Author Topic: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*  (Read 98857 times)

Steve Smith

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #90 on: January 12, 2013, 04:10:14 PM »
Thank you, Terry, for the wonderful presentation on the Eagle Lake and West Branch at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. I'm sure there are many like me who hope you'll get around to doing the book on it.

Richard "Steam" Symmes

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #91 on: January 12, 2013, 05:53:43 PM »
There is a wonderful way to get a special interest book published. We have used it 3 times with great success. A publisher in Minnesota named Dan Hoisington, specializes in such historical books. He runs a company called Edinborough Press. Terry, please contact him and use my name as a reference.  I guarantee you will be able to set up a deal to get the book done at little or no cost to you. Dan was the former Director of the Beverly (Mass.) Historical Society where the Walker Transportation Collection is housed.  He just published a Live Steam book for us which now is on the market.

Go to:  books@edinborough.com   on the Internet for a look at his products and for contact info.

Richard Symmes

Terry Harper

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #92 on: January 12, 2013, 06:32:49 PM »
Hello folks,

It was great to meet a number of you at the presentation. Ethan counted aproximatly 162 people so it was a great turnout.
I especially appreciate those who traveled from afar. My family members from Northern Maine and a number of folks from Mass.

The museum did film the presentation. In addition they have a copy of the file and will match it up with the
audio to produce a good quality DVD.

Richard, thank you for the info. A number of people broached the subject of a book. After many years I feel Iam at a point where I can
say I have enough info to work with.

Again.. thank you so much for attending and supporting the museum and your encouragement.

Best regards,

Terry Harper

Mike Fox

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #93 on: January 12, 2013, 08:06:24 PM »
I think there were 14 of us there. You presented much more information than I thought you would. Excellent work.
Mike
Doing way too much to list...

Ed Deere

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #94 on: January 13, 2013, 06:04:46 AM »
Back a couple of years ago Terry visited The Great Falls Model Railroad Club and did a great presentation. The club produces Train Time Videos and we give to local cable access channels educational train videos. A part of our 501c(3). Anyway here is a link to a cable access channel in the town of Green Maine that has this video of Terry Harper and his presentation at that time of Nowhere to Nowhere.

http://wgltgreeneme.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=4965ed4b8c250371e95e521c30f59551

Ed

Glenn Byron

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #95 on: January 17, 2013, 01:09:25 PM »
I was just roaming around My Lady's Facebook page, of which I know little, but out of Nowhere, pun intended, this appeared:
http://www.northscapephotography.com/archives/20130116-maines-lost-railroad/      For those of us who will never get there, this is a treat!!!   Don't miss the 360 Degree view.  I don't know anything about the source.

Mike Fox

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #96 on: January 17, 2013, 07:12:08 PM »
Awesome. Thanks Glenn
Mike
Doing way too much to list...

Ed Deere

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #97 on: January 18, 2013, 06:21:47 AM »
That is neat, but everything is backwards. Like the slide was put in wrong way to

Ed

Richard "Steam" Symmes

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #98 on: January 18, 2013, 11:49:53 AM »
I noticed that too, but who cares?  The experience was worth it.  It saddens me to see these magnificent creatures left to rot out there in the weather.  Like the old lumber schooners at Wiscasset, I fear they eventually will be destroyed by time and the elements.  Any suggestions for their long term preservation?

Richard

Terry Harper

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #99 on: January 18, 2013, 06:40:49 PM »
The proposal I submitted to the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands back in 1994 and which was subsequently incorporated into the Allagash Wilderness Waterway
Management plan, called for the construction of a shelter. Unfortunatly like many such projects it takes time and dedicated individuals to take the initiative and make these things
happen.

The same issue applies to the boarding house at Churchill. Back in the early 90's Bill Feder and his employees dedicated thier time and talent to put new cribwork
under the structure. The long range plan is to restore the structure back to its original appearance and use it as a museum. However... again it takes someone with drive and dedication
to grab the bull by the horns and make it happen.

Jock Ellis

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #100 on: January 19, 2013, 01:06:55 AM »
How thick does ice need to be to be able to support one of these locomotives? Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone.
Jock Ellis

Keith Taylor

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #101 on: January 19, 2013, 06:13:48 AM »
Jock....as the locomotives were never out on the ice....I doubt anyone ever gave it any thought!

Having attended Terry's great program at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum recently....I learned that the locomotives were brought in over land hauled by Lombard tractors.

Keith
« Last Edit: January 19, 2013, 06:46:58 AM by Keith Taylor »

Ed Deere

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #102 on: January 19, 2013, 06:35:33 AM »
I just checked a bunch of different ice thickness charts and none had a locomotive on them. None I found showed a vehicle bigger than a pickup truck.  Here is a chart
http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ice_fishing_safety.php

I think there is a reason if your car or truck goes through the ice, your insurance company does not have to pay to get it out. So with that said, I would say, the ice would have to go clear to the bottom in my thoughts. Or broken down into many smaller parts. The most I have seen was about 2 1/2 feet during a snowless and very cold winter.  If the water level drops there also could be a layer of air between the ice and water for the ice to float on. Plus moving water always has thinner ice and is not always seen. See the  video link above in one of my post. Terry makes it very clear they did not even think about bring the locomotives in over the ice.


Ed
« Last Edit: January 19, 2013, 06:37:41 AM by Ed Deere »

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #103 on: January 19, 2013, 08:11:53 AM »
True, they didn't bring the locomotives across the ice, but they did some interesting things to ease transport.  First, they separated the tender from the engine.  Then they removed the cab and boiler from the frame and transported them seperately.

Stewart

Terry Harper

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Re: Eagle Lake & West Branch *PICS*
« Reply #104 on: January 19, 2013, 08:13:05 AM »
This reminds me of a funny story.... A number of years ago my Uncle owned a hotel on Eagle lake (the other Eagle Lake) Anyway, during the winter the town plowed a road across the lake which saved a lot of driving time to go around the lake and was most convienent.

One winter day my uncle happened to look out his window and saw one of the big town plow trucks heading for the lake and the ice road. He hit the ice a a very good clip. Next thing he saw were scores of people running and flinging themselves out of the numerous ice fishing shacks that lined the road followed by water. It seems that big truck, loaded up with sand, depressed the ice and formed a wave in the ice (if you will) that forced the water up through the fishing holes and into the shacks. Needless to say he found it all pretty funny.

Anyway, its all a mute point the State is firm that they will remain where they are. The locomotives are where they should be which is where they worked. To move them would simply strip them of thier context and the very thing that makes them unique. Without that they would become just two more locomotives stuffed and mounted and far removed from thier historical context.

They need paint and a shelter - which is not outrageously expensive or difficult - just need someone to ram rod it. The Bureau is very willing to work with volunteers to get stuff done as witnessed by the recent restoration of a section of the Tramway. Matt LaRoche the current Supervisor is very interested in preserving the history.
« Last Edit: January 19, 2013, 08:16:53 AM by Terry Harper »