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  • Lewiston Industrial Track/Lewiston Lower Rd/Branch status

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1605023  by NHV 669
 
The overpass over Route 24 in Richmond was removed a few years ago, looks like crews were taking down the west abutment yesterday per a photo posted to the MEC/PT FB page.
 #1605132  by S1f3432
 
For some reason there is persistent confusion about the traditional names for some of the former
Maine Central Railroad lines. The title of this thread garbles it a little more. The branch from Brunswick
to Lewiston Lower ( in the Lewiston Mill District along Lincoln St, dead ending at Main St. ) in the
employee timetable was referred to as either the Lewiston Branch or the Lewiston Lower Branch.
I guess it became an industrial track under guilford after I left the railroad in 1986. The Lower Road
referred to in the thread title was the name for the Main Line from Royal Junction to Waterville via
Brunswick and Augusta and was how it was named in the employee timetable and referred to by
employees, dispatchers when issuing train lineups, and the attached image from MEC Employee
Timetable #1, Supplement #4, 11-23-80. I never heard the term "Lewiston Lower Road" when I
worked there from other employees or from the railfan community at the time. And the current
Main Line used by Panam/CSX between Royal Junction and Waterville via Lewiston (Upper!) was
known as the "Back Road", with Lewiston Upper ( the primary station ) and Lewiston Lower ( mill
distric ) a quarter mile apart at different elevations with no direct connection to each other.
Attachments:
MEC_EmployeeTimetable#1_Supplement#4_11-23-80.jpg
MEC_EmployeeTimetable#1_Supplement#4_11-23-80.jpg (314.89 KiB) Viewed 1217 times
 #1605258  by NHV 669
 
I was looking for the "lower road (to Augusta)" thread and mistakenly confused it with this one. 🤷‍♂️
Last edited by NHV 669 on Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1605263  by S1f3432
 
Understandable, given the confusing terminology used by so many people. Here is a shot of
MEC 565 with Train 318 at Lewiston Lower ready to leave for Brunswick in May 1977. The buildings
to the rear facing Main St. had suffered a fire and would be removed, leaving a view of the Libby Mill
adjacent to the Great Falls and a glimpse of the Back Road bridge crossing the river. The engine
house at left was converted from the freight house at the end of steam to house a 44 Tonner
with the turntable and roundhouse removed. The wye at Crowleys was used to turn engines and
plows as needed. The yard crew reported in the morning to the station on the Back Road at Holland
Street then drove several blocks to the Lower yard where they used the loco on 318/319 to switch
for 2 or 3 hours. When done they would return to the Upper yard, retrieve the assigned S-1 from
it's "stall" on Whipple Street, and spend the rest of the day working the yard territory extending
from Shurtleff's facility in Auburn ( where Schnitzer is now ) to Carter Milling at the Fairgrounds.
Attachments:
197705A32_MEC565_Train318_LewistonLowerME_May1977.jpg
197705A32_MEC565_Train318_LewistonLowerME_May1977.jpg (302.29 KiB) Viewed 915 times
 #1605287  by S1f3432
 
I should have also noted the only thing remaining in that photo is the shadow of Bates Mill building
number 5, which is still standing today. Every thing else pictured is gone with the space now occupied
by a parking garage.
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