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  • The Eastern Railroad revisited

  • Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.
Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1529361  by Manalishi
 
arthur d. wrote: Sat Dec 21, 2019 7:13 pm
Manalishi wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:50 pm Even odder, nearby, a giant iron eye bolt attached to a rock. My only guess is that it was used to move those incredibly heavy granite blocks around. Or tether an elephant.
DSCN0037a.jpg

Is this the only one at the site? I'm thinking anchors for guy wires, supporting a stationary derrick, used in setting the original stones.
There may be others but that is the only one I could find. I always wondered how those heavy granite blocks were lifted into place without the aid of a crane or backhoe or even a steam shovel. Oxen?
 #1529455  by arthur d.
 
This answer would benefit from more research, but, given that the PS&P (the Eastern didn't have complete control till 1870) was up and running to Portland by 1842, its almost certain that animals of one sort or other were in some way involved in setting the stones.
 #1529646  by Mikejf
 
Doubtful that those stones were set during initial construction. Probably done as an upgrade or improvement to the line.
 #1529918  by Manalishi
 
You're probably right although I think the granite blocks would look the same if they were dumped there in 1940 or 1840! Perhaps used for double tracking? Although I don't think that section of the Eastern was double tracked.

Well, that's all the exploring until next spring. I'm not sure how much farther north I'm going to go. There's Saco and Biddeford but cities really don't interest me. There's also the marshes in Scarborough but it's pretty developed from Saco to Portland. The odds of finding long stretches of the ROW that haven't been built over decrease dramatically.

I've photographed other long abandoned railroads (Cocheco, WN&P, P,GF&C, etc.) so I could start a thread on those if there's any interest. Cheers!
Last edited by MEC407 on Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:39 pm, edited 1 time in total. Reason: unnecessary quoting
 #1529973  by Mikejf
 
There is a stretch in Scarborough that has been turned into a road, and some towards Rigby from there that is a walking trail. And between Saco and the Kennebunk Service plazas on the Pike has been turned into a nice walking/biking trail.
 #1530728  by Manalishi
 
jbvb wrote: Wed Dec 25, 2019 1:16 pm A short stretch of ERR RoW still exists in Eliot, on the NE side of ME 236 at Wooster Rd. The highway builders bypassed a fairly deep cut. In the early 1960s, several driveways which probably had originally connected to ME 103 still had wood bridges over the cut. You could still see some of the rock walls of the cut last time I passed through, but it's been a convenient place to dump stuff for almost 70 years.
I didn't know that so I went to take a look. There is a gully there which I must have passed dozens of times, oblivious that it once was part of the Eastern.

Here's a picture of that cut shortly after the rails were removed. The bridge abutment once supported Gould's Bridge on Gould's Bridge Road. Gould's Bridge Road was renamed Worster Road. Apparently they didn't waste any time removing the bridge.
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 #1530750  by arthur d.
 
Mikejf wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:13 am Doubtful that those stones were set during initial construction. Probably done as an upgrade or improvement to the line.
Seem to recall there was a bridge strengthening campaign in the '20s, prior to the coming of the Berk's.
 #1530755  by Manalishi
 
Yup, you can see it plain as day with the Google Satellite view. Crosses Dennett Rd, past the Jehovah's Witness hall, past the Kittery sewer plant, crosses 95 and merges with 236 around Dana Ave.

I believe they removed the tunnel when the bypass was upgraded a few years back.
 #1530782  by arthur d.
 
More of a glorified bridge, but you are correct, it was filled in near the end of the Long bridge replacement project. I remember going down to look at it a few years before that. The Oak Terrace end was full of water and a pile of rocks, I'd guess there had been some digging going on to keep it from being used as an unauthorized underpass. At one time there was a landscape or tree service on Old Post road, and I believe they were using their end as a garage of sorts.