinking of the wrong end of comercial st, or you are thinking of the opposite direction of the railroad to expand from. The plan is for them to continue around to the north past the swing bridge (but not crossing it) to the I-295 area and go W/SW parallel to 295 and down toward the ballparks along the edge of the park. They are debating now which route to take along 295, either sticking to the old "Union Branch" ROW, or a more or less "virgin" route closer to the interstate. They do not, at this time, have any plans to go along Comercial St, or connect in a loop of anykind end to end, (if thats what you're thinking.)
Either I've cleared things up a bit or I've confused you to no end. Either way, I would suggest checking out a map or, better yet, satelite photography, (as did I).
The route arount the north/east side of Munjoy Hill WAS in fact a ROW some dozen-score years ago, before the bridge was built across Back Cove.

Let me try and clear up a bit of "confusion"about EAST Commercial St,the "bridges" over the Back Cove area,and the "original" trackage in that area. First,the highway bridge(Tukeys Bridge to us old timers in the Greater Portland area) was built by the Tukey family as a TOLL bridge in the 1700s,when Portland was called Falmouth. I guess they didnt maintain this vital road link to the east very well,and the Mass. General Court(legislature) nor the "Falmouth" selectmen didnt do too much(Maine was part of Mass. until 1820).So,"the locals" took law into own hands,and made the bridge "public" after beating up the Tukeys! Private,toll charging turnpikes and bridges HAD to be maintained according to the laws. Then the Grand Trunk built the train bridge across the entrance to Back Cove in the late 1840s as they built towards Canada. BOTH bridges were "draw spans"(including the last Tukeys Bridge done in 1919(before I-95 in the 1960s). Ships and Barges would bring clay to the "Pottery & Sewer Pipe "works,coal yard and trolley power house on what is now Forest Ave,about where Hannafords Shop/Save is now,until the Cove silted up in the 1930s. The Portland & Rochester,with its yards & station in the Bayside area,built a connecting railine around the approach to Tukeys bridge on the south side,and linked up with the Grand Trunk at the western approach to the rail bridge,calling it Portland Junction. This lasted 1870s to 1947. The P&R even used to run a shuttle train,with "tank engines" to get passengers from their station at the foot of Preble St. over to the Grand Trunk station on India St(and this even lasted a few years after Union Station was built in the 1880s,using the present,but out of service,"Union Branch" alongside the Interstate & Ball Park. This area was really developed after W.W. Two,into Yard 7 of the Portland Terminal Co.,and EAST COMMERCIAL ST. even got a paving job,around where the Sewer Plant is now:there was also a dump in the area,and a coal yard,whose pilings can be seen to this day. ALL of the warehouses were built WEST of Tukeys Bridge,in what was a ball field & circus grounds.By the 1950s, "2"Portland Terminal switchers were serving these warehouses,junk yards,besides the "flagship consignee",A&P stores warehouse,built on the site of the P&R yards in the 1920s. By the mid 60s,many warehouses there had moved/shut down,and business dwindled to "1" crew a day. The further filling in of Back Bay in the later 1960s,to build the Interstate,further altered the area. A map of Portland,say from 1900 to 1950,will really show the OLD alignment. Hope this helps a little. Bud

Edaville is gone! From what i have heard they are ripping up the rails and selling the land for houses. I was sent and e-mail of the auction list. What a shame.

-Eric

You have to remember then when dealing with steam locomotives cost of repairs is directly proportional to size, and the Maine two foot locomotives aren't very large, which is a big advantage. It's also important because one of the major expenses is often asbestos abatement and the smaller your equipment is the less asbestos their is to abate, and pay to have disposed of, etc. I guess what I'm saying is that they don't have bottomless pockets, they have locomotives that comparitively ( to std. gage ) aren't expensive to work on . Part of the reason Edaville was such a gold mine for so many years. Major boiler repairs any time in the imminent future is unlikely, all 5 of the engines had their boiler replaced with modern all welded construction boilers between 1959 and 1961, also a major plus.

Regards
Trevor H.