Requesting information on the Knox Railroad

oat324 wrote:Check this out. The owner of this yard lined their garden with old rail from the Knox Railroad.

That's rather unique. The lantern hanging from the little evergreen tree in the middle also suggests somebody was trying for "railroady decor."
At first glance, the length of rail nearest the road almost looks heavier than anything the Knox might have used, but zooming in on it, I guess it could be 75-lb.

It never dawned on me until now why Union would have a Depot St., when the town is quite a ways from any MEC territory, or from where the Kennebec Central ran. I love it when I can learn something without having to get off the couch.

BTW, some maps today still show a line running from the Rockland Branch at Warren; I've seen that on some cell phone coverage maps. I think the place where the line crossed what is now U.S. Rt. 1 might be a power line r-o-w. Other than a few places like that, I don't think there are many hints that there was ever a railroad there.

Darn it, there were presentations on the Georges Valley/Knox and the Lime Rock in November at the Warren and Rockland Historical Societies, and I didn't find out about those until today.

Google "Doodlebug" and "Rockland," and you'll get a link to the book Rockland Area Lime Industries, with a few lines about the GV/Knox.

I recently acquired a 1929 railroad map of New England. It shows a railroad line in Maine running from the Maine Central's Rockland Branch in Warren to the town of Union. Does anyone know anything about this railroad?

I know a little. It was originally known as the Georges Valley Railroad, and operated from 1893 till around 1940 to service the lime kilns and a lumber mill in Union. It began in the vicinity of Warren Depot on the Maine Central, and meandered up through the countryside on the north side of town until reaching its terminus down the hill from Union Village. From there, I think there was a spur up into the quarries. The ROW, as far as I know, is still pretty visible, and much of it may be able to be walked (private property --- beware). Check it out on MyTopo's online map of Warren.

Thanks! Any idea what they used for power? Or did the MEC operate it?

I was looking at Robert Lindsell's book, "The Rail Lines of Northern New England." He has a blurb on it, page 370. Operated 1893-1940. "The Georges Valley RR was built in 1893 from Warren. on the MEC's Knox and Lincoln line, as a common carrier, although its main purpose was to carry limestone quarried east of South Union at Crawford Pond..." Looks like it was abandoned post 1932, but he notes that there was an industrial spur on part of the line until about 1940. He also references Karr's book, "Lost Railroads," which is also a great source. Also mentioned...Knox Lime took over the line in 1918, and reincorporated the line as Knox RR.

Steve

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Thanks. I will have to look for the ROW when I am up there next year.