Portland and Ogdensburg Railway
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Essex County Railroad, Montpelier & St. Johnsbury Railroad, Lamoille Valley Railroad (merged to form Vermont Division) |
| Founded | February 11, 1867 |
| Fate | Reorganized and leased by other railroads; ceased independent operations by 1943 |
| Successor | St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain Railroad (Vermont Division, reorganized 1880), Portland & Ogdensburg Railway (main division, reorganized 1884) |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
Area served | Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York |
Key people | John Neal (business figure involved in route validation) |
| Parent | Leased by Boston & Lowell Railroad (Vermont portion), Maine Central Railroad (Maine and New Hampshire portions) |
The Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad was originally intended to link Portland, Maine with Ogdensburg, New York. However, this initiative did not succeed. By 1880, the Vermont portion underwent reorganization and was leased by the Boston & Lowell Railroad. Subsequently, in 1886, the sections in Maine and New Hampshire were restructured as the Portland & Ogdensburg Railway and leased to the Maine Central Railroad two years later. In 1912, Maine Central took on a lease for the eastern Vermont segment from the Boston & Maine Railroad, which had succeeded Boston & Lowell.
History
As the American Midwest and Upper Canada expanded, efficient transportation became increasingly vital. While the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River served as natural routes, their utility was limited by rapids and seasonal ice. Boston maintained a monopoly as an ice-free port on the Atlantic coast, prompting interests from the Great Lakes and Montreal regions to seek alternative outlets. Portland, Maine, notable for being the northernmost ice-free port on the U.S. east coast, emerged as a strategic location for rail connections.
The Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad received its charter on February 11, 1867, with plans to extend from Portland to Fabyan—a junction within the White Mountains—linking up with the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad. Business figures in Portland, including John Neal, validated the route’s practicality in 1867. The two railroads’ tracks converged at Crawford Notch on August 7, 1875, shortly before commencing operations.
In Vermont, three railroads—the Essex County Railroad (chartered 1864), Montpelier & St. Johnsbury Railroad (1866), and Lamoille Valley Railroad (1867)—merged in 1875 to form the Vermont Division of the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad. Construction began in 1871 and was finalized by 1877. Initially dependent on trackage rights over the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad between Fabyan and Dalton, the company soon established its own route. Westward from Swanton, it partnered with the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad to access Ogdensburg through the Vermont and Canada Railroad.
The Montreal, Portland and Boston Railway commenced operations in 1876 from Montreal to the U.S. border with intentions to extend into Vermont as a branch of P&O.
Shortly after finishing the Vermont Division, financial difficulties led to bankruptcy in 1877. The Vermont Division was reorganized in 1880 as the St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain Railroad. It was leased by Montreal, Portland & Boston Railway in 1882 but soon came under control of Boston & Lowell Railroad.
The main division underwent reorganization in 1884 as the Portland & Ogdensburg Railway and was leased by Maine Central Railroad in 1888 as their Mountain Division—sections of which currently operate as the Conway Scenic Railroad, a heritage line. In 1912 Maine Central assumed lease of the former Vermont Division but ended this lease east of St. Johnsbury in 1927; thereafter, remaining portions functioned independently until their reorganization into the St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad in 1948.
Locomotives
10 11 12 13 14 15 16| Main Division Locomotives | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |
| 1st #1 | Presumpscot | 4-4-0 | 1847 | formerly of Boston and Providence Railroad, dismantled in 1879 | ||
| 2nd #1 | Presumpscot | Souther | 4-4-0 | 1851 | previously Portland and Kennebec Railroad #6 Richmond, acquired by Maine Central Railroad in 1879; rebuilt as 0-4-0; scrapped 1885 | |
| 2 | Saco | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1870 | 183 | rebuilt after boiler explosion post-1874; renumbered Maine Central #102 in 1888 |
| 3 | Sebago | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1870 | 182 | renamed Maine Central #103 in 1888 |
| 4 | Ossipee | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1870 | 173 | became Maine Central #104 in 1888 |
| 5 | Fryeburg | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1871 | 189 | renumbered Maine Central #105 in 1888 |
| 6 | Pequawket | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1873 | 246 | became Maine Central #106 in 1888 |
| 7 | Carrigain | Portland Company | 2-6-0 | 1872 | 221 | rebuilt boiler in 1884; became Maine Central #107 in 1888 |
| 8 | Crawford | Portland Company | 4-4-0 | 1875 | 329 | renumbered Maine Central #108 in 1888 |
| 9 | Frankenstein | Portland Company | 2-6-0 | 1875 | 330 | became Maine Central #109 in 1888 |
| 'Resolution' | 'Portland Company' | '2-6-0' | '1881' | '404' | 'renumbered Maine Central #110 in 1888' | |
| 'Webster' | 'Portland Company' | '4-4-0' | '1882' | '452' | 'became Maine Central #111 in 1888' | |
| 'Kearsarge' | 'Hinkley Locomotive Works' | '4-4-0' | '1884' | '1574' | 'renumbered Maine Central #112 in 1888' | |
| 'Chocarua' | 'Portland Company' | '2-6-0' | '1884' | '537' | 'became Maine Central #113 in 1888' | |
| 'Avalon' | 'Portland Company' | '2-6-0' | '1884' | '538' | 'renumbered Maine Central #114 in 1888' | |
| 'Willey' | 'Portland Company' | '4-4-0' | '1884' | '529' | 'became Maine Central #115 in 1888' | |
| 'Willard' | 'Portland Company' | '4-4-0' | '1884' | '530' | 'renumbered Maine Central #116 in 1888' | |
References
| Vermont Division Locomotives | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |