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Franklin and Megantic Railway

April 13, 2024

The Franklin and Megantic Railway (F&M) (original name "Franklin and Megantic Railroad") was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway in northern Maine that branches off from the Sandy River Railroad (SRR) at Strong and served sawmills in Salem township and in the town of Kingfield.

Franklin and Megantic Railway
Overview
HeadquartersStrong
LocaleMaine
Dates of operation1884–1908
SuccessorSandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
Technical
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Length14.5 mi (23.3 km)
Map of the Franklin and Megantic Railway circa 1906.

History edit

The F&M was constructed in 1884 to reach aboriginal spruce forests on the south slope of Mount Abraham.[1] The 1.8-mile (2.9 km) Mount Abram branch was constructed to Soule's sawmill in 1886.[2] In 1894, the F&M formed the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Kingfield and Dead River Railroad (K&DR) to extend rails up the Carrabassett River from Kingfield to Carrabassett. At that time, the F&M owned 2 locomotives, 7 box cars, 21 flat cars, 40-foot (12.19 m) combination car #1 built by the Laconia Car Company in 1885, and 20-foot (6.1 m) baggage car #2 (renumbered #4 in 1903) built by the Portland Company in 1887.[3][4]

The company was renamed to "Franklin and Megantic Railway" in 1897 due to financial problems. The owners of the Sandy River Railroad purchased controlling interest in the F&M in 1898.[5] In 1899 the line was extended to a large sawmill in Crockertown (later called Bigelow), as close to the Canadian town of Megantic as it would reach. Twenty new flat cars were purchased from the Portland Company in 1900.[6][7] Four of the new flat cars and one F&M box car were destroyed when the sawmill burned in 1903.[8] F&M received two 40-foot (12.19 m) long passenger cars from American Car and Foundry Company in 1903. Coach #2 and combination #3 were built in a joint order with an identical coach (SR #8) for the Sandy River Railroad.[9]

In 1906 a temporary trestle was constructed over the Carrabassett River to the Hammond Field log yard where timber from the west side of the river was loaded for transport to the Bigelow sawmill.[10] Log trains shuttled back and forth to the sawmill until the trestle washed out in November 1907. Logging service was rough on equipment, and 22 F&M flat cars were scrapped the following year.[11] A crude passenger shelter was constructed adjacent to the main line for woodsmen involved in the logging. Rapid transformation of the landscape during this brief period of activity evoked memories of a local American Civil War veteran who named the shelter Shiloh Number Two.[12]

F&M locomotives were renumbered in 1905 to avoid confusion with Sandy River locomotives frequently working on the F&M.[13] The F&M was merged into the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RLRR or SR&RL) in 1908.[14] The Maine Central Railroad took control of the SR&RL in 1911.[15]

Franklin and Megantic Railroad (Main Line)
Technical
Line length48 km (30 mi)[citation needed]
Track gauge2 ft (610 mm)
Route map

Legend
 
48,5
 Bigelow
[16]
 
47,0
 Hinds
[17]
 
40,5
 Huston Brook
[17]
 
38.8
 Carrabassett
[18]
 
37,3
 Spring Farm
[18]
 
34,5
 Hammond Field
[19]
 
 Carrabassett River[20]
 
30,9
 Sanfords
[19]
 
30,1
 Reed Brook
[21]
 
28,5
 Ledge Brook
[21]
 
25,1
 Kingfield Pit
[22]
 
24,4
 Huse
[22]
 
 
23,9
 Kingfield, Maine
[23]
 
20,0
 Graffams
[24]
 
16,8
 Stevens
[24]
 
16,3
 Mount Abram Junction
[25]
 
13,7
 Salem Pit
[25]
 
12,8
 Salem
[26]
 
9,9
 Summit
[26]
 
7,7
 Hillside
[27]
 
1,6
 Starbirds
[27]
 
