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« on: July 24, 2024, 02:02:52 PM »
SR&RL #18 Bell, part one: Back in 2007 I talked with Allan Fisher about this bell. Allan was involved with trying to retrieve the bell and return it to the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (Historical) at Phillips.
As I have cousins on Prince Edward Island I get there almost every summer for a visit and asked if I could help. Allan told me that as of August 9 of that year Keith Pratt's wife told him that "they were still working to get the bell back to the SR&RL." IIRC the 2007 Bell Hunt was launched by the appearance a photo of a bell on the ground in front of the church which was thought to be #18's bell removed from the church. The Bill Sample Detective Agency's International Division leaped into action and after interviewing 3 people in various parts of the small village I found that the photo was of the bell BEFORE it was installed in the steeple back in the late 1930s. It was still there but not in use due to some problem with the mounting. We had even brought Sue's larger Sue-baru wagon to haul the treasure and I had a copy of an email from Allan stating if the decision to return it to Maine had been made, I and my faithful assistant Sue were authorized to help the Pratt's and the (SR&RL) museum by bringing it back.
As it was still in place in the steeple our work was done, and I didn't have to worry about explaining bringing the bell back to its ancestral home in Maine to any inspectors at the border.
One other note - I believe that the late Herschel Boynton, a SR&RL engineer into the final years of the operation, was involved with the bell gift.
SR&RL #18 Bell, part two: Maybe I should stop by Campbellton next month when we return to PEI....
If Allan is reading this maybe he has additional information he can add.
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