Downeast Scenic Railroad (DSRX) Discussion - 2005-2010

I just moved Down East recently and took the ride on the RR two weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon. It was packed, and everyone had a splendid time. The trip is rather short in terms of mileage, but it's fun to go along busy High Street (Routes 1A and 3) and wave at all the shoppers and local folk, who seem enthused to have the train there. The boggy area between Ellswroth and Washington Jct. is very pretty and offers some up-close views of osprey nests. I'm hoping to be part of the volunteer crew next year.

I was told by one of the conductors that the rails and the roadbed are in good shape all the way to Brewer, but that many ties need replacing. They hope to be up and running to Green Lake in a couple of years, then eventually operate excursions all the way to and from Brewer.

It's a GREAT new asset to Hancock County.

It would be great to hear on this thread from someone affiliated with the railroad what kind of ridership the Downeast Scenic Railroad had this year. Any other pertinent information would be great to know as well.

Congratulations on a successful first year!

Good afternoon,
We have had a very successful startup this year. We started up for the public on July 31st and have been running mostly weekends, but just about every train has been running to capacity and the last 6 trains we ran were sold out.
Our last train for the season ran the 17th of October.
We are now back in "work mode" until the weather shuts us down. Last week we raised and ballasted the Falls siding and some parts of the mainline. We will continue this operation until freezeup.
Next year we plan to start Memorial Day weekend.
Leverett Fernald

That is great to hear. Is it possible for you guys to ever expand beyond the existing trackage if the ridership supports it? ( I know most of the branch is ripped up)

Any plans for weekday service next summer and/or Christmas season excursions?

Good evening,
To answer the last 2 questions;

1. We may run some charter trains next year during the week, but for now, all regular trains will run weekends only. As for Christmas trains, we will need an engine facility before we can run trains in the cold weather.

2. Our plans call for expanding the run another 10 miles to Green Lake. This expansion is probably 2 years out at this time. Track is in place all the way to Brewer, however expansion beyond Green Lake is not likely for the foreseeable future.

Leverett Fernald

I know that for a number of years the state DOT has been looking at some way to relieve some of the auto congestion both on MDI in the summer, plus getting there. You guys around Ellsworth know what a zoo High st is in the summer.

At one point DOT was looking and thinking about some sort of rail link to help the MDI flow of traffic. At one time I used to pipe dream about the line that went to the old tannery in Hancock, if it could be extended to Trenton. But that is pricey real estate there now, plus that line is gone anyway.

But, in the back of my mind, I have always thought that the state was interested in keeping the line intact from Bangor to Ellsworth just in case that coulf fit into an Acadia mass transportation somehow, someday.

I know the history of the line pretty well and the section from Bangor to Ellsworth and to Hancock,which was built first, was built much better than the stretch downeast which was ripped up. My understanding is that it still is in pretty good shape considering it has sat there for quite a while with little care.

I know that Downeast has planned on going to Green Lake since the beginning. Bangor is not that much further. Does anyone connected with your group even pipe dream about the possibilities there might be there some day?

As Tom said from day one, the greater Ellsworth/Acadia area is deluged by humanity, more so than almost any other part of the state. Seems like opportunity some day down the road if things work out.

SR

bml1149 wrote:Good evening,
To answer the last 2 questions;

1. We may run some charter trains next year during the week, but for now, all regular trains will run weekends only. As for Christmas trains, we will need an engine facility before we can run trains in the cold weather.

2. Our plans call for expanding the run another 10 miles to Green Lake. This expansion is probably 2 years out at this time. Track is in place all the way to Brewer, however expansion beyond Green Lake is not likely for the foreseeable future.

Leverett Fernald

Mr. Fernald,

Thank You for your informative reply! Not knowing the exact layout in Ellsworth is there a nearby ex-MEC facility that would be a good candidate for acquisition, preservation, and restoration to use as an engine house?

Thanks.

That was already done, sorta. Washington Jct is their base and if anything is built it will be there. There's no enginehouse or anything near Ellsworth. Most anything outside of Bangor/Brewer or NMJ is long gone.

Good evening,
To answer Sandyriverman's question about if we pipe dream about going further west, possibly to Brewer, the answer is "of course we do". That dream is as I mentioned earlier is a long way off at this time. Now that we have trains running we have to prioritize our work on the first four miles that are in service and plan for any major work during the off season when there is no train traffic to deal with. As we get time and manpower we will probably start sometime next summer sending work crews west to do some of the things like replacing culverts, ditching, ect, but for now our main focus is between Washington Junction and Ellsworth Falls.
Cosmo is correct about existing enginehouse facilities. Washington Junction had at one time a four stall enginehouse and turntable, but that is long gone. The only other one that still exists is the Salmon Falls facility in Calais, but that hasn't seen an engine since the early fifties. We do have electricity and an inspection pit and access to a crane and do have some equipment to work with, so we can maintain equipment which is good enough for now.
Leverett Fernald

Ok, now the $10,000,000 question (in 3 parts):
1) is there still a turntable in Salmon Falls, and if so, (or if another reasonable substitute could be located and made available)
2)would you consider installing a TT and pit at WJct, and
3) are there plans to eventually build a full engine house or roundhouse, possibly following a MEC pattern/plan?

The idea of a turntable and a roundhouse would be a dream for any rail fan or volunteer on the railroad. That being said, I'm sure there are more improvements to the existing trackage that would need to be addressed before any new engine facility was built. I have heard there are plans being considered to rebuild the wye a Washington Junction. If that is the case the wye would serve the same function as a turntable while increasing track milage.

The old Maine Central used a wye to turn locomotives at Bartlett, NH instead of a turntable at their roundhouse because the Mallets they purchased from the B&M were too long for the turntable that was there until these locomotives were put in service. It seems like the Maine Central was a great place for the B&M to unload a few unwanted locomotives years ago!

All very good points indeed. Yes, I agree that improving the tracks they have now would come first, and I've aalso heard mention of constructing (or reconstructing?) the wye at WJ.
A couple of points though,
1) There may be a table available for them (though don't ask me where, just seems I could think of a few likely places,) if they so wished.
2) The locomotives they run now are MUCH shorter than the 2-6-6-2's that spurred the construction of the wye in Bartlett.
3) As mentioned earlier in this thread, having a permanent enginehouse (with or without a TT) would allow for cold-weather operations and thus a longer running season.

Just a historical note to Cosmos' commnets: The size of the locomotives wasnot an incentive to build a wye at Bartlett. The already existing wye was a factor in deciding not to install a leerger table. The wye was already there as a result of the Bartlett and Albany RR that had been located there previously.

Well, that's as maybe, but when the bigger engines came in the RH was shortened to (I beleive) 8 stalls and the turntable removed and replaced with a series of switches leading into the stalls.
Also, the original wye in Bartlett was built for the logging railroad that started in Bartlett and was mostly abandoned by the time the 2-6-6-2's showed up.