South Lagrange – Packards railway line
| South Lagrange ME – Packards ME, as of 1999 |
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| Society: | lastly BAR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route length: | 45 km | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks: | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The railway line South Lagrange-Packard is a former railway line in Maine ( United States ). It was around 45 kilometers long and was an eastern bypass for the Brownville railway junction . The standard-gauge line has been closed since 1977.
history
After extensive completion of the main network of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad (BAR) and in 1905 the southern continuation, the Northern Maine Seaport Railroad , traffic in Brownville increased dramatically. For this reason, the BAR decided to build a shortcut, the Medford Extension , which should lead past Brownville to the east. The South Lagrange junction was chosen as the southern end point , which was expanded to become a crossing station. Track connections were built in the direction of Searsport and Old Town. The northern end point was at the Packards stop , from there to the next train station West Seboeis, the BAR main line was also expanded to two-track. The 45-kilometer route went into operation on December 30, 1907. Passenger traffic was sparse from the start and was completely stopped in 1931. In freight traffic, the route was an important shortcut until 1977. It was only when the reduced traffic volume justified the detour via Brownville that the route was shut down.
Route description
The line is the straight extension of the South Lagrange – Searsport railway line . It runs north from South Lagrange. The Piscataquis River was first crossed between Medford Center and Medford . The bridge was demolished after the line was closed. At the southeast corner of Schoodic Lake , the line crossed today's Eastern Maine Railway at the same level. There were no connecting curves. The route then continues north on the east bank of the lake to join the main route west of Seboeis Lake .
passenger traffic
From the beginning, the route was mainly intended for freight traffic. Nevertheless, two trains ran along the shortcut to Packards and one to South Lagrange. In 1913 the trains needed 50 minutes for the route. From around 1920, the through trains on the main line ran again via Brownville and only one mixed train ran from South Lagrange to Millinocket until 1931 via the Medford Extension.
attachment
credentials
- ^ Mike Walker: SPV's comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America. New England & Maritime Canada. Steam Powered Publishing, Faversham 1999, ISBN 1-874745-12-9 .
- ↑ Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Porto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Cuba. Issued November 1913. Bangor & Aroostook RR. Page 149.
literature
- Jerry Angier, Herb Cleaves: Bangor & Aroostook . Flying Yankee Enterprises, Littleton MA 1986, ISBN 0-96155-743-5 .
- George H. Drury: The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. 2nd edition. Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha WI 2000, ISBN 0-89024-356-5
- Robert M. Lindsell: The Rail Lines of Northern New England. Branch Line Press, Pepperell, MA 2000, ISBN 0-942147-06-5 .