New investor for Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad?

That is correct Nell, MBNA was bought by BA. Look for even MORE junk mail....

Yeah,MBNA,"the enlightened savior" of the area,with their barely minimum wage jobs(but they are "clean",non polluting,non manufacuring,for the "P.C. illness" that dominates Belfast) looks like they may be "bailing out".

One thing that may hurt the tourist trade in the "Mid Coast" area,is the new I-95 exit,just north of the Civic Center in Augusta. This allows access to Route 3,from the Turnpike and I-95 WITHOUT getting off at Augusta,fighting traffic and 2 very bad "rotaries"there.

Saves a good 15 minutes,or more,and lets you totally by pass ALL the congested areas such as Brunswick,Wiscasset,Rockland/Camden area-IF your destination is EAST of Belfast,say Bar Harbor.

Might get tourists to stop for a "rest stop" at Belfast,as there is NOT much in the inland areas that Route 3 goes through;Palermo,Serasmont etc!

The "instant dismantling" of the B & M L facilities on the waterfornt,is evidence that its "killing" had long been on the agenda of the developers and power brokers in Belfast.

I agree that the railroad was a money losing proposition,and at least over the past couple of years, was poorly marketed and fiscally managed.

One,large,on line consignee,in Thorndike/Brooks area(away from the "beautiful people in Belfast!) would've provided a steady revenue to offset some of the "tourist train" losses. But,alas,it didn't happen,as the Waldo county area remains "depressed",and "overtaxed"(Isleboro seceeded from it,going to Penobscot County for this reason!).

Even Crowe Rope,that got plasic pellets by rail,a while back on BOTH the former Maine Coast(in Rockland) and the BML has closed their relatively new plant on Route 3.

Sad,another example of the "enlightened P.C." leadership taking the naive people of Maine further into serfdom for the well to do "nobility"!

Bud

Not to sound insulting at all, but the town's wanting to make a nice yuppie area doesn't fit my perception of Maine folk. I didn't think yuppies existed as year-round residents up there. I always thought year-round Maine residents were rather tough (winters must be harsh!), salt of the earth. Am I wrong? Again, I don't mean to insult. I just thought that the eastern MA way of stress and greed hadn't made it up there yet...

JD
Here in Eastern MA

A lot of the people who live in Maine year-round these days aren't from Maine originally.

In the town where I live, three of the eight members of the town council moved here from Massachusetts within the last five years. They are yuppies, but they're also staunch Republicans. Go figure.

wolfmom69 wrote:One thing that may hurt the tourist trade in the "Mid Coast" area,is the new I-95 exit,just north of the Civic Center in Augusta. This allows access to Route 3,from the Turnpike and I-95 WITHOUT getting off at Augusta,fighting traffic and 2 very bad "rotaries"there.

Saves a good 15 minutes,or more,and lets you totally by pass ALL the congested areas such as Brunswick,Wiscasset,Rockland/Camden area-IF your destination is EAST of Belfast,say Bar Harbor.

Thank god for that, the fewer people going around those rotaries the better. Not good for those towns listed, but us driving in Augusta its great.

Yuppies and DINKs(Dual Incomes,No Kids) who are NOT caught up in "social engineering and enviro wacko extremes",tend to be Republicans,mostly for the traditional lower taxes and respect for private property rights,and pro management policies in business

There has always been in Maine,"old Money" from away,especially the coast,who disdain blue collar enterprises,(despite their protestations about the "rustic Mainers)or anything that threatens their comfortable way of life(like commercial fishing and working waterfronts today-"Oh lovie,those fishing boats leaving the harbor at 5 AM are sooo noisy!".

I am fortunate to live in a town(inland!) that has few "out of staters",who try and change things to fit their selfish needs. Plus we "tend" to put those who are obnoxious in their places,as we have no police department and minimal county/state coverage,something that discourages that type from moving in,as they will have a difficult time complaining about the true rural way of life,and what they see as "problems" with the neighbors life style. Being advocates for the "Nanny State" and over regulation,they are helpless on their own accord.

Visit Southern and Mid Coast Maine,Ms. Choo,and you will see the similiar "greed" as you so correctly stated,and self asorbtion found in E.Mass.

Getting back to "trains". When this type moves in,trains should not run through "their area",or certainly not sound horns,with all roads either separated by grade,or gates at the very minimum. To hell with what has been taking place for 150 years! We, "the elite", are here now!

Bud

The yuppies are what finally did in the Calais Branch. UMO college proffessors who are going to save us all from ourselfs and are smarter than we are. They know whats good for us so don't ask any questions and don't do anything to try and make that rail line work.

They and the governor have big plans that are going to make all of us here get out of poverty by building a trail that will bring 1000s to our area,
just like the trail in Aroostook county.

I'm sure all of you have heard about that trail and the 1000s of tourist from around the world that go to that trail, right? Isn't that why the traffic count is up at BIA?

Lots of ATV noise, but please no train horns you might wake up the down east blueberry catapillar a very rare species.

The whole thing sounds like a enviromentalist plot to me! But then I'm a human from down east Maine what could I possible know.

Speaking as a Native Mainer, DINK, Liberal Democrat, Southern ME resident, fledgling railfan, I can only say, it never really pays to generalize.

To steer this back on topic, I don't think the Belfast railrod ever had much of a chance, given it's location and lack of any real destination, or particularly memorable scenery. As discussed in other threads, it looks like the state of Maine has plans to put the state owned rails to good use, first with the Brunswick to Rockport line, and with this proposed line to Augusta (take that rotaries!)

Unfortunately for Belfast (and Camden and Rockport) They have long ago torn up the rail lines that connected them with points south. as gas prices rise higher and higher, towns like Augusta and Rockland who continue to have rail connection could stand to benefit, while it remains to be seen what detremental effects this could have on towns lacking a transportation alternative.

We'd still love to see that Swedish 10-wheeler and rolling stock move from the B&ML to the Rockland Branch. They can turn it at both ends, there's a roundhouse to keep it in, the track is in great shape, the line has terrific potential, scenery, destination, etc. The steamer could be used for special occasions or charters to prevent unnecessary wear and tear or over-exposure. She would generate business and be able to strut her stuff as opposed to picking her way through the B&ML puckerbrush as has been the case in her time there.

What think everybody?

I've always thought it would be great if somebody could operate that Swedish meatball, I mean Swedish steamer, on the Rockland Branch. I'm not particularly fond of those Swedish transit cars though. If they could fit the steamer with standard North American couplers and run it with Morristown & Erie's cars, that would be very nice.

Rockport and Camden were never connected to the rest of the world by steam railways. A trolley ran from Rockland area(and slightly "west") to those towns in 1892-1931;little freight car business on it.

Rockport was served by a funky little "lime hauling railroad for a while in this period. Ran from the piers to lime quarries near Simontons Corners. This is NOT the Lime Rockland that literally encircled Rockland and connected with the MEC.

Love to see Swedish steam on the Rockland Branch,but the first time it "smoked up" Wiscasset,those NIMBY's would go through the roof-guranteed!

Bud

Surprise, Surprise! (NOT)

BELFAST (July 19): Donald Adams' self-proclaimed D-day for buying the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad passed Friday without a check being passed.

Read the rest of the article at:

http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Government ... ryID=58108