MAINE CENTRAL

This page will cover the Mountain Division from Portland, ME to St. Johnsbury, VT.  The line connected with the Canadian Pacific at St. Johnsbury.

First a few images are around the Portland area.  The Mountain Division split from the main just out of Rigby Yard and headed in a northwesterly direction toward New Hampshire and Vermont.

  Just about to arrive in Portland is the eastbound YR-1 train from St. Johnsbury.  Remember the Maine Central train numbers were the reverse of the usual odd-westbound, even-eastbound.

  On a rather dark day in June 1978, GP38 260 leads RY-2 through M & H Junction and on to the Mountain Division.

    First stop was done at South Windham, ME to pick up a CP Rail boxcar.

  The South Windham station.  June 21, 1978.

  Train RY-2 skirts the edge of Sebago Lake.  The MEC did not use much ballast along their track.

  A short distance west of Sebago Lake. 

Now lets go back to Rigby Yard on a nicer day a week later and follow RY-2 again.

  U18B 409 leads RY-2 out of Rigby while the power off YR-1 waits to enter the engine terminal.

  Not every corner of Maine has nice scenery.  Passing through Westbrook just out of Portland.

    Stopping again at South Windham, ME.

  409 rolls past Sebago Lake.  The track had a rather unused look to it.  The roar of the trains I'm sure startled a few vacationers.

  Rolling through Steep Falls, passing the local general store.

  East Hiram, ME.

    Passing the short siding at Hiram.  The sectionman's shanty's were common on the MEC.

  North Conway, New Hampshire.  June 28, 1978.  Before the tourist trains.

  In one of my favorite shots, RY-2 starts to dig in for the climb up the mountain. Glen-Jackson, NH.

  Trains were required to stop at certain stations and the conductor sign a register book to allow them to continue.
This is Bartlett, NH.  From here the real grade to the Crawford Notch summit began.

  Crossing the highway at Notchland, NH.

  Viewed with a long (200mm) telephoto lens crossing Willeys Brook on a trestle high up on the side of the mountain.

  The top of the grade is reached at Crawford Notch.  Those engines are still at full throttle.

  Another stop is made at the Crawford House to sign the register book.

  The station at Fabyans, NH had been converted to a restaurant.

  Twin Mountain, NH.

These next three images are at Whitefield, NH.  The Boston and Maine branch to Berlin, NH crossed the MEC here and the last set of ball signals is located here.  One up and one down allowed the B &M trains to proceed, while both up meant clear for the MEC.

        The train arrives and the conductor must raise the other ball in order for it to continue.

  GP7 566 sits at St. Johnsbury under a night sky.

  The power from RY-2 plus an additional GP38 will head YR-1 back to Portland later in the day.  June 29, 1978.

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