0,0
 Strong, Maine
[28]

F&M combination #1 became SR&RL #11[29]

F&M coach #2 became SR&RL #21[29]

F&M combination #3 became SR&RL #14[29]

F&M baggage #4 became SR&RL #6[29] (but was scrapped and replaced by a new baggage-RPO #6 in 1912)[30]

Fifteen of the 28-foot (8.5 m) flat cars built in 1900 were renumbered for SR&RL; but the remaining F&M freight cars were scrapped by 1911[31]

Geography edit

Milepost 0: Strong - Connection with the Sandy River Railroad.[28]

Milepost 1.0: Starbird's sawmill.[27]

Milepost 6.2: Summit - Passing siding and covered water tank at the high point between Strong and Kingfield.[26]

Milepost 8.0: Salem - Agent's station and sawmill. The original covered station burned in 1899 and was replaced with a new building in 1901.[26][32][33]

Milepost 10.2: Mount Abram Junction - Branch line to Soule's sawmill.[25]

Milepost 14.9: Kingfield - Covered agent's station, 3-stall enginehouse, and hardwood turning mills.[23][33]

Milepost 19.2: Bridge over Carrabassett River. (on K&DR extension)[20]

Milepost 21.5: Hammond Field. One-half mile branch line to a log loading yard. (on K&DR extension)[19]

Milepost 24.1: Carrabassett - Agent's station with stage connections to Stratton and Eustis until railroad extended to Bigelow. (on K&DR extension)[18]

Milepost 30.2: Bigelow - Agent's station and sawmill (on K&DR extension)[16][34]

Locomotives edit

Number Name Builder Type Date Works number Notes
1[35] B.V. Meade[35] Hinkley Locomotive Works[35] 0-4-4T Forney locomotive[35] 1884[35] 1664[35] Renumbered #2 in June 1905 and became SR&RL #3 in 1908[35][36]
2[35] S.W. Sargent[35] Baldwin Locomotive Works[35] 0-4-4T Forney locomotive[35] 1886[35] 8304[35] Renumbered #3 in June 1905 and became SR&RL #4 in 1908[35][37]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing Company 1976 p.47-50
  2. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.56
  3. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.64-65
  4. ^ Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1895 p.78
  5. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.66
  6. ^ Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1900 p.85
  7. ^ Jones (1979), p. 230.
  8. ^ Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1903 p.64
  9. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.112
  10. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.116
  11. ^ Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1908 p.135
  12. ^ Jones (1979), p. 326.
  13. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115
  14. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.121
  15. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.142
  16. ^ a b Jones (1979), p. 390.
  17. ^ a b Jones (1979), p. 389.
  18. ^ a b c Jones (1979), p. 388.
  19. ^ a b c Jones (1979), p. 387.
  20. ^ a b Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.65
  21. ^ a b Jones (1979), p. 386.
  22. ^ a b Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.385
  23. ^ a b Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.384
  24. ^ a b Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.383
  25. ^ a b c Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.382
  26. ^ a b c d Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.381
  27. ^ a b c Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.380
  28. ^ a b Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.362
  29. ^ a b c d Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.136
  30. ^ Jones (1980), p. 355.
  31. ^ Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1911 p.241
  32. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.98
  33. ^ a b Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.259
  34. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.113 & fig.46
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jones (1980), p. 350.
  36. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115 & fig.39
  37. ^ Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115 & fig.40

References edit

  • MacDonald, Robert L. (2003). Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-1179-X.
  • Moody, Linwood W. (1959). The Maine Two-footers. Howell-North.
  • Crittenden, H. Temple (1976). The Maine Scenic Route. McClain Printing.
  • Cornwall, L. Peter; Farrell, Jack W. (1973). Ride the Sandy River. Pacific Fast Mail.
  • Jones, Robert C. (1979). Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years). Sundance Books.
  • Jones, Robert C. (1980). Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume II - The Mature Years). Sundance Books.
  • Railroad Commissioners' Report. State of Maine. 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911

