Squa Pan – Stockholm railway line
| Squa Pan ME – Stockholm ME | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Route length: | 76.8 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dual track : | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Society: | MNR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Squa Pan – Stockholm railway is a railway line in Maine ( United States ). It is around 77 kilometers long and connects the two north-south running routes Oakfield – Fort Kent and Houlton – Saint-Leonard . Most of the normal-gauge line has been closed. Only the section Squa Pan-Mapleton is still operated exclusively in freight traffic by the Maine Northern Railway .
history
After the main lines of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad (BAR) were completed in 1897, the area between these two lines running in north-south direction was still undeveloped. In order to connect this area to the railway network and at the same time create a cross connection between the lines, which should enable faster freight traffic from Bangor in the northeast, the BAR planned the Washburn Extension , which also included a branch to Presque Isle .
On June 20, 1910, the Squa Pan – Stockholm line went into operation. In Stockholm, a triangular track was created so that the freight trains could travel to both Van Buren and Caribou without shunting. Passenger traffic played only a minor role on the route and was discontinued in 1951. Freight traffic between Blackstone and Stockholm ended in 1986, between Washburn and Blackstone in 1991 and between Mapleton and Washburn around 2002. On the remaining route, the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway operated from 2003 , followed by the Maine Northern Railway on July 1, 2011. After the closure of the BAR main line between Houlton and Presque Isle, the line represents the only rail connection in the direction of Presque Isle and Caribou.
Route description
In Squa Pan the line branches off from the Oakfield – Fort Kent railway line and initially heads east. Shortly after the junction, the railway crosses a bridge over the western arm of the U-shaped Squa Pan Lake . In Midway the route turns north and crosses the eastern arm of the lake at Walker . The route continues winding towards the northeast. In Mapleton , the route to Presque Isle branches off to the east.
The line to Stockholm is shut down and dismantled from here. It continues north over the Aroostook River to Washburn , where it meets the former route of the Aroostook Valley Railroad . As far as Hanford , the route runs in a north-west direction and then turns north-east. East of Madawaska Lake , the line reaches the Stockholm hub .
passenger traffic
The Squa Pan – Stockholm railway was primarily used for freight traffic. Only one pair of trains running on weekdays was available for passenger traffic. Initially, the train operated on the Squa Pan – Stockholm – Fort Kent route, and from around 1930 onwards it operated via Squa Pan to and from Houlton. Until about 1912, another train ran on the Ashland – Presque Isle route, which ran between Squa Pan and Mapleton.
The travel time between Squa Pan and Stockholm was one hour and 50 minutes according to the timetable of September 28, 1913, as well as the timetable of January 8, 1934.
Sources and further reading
Individual evidence
- ^ Mike Walker: SPV's comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America. New England & Maritime Canada. Steam Powered Publishing, Faversham 1999, ISBN 1-874745-12-9 .
- ↑ Article on progressiverailroading.com
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Porto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Cuba. Edition February 1934. Bangor & Aroostook RR, Table 1. page 63.
- ^ BAR timetables from 1911 to 1953.
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 .