Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*

[John McNamara]

I sense a possible newsletter article

-John

[Wayne Laepple]

The rail from Trask up to and beyond Alna Center came from the Aberdeen & Rockfish RR in North Carolina, and some of the rail beyond Albee's came from the Gardner, Mass. furniture factory. Based on the mill markings on the Kovalchick rail, I believe much of it came from Canada. Both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National had miles and miles and miles of branch lines laid with 60-pound rail. There is some 50-pound rail that came from the Narragansett Pier RR in Rhode Island, too.

[Terry Harper]

I list the following as being used on the Eagle Lake & West Branch:

Darlington 56#

Cammell 70#

Barrow 79#

Does this reference with what you have?

Now for a treat - a ride on the EL&WB circa 1966!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-gtPiqlTLc


Best regards,

Terry Harper

[Stephen Hussar]

Wow -thanks for the link! I could make that footage look MUCH better. The film itself seems to be in excellent condition...

Terry, who has the original film?

Stephen

  

[Terry Harper]

Stephen,

The original 8mm film was shot my a gentleman by the name of Joel Marsh. Iam not sure if he is still alive or not. I can check. Years ago I was given my copy on VHS. There is a lot more footage - mostly a large - well organized youth group traveling through the Allagash.

[Ed Lecuyer]

I've had the idea for some time to create a map showing the lineage of the rail on our system-- there's a wide and interesting variation.

I'll be happy to volunteer to take on the task of making the map. All I would need is someone knowledgeable to "walk the line" with me and a GPS. I could envision it also including stats as far as rail length and type of joint bars used so to have it that information easily accessible whenever we need to swap out a rail.

PM/email me if you want to proceed.

[Terry Harper]

Ed,

I hope someone has and is recording all the various details, history, people, events, and happenings behind the museum. Yes, you folks are preserving history but.... in the process your making history yourselves and its no doubt a remarkable story. Recored it, gather it, protect it - then share it!

Pictures, facts dates and figures are only valuable if they have the story of the people who made them.

[James Patten]

I hope someone has and is recording all the various details, history, people, events, and happenings behind the museum.

I started doing that several years ago.  Steve Hussar is recording the interviews.  I'm hoping to eventually put out a book about the Museum's history, but we'll see.  I wished I had started before Clarissa died, but it was the death of first president Starr Edgerton a year or two later that got me going on it.

My main interest in the interviews is getting down what happened before I arrived in 1994.  People's memories fade over 20 years....

[John McNamara]

I hope someone has and is recording all the various details, history, people, events, and happenings behind the museum. Yes, you folks are preserving history but.... in the process your making history yourselves and its no doubt a remarkable story. Record it, gather it, protect it - then share it! Pictures, facts dates and figures are only valuable if they have the story of the people who made them.

This is a very perceptive line of thought. Today's day-to-day problems often keep us too busy to remember our role in making tomorrow's history. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our ancestors who recorded the events of their time, and we have an obligation to our successors to do likewise.

Our videos and newsletters provide some record of our activities, and as newsletter editor I would like to see more articles about some of the details of our work. The articles in the January/February issue about the design decisions and rail procurement associated with the Fall Work Weekend track replacement project are a step in that direction. I am hoping to get some information from Zack about the design of the water tower flow control system, and I would like to pursue the rail history that Jason mentioned earlier in this thread,. If anyone has any other ideas (or better yet, words ), please let me know by PM or posting.

-John

[Glenn Byron]

WOW! Do we dig up great stuff when we examine bones we buried last year?  Saw the last week camera pix today on a visit to Jackman.  That Loco on the right still has it's headlight.  I was so afraid those rascal pilferers would abscond with a most photogenic prize.  Whoever put it on must have welded the bolts to keep it there. Thanks Terry for adding fuel to the fire box . The guy who led the snowmobile pack is a building jacker, and when I told him those Locos were laid on their side in the mud, and volunteers packed supplies in to get them to where they are today, he couldn't imagine the task.

[Terry Harper]

Glen,

The original headlight disapeared many, many years ago. The Cole Transportation Museum donate an identical unit. The crew did indeed weld it on.

Other items such as the injectors, and fittings for the jacketing are in storage.

Thanks for the complement - The crew we had was amazing. Even though none of us had ever done anything like this we knew we could do and thats all we needed.

Below are some photos for you to share with your friends:


September 25, 1996. This what we started with.


June 8, 1997. The crew varied but we had a large number who kept coming back.
I guess they liked crawling around in the mud in the middle of nowhere.



At one point we had the to slide the big engine sidewise. That was a heart stopper.


Once the locomotives were up on blocking it was all pick and shovel work


This project was such a great experience. It changed my life. I became a doer and that has given me the confidence that I know I can accomplish just about anything I set my mind too.

You guys are doer's too and have my respect.

Best regards,

Terry Harper

[Terry Harper]

Now just for fun.... I have mentioned Lombard tractors several times in this thread.... ever wonder what one sounds like?

Imagine a massive six cylinder T-head engine (17.9 liters) barking through three short exhaust stubs.

....Hmmm why am I describing it when you can hear it for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEcNpp7mj6U

This is my friend Don Johnson's 10 ton Lombard tractor - it was one of many owned by Lacroix and used to haul pulpwood, supplies, oil etc. to support the EL&WB. Its the only gasoline Lombard operating with its original engine. Don has equiped it with wheels for convienence. He has a set of ski's for it too.

I apologize for the shakey camera work - It was a combination of the noise - it is very loud! benign tremors and just being so amped-up

Crank the volumn and enjoy!

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Terry, that sounds great. The last time I had an opportunity to hear a Lombard tractor was in Harrison, ME about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, it was running on compressed air due to the lack of a certification for the boiler. Running it that way required a huge portable compressor and a hundred or so feet of hose. There is a gathering each year called "Back to the Past at Scribner's Mill" during early August where many antique equipment pieces are showcased.

[Stephen Hussar]

Tremendous! Thanks, Terry!!

[Mike Fox]

Duncan, that Lombard that was in Harrison was originally steam powered. Too bad they couldn't have steamed it up for that event. The one in the video is a later version of the tractor, with a 6 cylinder gas engine. Impressive how things evolve.