External links edit

  • Brian Carter's Train History

April 13, 2024
franklin, megantic, railway, original, name, franklin, megantic, railroad, narrow, gauge, railway, northern, maine, that, branches, from, sandy, river, railroad, strong, served, sawmills, salem, township, town, kingfield, overviewheadquartersstronglocalemained. The Franklin and Megantic Railway F amp M original name Franklin and Megantic Railroad was a 2 ft 610 mm narrow gauge railway in northern Maine that branches off from the Sandy River Railroad SRR at Strong and served sawmills in Salem township and in the town of Kingfield Franklin and Megantic RailwayOverviewHeadquartersStrongLocaleMaineDates of operation1884 1908SuccessorSandy River and Rangeley Lakes RailroadTechnicalTrack gauge2 ft 610 mm Length14 5 mi 23 3 km Map of the Franklin and Megantic Railway circa 1906 Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Locomotives 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory editThe F amp M was constructed in 1884 to reach aboriginal spruce forests on the south slope of Mount Abraham 1 The 1 8 mile 2 9 km Mount Abram branch was constructed to Soule s sawmill in 1886 2 In 1894 the F amp M formed the 2 ft 610 mm narrow gauge Kingfield and Dead River Railroad K amp DR to extend rails up the Carrabassett River from Kingfield to Carrabassett At that time the F amp M owned 2 locomotives 7 box cars 21 flat cars 40 foot 12 19 m combination car 1 built by the Laconia Car Company in 1885 and 20 foot 6 1 m baggage car 2 renumbered 4 in 1903 built by the Portland Company in 1887 3 4 The company was renamed to Franklin and Megantic Railway in 1897 due to financial problems The owners of the Sandy River Railroad purchased controlling interest in the F amp M in 1898 5 In 1899 the line was extended to a large sawmill in Crockertown later called Bigelow as close to the Canadian town of Megantic as it would reach Twenty new flat cars were purchased from the Portland Company in 1900 6 7 Four of the new flat cars and one F amp M box car were destroyed when the sawmill burned in 1903 8 F amp M received two 40 foot 12 19 m long passenger cars from American Car and Foundry Company in 1903 Coach 2 and combination 3 were built in a joint order with an identical coach SR 8 for the Sandy River Railroad 9 In 1906 a temporary trestle was constructed over the Carrabassett River to the Hammond Field log yard where timber from the west side of the river was loaded for transport to the Bigelow sawmill 10 Log trains shuttled back and forth to the sawmill until the trestle washed out in November 1907 Logging service was rough on equipment and 22 F amp M flat cars were scrapped the following year 11 A crude passenger shelter was constructed adjacent to the main line for woodsmen involved in the logging Rapid transformation of the landscape during this brief period of activity evoked memories of a local American Civil War veteran who named the shelter Shiloh Number Two 12 F amp M locomotives were renumbered in 1905 to avoid confusion with Sandy River locomotives frequently working on the F amp M 13 The F amp M was merged into the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad SR amp RLRR or SR amp RL in 1908 14 The Maine Central Railroad took control of the SR amp RL in 1911 15 Franklin and Megantic Railroad Main Line TechnicalLine length48 km 30 mi citation needed Track gauge2 ft 610 mm Route mapvteLegend nbsp 48 5 Bigelow 16 nbsp 47 0 Hinds 17 nbsp 40 5 Huston Brook 17 nbsp 38 8 Carrabassett 18 nbsp 37 3 Spring Farm 18 nbsp 34 5 Hammond Field 19 nbsp Carrabassett River 20 nbsp 30 9 Sanfords 19 nbsp 30 1 Reed Brook 21 nbsp 28 5 Ledge Brook 21 nbsp 25 1 Kingfield Pit 22 nbsp 24 4 Huse 22 nbsp nbsp 23 9 Kingfield Maine 23 nbsp 20 0 Graffams 24 nbsp 16 8 Stevens 24 nbsp 16 3 Mount Abram Junction 25 nbsp 13 7 Salem Pit 25 nbsp 12 8 Salem 26 nbsp 9 9 Summit 26 nbsp 7 7 Hillside 27 nbsp 1 6 Starbirds 27 nbsp 0 0 Strong Maine 28 F amp M combination 1 became SR amp RL 11 29 F amp M coach 2 became SR amp RL 21 29 F amp M combination 3 became SR amp RL 14 29 F amp M baggage 4 became SR amp RL 6 29 but was scrapped and replaced by a new baggage RPO 6 in 1912 30 Fifteen of the 28 foot 8 5 m flat cars built in 1900 were renumbered for SR amp RL but the remaining