Can someone tell me about the MEC in Fryeburg, ME?

Can somone tell me about the old MEC route through Fryeburg, Maine? I go up there every summer with my Scouts, my friend's cabin is right across the street from the MEC tracks near Lovell Pond. They certainly look like they haven't been used in a long time. Does Guilford still own them? Where do they go? When did they stop using them? Do they connect in Conway, NH?

-otto-

Hi Otto,

The tracks to which you refer were part of the MEC Mountain Division from Portland Maine, up through Windham and Fryeburg. From Fryeburg they passed through North Conway NH a few blocks east of the main street (as opposed to the B&M tracks and associated classic station, which are west of the main street.) The B&M joined this line in Intervale, a small town a short distance north of North Conway. From there the line went up through Crawford Notch, Twin Mountain, Whitefield (with its ball signal) and on to (I believe) St. Johnsbury VT.

My understanding is that the rails from Portland to Windham have recently been torn up. From Windham to a location south of North Conway called Redstone, the rails are in place but unused for about 20 years. The stretch from Redstone to Intervale sees occasional use by Conway Scenic. The B&M from Conway through North Conway to Intervale is regularly used by Conway Scenic, as is the MEC Mountain Division portion from Intervale through Crawford Notch (spectacular!) to Crawford Notch station. In the fall, service continues another few miles to Fabyans, and there is an annual raifan trip beyond that to Hazen's, a location a few miles short of Whitefield. The rails from Whitefield west are in place basically disused, but are the only rail connection to Conway Scenic for equipment transfers.

-John

p.s. I'm not at home now and don't have my books handy, so there may be an eror in the above, but if so, I'm sure someone will point it out

Otto;John's got it about right. The tracks were NOT ripped up from Portland,but from Westbrook to Windham. The Amtrak station is on the first mile of the Mountain Div(which Guilford calls the Cumberland Mills Running Track). The "Mountain" leaves the mainline at CPF 196(just about where the long gone Portland Union Station was). Guilford freights run past the station to serve several consignees in the western part of Portland and Westbrook(Cumberland Mills is a part of Westbrook,the sight of a SAPPI paper mill,that gets/gives very few cars). From just past the mill tracks,the tracks were recently removed by Guilford.

Guilford kept this section,as far as S. Windham,and still owns the ROW. From S. Windham to the N.H. border,the state owns it,and a hiking,biking,and snowmobile trail,has been built this year,ALONGSIDE the existing tracks,just west of S. Windham.

Labor Day,1983,is considered the official end of the Mountain Div. as this is when through freights RY-1 and YR-1 (Rigby Yard in S. Portland to/from St. Johnsbury,Vt. made their last through runs. Guilford ran locals as far as Fryeburg/N.Conway to serve a couple of propane,feed and lumber firms sporadically for a year or so. There were also special moves including an "Operation Lifesaver Train" around 85'

While "scenic" and a railfans delight,Guilford saw the excessive cost of the Mountain,and began its interchange with the CP,at Keag,in Maine,not St.J.
While some railfans think there is "potential for freight service",there were few local customers,past Westbrook.(the papermill,in Gilman Vt. served from the St. J. end.)

The state has brushcut most sections of the line from the NH line back towards Portland,and "speeders" have traversed it.

The Fryeburg station was NOT in the center of town,but its site(and the site of former rail served industries,including a quarry,is reached by heading back to Portland a short distance,then taking a side road(the pond you mentioned is on the other side of Rts. 5 / 113. Not much to see!


Bud

That line was originally built by the Portland and Ogdensburgh Railroad, which also owned the line through northern Vermont to Maquam (continuing to Rouses Point until 1888); the part in Maine opened in 1875. The part in Vermont later became part of the B&L and then the B&M (but was leased back to the MEC by 1912), and the MEC had a line (Upper Coos Railroad and Hereford Railway) running north from Quebec Junction in northern New Hampshire into Quebec.

Thanks for helping me put the pieces together. Usually up there at the end of every june for the last ten years, and each year get a little more time for exploration. Saw that some of the relay cases along the abandoned line carry Guilford stickers and markings, so I figured that some of the line lasted into the 1980s.

And it sounds like Fryeburg station is long gone, which explains why I never saw it.

Any more info is welcome.

-otto-

No evidence of it now,Otto,but one of the last horse drawn trolley lines in the U.S. connected the depot to Downtown fryeburg;lasted until circa 1900,and actually made a few hundred bucks a year for a few years. Hard to find info on it,as the "trolley tomes",are only concerned with electrified lines(although their pre "juice jack" horse days are covered.

Bud

wolfmom69 wrote: The Amtrak station is on the first mile of the Mountain Div(which Guilford calls the Cumberland Mills Running Track). The "Mountain" leaves the mainline at CPF 196(just about where the long gone Portland Union Station was).

When the Cumberland Mills RT was upgraded to Rule 261 signal territory from CPF196 to the Amtrak station, that portion of it became the "Mountain Branch". West of the Amtrak Station, beyond Sewell St. at signal CPM2, it is still the Cumberland Mills RT.
I thought it was a nice tribute to the heritage of the line to re-name it the Mountain, even for just two miles.