Bridgton and Harrison Railway
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Defunct | 1941 |
| Fate | Taken over by Maine Central Railroad; operations ended; rails removed during WWII |
| Successor | Bridgton and Harrison Railway (reorganization) |
| Headquarters | Bridgton, Maine , United States |
Area served | Bridgton, Harrison, Hiram, Sebago, Denmark, Maine |
Key people | Millard M. "Mel" Caswell (master mechanic until 1926), Wilfred H. Caswell (master mechanic Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad) |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail service |
| Parent | Maine Central Railroad (from 1912) |
| Website | bridgtonrailroad |
The Bridgton and Saco River Railroad (B&SR) was a narrow gauge line that operated in the vicinity of Bridgton, Maine and Harrison, Maine. It linked with the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad (which later became the Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division) near Hiram, Maine, following the course of the Saco River.
History
The B&SR’s design drew inspiration from the Sandy River Railroad. The Hinkley Locomotive Works modified their Forney locomotives by placing the boiler at the front and extending the frame—a configuration subsequently adopted by both the Monson Railroad and the Franklin and Megantic Railway. Construction commenced in 1882, with service beginning early in 1883.
Initial earnings were invested in infrastructure enhancements, including replacing wooden trestles with earth fills and building a 14-foot granite arch bridge over Hancock Brook in 1895. The track was extended to Harrison in 1898 utilizing 35-pound steel rails; by 1906, trestles had been supplanted by earth fills and plate girder bridges. The original Hinkley locomotives numbered #1 and #2 were replaced by upgraded models #5 and #6 featuring pilot wheels. Between 1907 and 1910, the rails from Bridgton Junction to Bridgton were upgraded from 30 to heavier steel rails before Maine Central Railroad took over operations in 1912.
Once under Maine Central’s control, B&SR maintained four daily mixed train round trips between Harrison and Bridgton Junction, typically traveling at speeds below 20 mph. Two passenger consist sets were employed: one included baggage car #10, RPO #25, and coaches; the other featured baggage-RPO #11 with smoking accommodations. In 1913, outbound freight consisted of lumber (18%) and pulpwood (15%), while inbound shipments included coal (15%), apples and canned corn (11%), manufactured goods (11%), feed and grain (10%), express parcels (10%), and petroleum products (2%). Locomotive #8 was notable as the final locomotive constructed for Maine’s gauge railways.
Financial difficulties emerged in 1926 when bond interest payments were missed; as a result, Bridgton initiated a prolonged fifteen-year campaign to sustain the railroad. Following reorganization as the Bridgton and Harrison Railway, the Harrison branch was dismantled after locomotive #8 derailed due to weakened rails in 1930. Locomotive #8 remained the heaviest engine ever used on any gauge railway in Maine. By the late 1930s, B&SR gained recognition as a prominent tourist railroad, being the last narrow gauge line offering passenger service in the state. Operations ended in September 1941; during World War II preparations, rails were removed but rolling stock was preserved. After the war, this equipment operated for several decades on Massachusetts’ Edaville Railroad before eventually returning to Maine’s Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum located in Portland.
Traces of B&SR still exist locally, with informal excursions arranged by the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum. In 2020, the Bridgton & Saco River Railroad Museum was founded to develop a new railyard in Bridgton for museum activities and potential tourist runs along segments of the original line between Sandy Creek and Perleys Mills. Additional information can be found at Bridgtonrailroad.org.
Geography
Milepost 0: Bridgton Junction in Hiram, Maine – This interchange yard connected with the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad, later known as the Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division. The station was jointly staffed with Maine Central personnel. The B&SR featured six northbound sidings and a turntable accompanied by a single-stall enginehouse. Dual gauge sidings enabled the transfer of narrow gauge rolling stock onto standard gauge cars. Due to the absence of a runaround track, southbound engines detached trains on the main line and used gravity to efficiently roll cars into the yard.
Milepost 0.8: Scribner's – a southbound siding.
Milepost 2.0: Rankin's Mill in Hiram, Maine – a minor passenger flag stop shelter.
Milepost 2.7: Mullen Siding – a northbound siding.
Milepost 3: Summit – identified as the railroad’s highest elevation point.
Milepost 4: An embankment crossing Barker Pond, supported by granite masonry abutments marking the boundary between Hiram, Maine and Sebago, Maine.
Milepost 4.4: Twin Lake in Sebago, Maine – small flag stop passenger shelter.