F amp M freight cars were scrapped by 1911 31 Geography editMilepost 0 Strong Connection with the Sandy River Railroad 28 Milepost 1 0 Starbird s sawmill 27 Milepost 6 2 Summit Passing siding and covered water tank at the high point between Strong and Kingfield 26 Milepost 8 0 Salem Agent s station and sawmill The original covered station burned in 1899 and was replaced with a new building in 1901 26 32 33 Milepost 10 2 Mount Abram Junction Branch line to Soule s sawmill 25 Milepost 14 9 Kingfield Covered agent s station 3 stall enginehouse and hardwood turning mills 23 33 Milepost 19 2 Bridge over Carrabassett River on K amp DR extension 20 Milepost 21 5 Hammond Field One half mile branch line to a log loading yard on K amp DR extension 19 Milepost 24 1 Carrabassett Agent s station with stage connections to Stratton and Eustis until railroad extended to Bigelow on K amp DR extension 18 Milepost 30 2 Bigelow Agent s station and sawmill on K amp DR extension 16 34 Locomotives editNumber Name Builder Type Date Works number Notes1 35 B V Meade 35 Hinkley Locomotive Works 35 0 4 4T Forney locomotive 35 1884 35 1664 35 Renumbered 2 in June 1905 and became SR amp RL 3 in 1908 35 36 2 35 S W Sargent 35 Baldwin Locomotive Works 35 0 4 4T Forney locomotive 35 1886 35 8304 35 Renumbered 3 in June 1905 and became SR amp RL 4 in 1908 35 37 Notes edit Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing Company 1976 p 47 50 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 56 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 64 65 Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1895 p 78 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 66 Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1900 p 85 Jones 1979 p 230 Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1903 p 64 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 112 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 116 Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1908 p 135 Jones 1979 p 326 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp 114 115 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 121 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 142 a b Jones 1979 p 390 a b Jones 1979 p 389 a b c Jones 1979 p 388 a b c Jones 1979 p 387 a b Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 65 a b Jones 1979 p 386 a b Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 385 a b Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 384 a b Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 383 a b c Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 382 a b c d Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 381 a b c Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 380 a b Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 362 a b c d Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 136 Jones 1980 p 355 Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1911 p 241 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 98 a b Jones Robert C Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books 1979 p 259 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p 113 amp fig 46 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jones 1980 p 350 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp 114 115 amp fig 39 Crittenden H Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp 114 115 amp fig 40References editMacDonald Robert L 2003 Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads Arcadia Publishing ISBN 0 7385 1179 X Moody Linwood W 1959 The Maine Two footers Howell North Crittenden H Temple 1976 The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing Cornwall L Peter Farrell Jack W 1973 Ride the Sandy River Pacific Fast Mail Jones Robert C 1979 Two Feet Between the Rails Volume 1 The Early Years Sundance Books Jones Robert C 1980 Two Feet Between the Rails Volume II The Mature Years Sundance Books Railroad Commissioners Report State of Maine 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 and 1911External links editBrian Carter s Train History Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Franklin and Megantic Railway amp oldid 1121920188, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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