Author Topic: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing  (Read 6099 times)

James Patten

  • Administrator
  • Superintendent
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,211
  • Loco for 6
    • View Profile
WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« on: March 18, 2017, 07:34:46 PM »
Mark was telling us today at lunch that one time he got a "tour" of the old Route 1 highway Sheepscot River bridge (the one that got replaced by the concrete bridge that's there today).  Apparently the bridge (or parts of it) was built over the bridge that was there before, as he saw where the WW&F crossing was underneath the highway bridge.

He said at the time that things were rotting out underneath, and if a truck started over the bridge you could see the bridge settle and bounce back as the truck drove down the bridge.

I had no idea that that was the case.  I don't see how there could have been room to do that!

Benjamin Campbell

  • Museum Member
  • Switchman
  • **
  • Posts: 77
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2017, 08:00:44 PM »
Interesting - do we know when the previous highway bridge was built? There were many more piles remaining in the 1970s and 80s from the WW&F trestle. Did the town remove some of them when they were 'cleaning up' the remnants of the two schooners or did mother nature do it on her own?

Ken Fleming

  • Museum Member
  • Fireman
  • ****
  • Posts: 379
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2017, 09:26:57 PM »
I have always assumed the all of W&Q and WW&F piles were driven by a marine pile driver company.  But, I wonder if the railway had a pile driver for repair and/or renewal?  Marine or rail?

Benjamin Campbell

  • Museum Member
  • Switchman
  • **
  • Posts: 77
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2017, 10:11:37 PM »
I have an original document in which the WW&F requests the Maine Central to remove one 'bent' of its trestle so they could get a pile driver in to work on the trestle connecting the shop and depot area. It does not state whether the WW&F owned the driver or not. I suspect that you are correct it that they subcontracted the work out.

Philip Marshall

  • Museum Member
  • Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 682
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2017, 10:25:00 PM »
The need for the MEC to remove a bent of their trestle implies the pile driver was mounted on a barge and required extra clearance, so I think it was almost certainly a contractor doing the work.

Benjamin Campbell

  • Museum Member
  • Switchman
  • **
  • Posts: 77
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2017, 10:35:59 PM »
There are photographs in one or more of the books of a barge mounted pile driver working on the section of trestle in question

Benjamin Campbell

  • Museum Member
  • Switchman
  • **
  • Posts: 77
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2017, 11:19:32 PM »
The correspondence I have date April 11th 1912 to June 25th 1912. The pile driver was mounted on a “barge or flat boat” measuring about 20’ x 40’ long.

P. N Watson – superintendent of MCRR bridge & building department – wrote to the M of W engineer – “Replying to you letter of April 11th in relation to letting a pile driver outfit through our bridge at Wiscasset, Mr S. J. Sewell, manager of the W. W. & F. R. R. , thinks they would like to have this ‘skew’ put through about the first of May. I can arrange to remove a bent of piles in the bridge next east of Wiscasset station, (where we took out the iron girders), and let this skew through. We can do this at a small expense, and will arrange for it if you wish me to do so.”

The next correspondence was on June 25th and reads “The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Company states it shall be ready to have its scow taken through or under the first bridge East of Wiscasset next Sunday, 30th inst, about noon. I know Superintendent Bridge & Buildings Watson arranged to let the boat through and understands just what is necessary to let it back.
I shall write A. J Sewell, Manager, that Mr Watson will have sufficient number of men on hand next Sunday to assist him to get his scow under the bridge.”

Mike Fox

  • Museum Member
  • Empire Builder
  • ********
  • Posts: 5,626
    • View Profile
Re: WW&F Wiscasset Route 1 Crossing
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2017, 07:30:57 AM »
I find it fascinating that we continue to find, or more like they continue to find us, these untold stories. I think Mark was training...my thoughts had trailed off to picturing what he was telling us versus listening to what he was saying.
Mike
Doing way too much to list...