Milepost 5.4: Gravel Pit – northbound siding.
Milepost 7: The Notch – a rock cut section of the line.
Milepost 7.2: West Sebago in Sebago, Maine – southbound siding with a small passenger flag stop shelter.
Milepost 7.5: Water Tank Siding – passing siding located near Hancock Pond beside B&SR superintendent Joseph Bennett’s lakeside residence and covered water tank.
Milepost 9.0: Perley's Mills in Denmark, Maine – southbound siding with a small passenger flag stop shelter.
Milepost 10.5: Ingall's Road in Denmark, Maine – southbound siding featuring a small flag stop shelter for passengers.
Milepost 11.3: Kennett's – southbound siding.
Milepost 12.1: South Bridgton in Bridgton, Maine – southbound siding with a small passenger flag stop shelter.
Milepost 13: A substantial embankment supported by granite masonry abutments over Willett Brook.
Milepost 13.5: Sandy Creek in Bridgton, Maine – agent’s station equipped with a passing siding serving a local sawmill.
Milepost 15.8: Bridgton in Bridgton, Maine – the largest community served by Maine’s narrow gauge railroads. The yard contained branches to Harrison and Bridgton Junction and included storage sidings and spurs servicing the agent’s station, freight house, team track, oil distributor, grain warehouse, B&SR workshop, plus a turntable with a four-stall enginehouse.
Milepost 15.9: Farmers Market – two northbound sidings including one with a coal trestle.
Milepost 16.4: Forest Mills – passing siding accompanied by a northbound spur featuring a coal trestle.
Milepost 19.5: North Bridgton in Bridgton, Maine – agent’s station with passing siding supporting a freight house.
Milepost 20.7: Harrison in Harrison, Maine – agent’s station incorporating a passing siding and multiple southbound sidings serving a freight house, cannery, grain warehouse, two-track car shed, plus a turntable with single-stall enginehouse.
Master Mechanic Caswell
Millard M. "Mel" Caswell (born 1850), who managed the Bridgton machine shop as foreman, held the position of master mechanic for B&SR until his retirement in 1926. His son, Wilfred H. Caswell (born 1876), shared his father’s mechanical skills and acted as engineer during construction of the Harrison extension train in 1898. Wilfred oversaw the Portland Company’s initial production of a Maine narrow gauge Forney locomotive outfitted with a pilot truck (B&SR locomotive no. 5) in 1906 and provided consultation to Baldwin Locomotive Works on B&SR locomotive no. 6 as well as on a similar type built for the Sandy River Railroad. In 1909, Wilfred assumed the role of master mechanic for the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RL). He also extensively documented SR&RL operations through photography during its period under Maine Central Railroad ownership, contributing valuable historical records. Following declining profits at SR&RL in 1922, Wilfred and his wife Blanche—formerly SR&RL’s bookkeeper—moved to Dedham, Massachusetts, where he secured employment with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
Locomotives
| Number | Manufacturer | Configuration | Manufacture Date | Factory Number | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hinkley Locomotive Works | 0-4-4T Forney locomotive | 10/1882 | 1563 | Dismantled in 1913 |
| 2 | Hinkley Locomotive Works | 0-4-4T Forney locomotive | 10/1882 | 1564 | Transferred to Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway in 1907 |
| 3 | Portland Company | 0-4-4T Forney locomotive | 4/1892 | 624 | Acquired by Kennebec Central Railroad in 1922 |
| Bo-Peep | Hinkley Locomotive Works | 0-4-4T Forney locomotive | 1877 | 1261 | Rented from Phillips and Rangeley Railroad in 1893 while B&SR locomotives 1 and 3 were under repair. |
| 4 | H. K. Porter, Inc | 0-4-4T Forney locomotive | 8/1901 | 2360 | Withdrawn from service in 1927 |
| 5 | Portland Company | 2-4-4T Forney locomotive | 11/1906 | 628 | Retired in 1927 |
| 6 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-4-4T Forney locomotive | 9/1907 | 31827 | Decommissioned in 1935 |
| 7 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-4-4T Forney locomotive | 12/1913 | 40864 | Sold to Ellis D. Atwood for use on Edaville Railroad in 1941; currently operational at Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum and WW&F. |
