Franklin and Megantic Railway
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rail
|railroad_name=Franklin and Megantic Railway
|gauge={{RailGauge|2ft|lk=on}}
|system_map={{maplink-road|from=Franklin and Megantic Railway.map}}
|start_year=1884
|end_year=1908
|length= {{convert|14.5|mi|km|1|abbr=on}}
|hq_city=Strong
|locale=Maine
|successor_line=Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
}}
Image:Franklin&MeganticRRmap.png
The Franklin and Megantic Railway (F&M) (original name "Franklin and Megantic Railroad") was a {{RailGauge|2ft|lk=on}} narrow gauge railway in northern Maine that branches off from the Sandy River Railroad (SRR) at Strong and served sawmills in Salem township and in the town of Kingfield.
History
The F&M was constructed in 1884 to reach aboriginal spruce forests on the south slope of Mount Abraham.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing Company 1976 p.47-50 The {{convert|1.8|mi|km|sing=on}} Mount Abram branch was constructed to Soule's sawmill in 1886.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.56 In 1894, the F&M formed the {{RailGauge|2ft}} narrow gauge Kingfield and Dead River Railroad (K&DR) to extend rails up the Carrabassett River from Kingfield to Carrabassett. At that time, the F&M owned 2 locomotives, 7 box cars, 21 flat cars, {{convert|40|ft|m|2|sing=on}} combination car #1 built by the Laconia Car Company in 1885, and {{convert|20|ft|m|sing=on}} baggage car #2 (renumbered #4 in 1903) built by the Portland Company in 1887.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.64-65Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1895 p.78
The company was renamed to "Franklin and Megantic Railway" in 1897 due to financial problems. The owners of the Sandy River Railroad purchased controlling interest in the F&M in 1898.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.66 In 1899 the line was extended to a large sawmill in Crockertown (later called Bigelow), as close to the Canadian town of Megantic as it would reach. Twenty new flat cars were purchased from the Portland Company in 1900.Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1900 p.85{{sfnp|Jones|1979|p=230}} Four of the new flat cars and one F&M box car were destroyed when the sawmill burned in 1903.Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1903 p.64 F&M received two {{convert|40|ft|m|2|sing=on}} long passenger cars from American Car and Foundry Company in 1903. Coach #2 and combination #3 were built in a joint order with an identical coach (SR #8) for the Sandy River Railroad.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.112
In 1906 a temporary trestle was constructed over the Carrabassett River to the Hammond Field log yard where timber from the west side of the river was loaded for transport to the Bigelow sawmill.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.116 Log trains shuttled back and forth to the sawmill until the trestle washed out in November 1907. Logging service was rough on equipment, and 22 F&M flat cars were scrapped the following year.Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1908 p.135 A crude passenger shelter was constructed adjacent to the main line for woodsmen involved in the logging. Rapid transformation of the landscape during this brief period of activity evoked memories of a local American Civil War veteran who named the shelter Shiloh Number Two.{{sfnp|Jones|1979|p=326}}
F&M locomotives were renumbered in 1905 to avoid confusion with Sandy River locomotives frequently working on the F&M.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115 The F&M was merged into the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RLRR or SR&RL) in 1908.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.121 The Maine Central Railroad took control of the SR&RL in 1911.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.142
{{infobox rail line
| name = Franklin and Megantic Railroad (Main Line)
| linelength = {{cvt|48|km}}{{cn|date=April 2018}}
| gauge={{RailGauge|2ft}}
| map = {{Franklin and Megantic}}
}}
F&M combination #1 became SR&RL #11Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.136
F&M combination #3 became SR&RL #14
F&M baggage #4 became SR&RL #6 (but was scrapped and replaced by a new baggage-RPO #6 in 1912){{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=355}}
Fifteen of the {{convert|28|ft|m|sing=on}} flat cars built in 1900 were renumbered for SR&RL; but the remaining F&M freight cars were scrapped by 1911Railroad Commissioners' Report State of Maine 1911 p.241
Geography
Milepost 0: Strong - Connection with the Sandy River Railroad.
Milepost 1.0: Starbird's sawmill.
Milepost 6.2: Summit - Passing siding and covered water tank at the high point between Strong and Kingfield.
Milepost 8.0: Salem - Agent's station and sawmill. The original covered station burned in 1899 and was replaced with a new building in 1901.Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.98Jones, Robert C. Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) Sundance Books 1979 p.259
Milepost 10.2: Mount Abram Junction - Branch line to Soule's sawmill.
Milepost 14.9: Kingfield - Covered agent's station, 3-stall enginehouse, and hardwood turning mills.
Milepost 19.2: Bridge over Carrabassett River. (on K&DR extension)
Milepost 21.5: Hammond Field. One-half mile branch line to a log loading yard. (on K&DR extension){{sfnp|Jones|1979|p=387}}
Milepost 24.1: Carrabassett - Agent's station with stage connections to Stratton and Eustis until railroad extended to Bigelow. (on K&DR extension){{sfnp|Jones|1979|p=388}}
Milepost 30.2: Bigelow - Agent's station and sawmill (on K&DR extension){{sfnp|Jones|1979|p=390}}Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 p.113 & fig.46
Locomotives
| class="wikitable"
!Number !Name !Builder !Type !Date !Works number !Notes |
| 1{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}}
|B.V. Meade{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |Hinkley Locomotive Works{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |{{whyte|0-4-4|T}} Forney locomotive{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |1884{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |1664{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |Renumbered #2 in June 1905 and became SR&RL #3 in 1908{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}}Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115 & fig.39 |
| 2{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}}
|S.W. Sargent{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |Baldwin Locomotive Works{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |{{whyte|0-4-4|T}} Forney locomotive{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |1886{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |8304{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}} |Renumbered #3 in June 1905 and became SR&RL #4 in 1908{{sfnp|Jones|1980|p=350}}Crittenden, H. Temple The Maine Scenic Route McClain Printing 1976 pp.114-115 & fig.40 |
Notes
{{reflist|2}}
References
- {{cite book |author=MacDonald, Robert L. |title=Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads| publisher=Arcadia Publishing| year=2003|isbn=0-7385-1179-X}}
- {{cite book |title=The Maine Two-footers |author=Moody, Linwood W. |year=1959 |publisher=Howell-North}}
- {{cite book| title=The Maine Scenic Route |author=Crittenden, H. Temple |publisher=McClain Printing |year= 1976}}
- {{cite book| title=Ride the Sandy River |author1=Cornwall, L. Peter |author2=Farrell, Jack W. |publisher=Pacific Fast Mail |year=1973}}
- {{cite book| last=Jones |first=Robert C. |title=Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume 1 - The Early Years) |publisher=Sundance Books |year=1979 }}
- {{cite book| last=Jones |first=Robert C. |title=Two Feet Between the Rails (Volume II - The Mature Years) |publisher=Sundance Books |year=1980 }}
- {{cite book| title=Railroad Commissioners' Report |publisher=State of Maine }} 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911
External links
- [http://www.narrowgauge.iform.com.au/fm.html Brian Carter's Train History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709144411/http://www.narrowgauge.iform.com.au/fm.html |date=2007-07-09 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin Megantic Railway}}
Category:Defunct Maine railroads
Category:Logging railroads in the United States
Category:Predecessors of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
Category:Narrow-gauge railroads in Maine
Category:2 ft gauge railways in the United States
Category:Railway companies established in 1884
Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1908
Category:1884 establishments in Maine