| 8 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-4-4T Forney locomotive | 3/1924 | 57659 | Largest 2-foot gauge locomotive in Maine; sold to Ellis D. Atwood in 1941; presently stored awaiting restoration at Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum; currently located at WW&F. |
| '9' | 'Plymouth Locomotive Works' | '10-ton diesel' | '1930s' | 'Obtained from Silver Lake Railroad (NH) in 2022; planned overhaul includes installation of new prime mover and conversion to 2-foot gauge. |
Rolling stock
10 11 15 16 17 18 25 101 2–7 8–10 11–13 14–21 22 23–27, 28–33, 34–44, 45–62, 63–73 (various builders)| Number | Manufacturer | Type of Carriage | Year Built | Length | Seating Capacity | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laconia Car Company | 'Baggage car' | '1882' | '41 feet (12.50 m)' | 'No seating' | 'Renumbered as #31' | |
| 'American Car and Foundry Company#Jackson & Sharpe' | 'Baggage-Railway Post Office (RPO)' | '1900' | '41 feet 9 inches (12.73 m)' | 'Seats 6 passengers' | 'Renumbered #30; later converted by Edaville to Baggage/Coach then Coach; currently preserved at Boothbay Railway Village, Boothbay ME.' | |
| 'Laconia Car Company' | 'Coach' | '1882' | '41 feet (12.50 m)' | '28 passengers' | ||
| 'Laconia Car Company' | 'Coach' | '1882' | '41 feet (12.50 m)' | '28 passengers' | ||
| 'Laconia Car Company' | 'Coach' | '1904' | '42 feet 9 inches (13.03 m)' | '28 passengers' | "Named 'Elthea' on the Edaville Railroad" | |
| 'American Car and Foundry Company#Jackson & Sharpe' | 'Coach' | '1894' | '39 feet 9 inches (12.12 m)' | '28 passengers' | 'Purchased from Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway in 1911; preserved as Wiscasset and Quebec #3 at WW&F Railway Museum.' | |
| 'Portland Terminal Company' | "Railway Post Office (RPO) - smoking car" | '1913' | '42 feet 9 inches (13.03 m)' | '30 passengers' | "Damaged in a collision in 1927, subsequently rebuilt for express and passenger service; sold for use as a restaurant car in 1935; locomotive #7 modified after same accident." | |
| 'Laconia Car Company' | 'Caboose' | '1882' | '26 feet (7.92 m)' | '5 passengers' | "" | |
| 'Portland Terminal Company' | 'Flatcars' | '1916' | '34 feet (10.36 m)' | '15 short tons (13 long tons; 14 t) capacity' | "Largest flatcars utilized on any Template:RailGauge gauge railway within Maine." | |
| 'Portland Terminal Company' | 'Flatcars' | '1915' | '34 feet (10.36 m)' | '15 short tons (13 long tons; 14 t) capacity' | "Among the biggest flatcars on Maine's Template:RailGauge gauge railways." | |
| 'Portland Terminal Company' | 'Flatcars' | '1913' | '34 feet (10.36 m)' | "15 tons capacity" | "Largest flatcars on any Template:RailGauge gauge railway in Maine." | |
| 'Portland Company' | "Flatcars" | "1903" | "30 feet (9.14 m)" | "15 tons capacity" | "Flatcar #21 fitted with a Template:Convert 3000 USgal L oil tank for Standard Oil in 1920; tank later moved to #14 after scrapping of #21." | |
| "Portland Company" | "Flatcar" | "1899" | "Template:Convert 28 ft m 2" | "10 tons capacity" | "Equipped with a Template:Convert 2500 USgal L oil tank for Standard Oil in 1901; along with cars #21 and #14, these were the only Template:RailGauge 2ft gauge tank cars in Maine." | |
| "Mixed flatcars and boxcars" | "1891–1913" | "Lengths ranging from Template:Convert 26 ft m 2 to Template:Convert 34 ft m 2" | "Capacities between 10 and 15 tons" | "Noteworthy: Boxcars #71 through #73 represent the largest boxcars found on any Template:RailGauge 2ft gauge railway in Maine; certain units were adapted for specialized roles including excursion service and livestock transportation." |
References
- 1895–1914
External links
- Defunct Maine railroads
- Narrow-gauge railroads in Maine
- 2 ft gauge railways in the United States
- American companies established in 1883
- Railway companies established in 1883
- Railway companies disestablished in 1930
- 1883 establishments in Maine
- 1940s disestablishments in Maine
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
- American companies established in 1927