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Stephen Hussar wrote:Here's a shot of the South abutment for the SR&RL mainline up on Reddington Mt. It's a little down stream from Reddington dam. This was photographed the day Zack, Marcel, Eric and Stewart hiked up Sluice Hill to Reddington. Note that there are timbers intact on top of the structure.
Reddington Pond looking N/W. Eric is on the shoreline. The town, mill, and railroad station were on the opposite side of the lake. It was 15 degrees colder up there than it was at Phillips.
All photos: Stewart Rhine
James Patten replied:Hey Stewart, did you guys follow the roadbed to find the abutment? Where is it in relation to where we departed from the roadbed to trek through the woods?
Stewart Rhine replied:James, The bridge abutment is a bit South of where we followed the grade to the lake shore. At some point in the 1960's the grade was bull dozed where it approached the Oberton Stream. This was done so a truck could bring a boat to the shore line. What fooled us was how the grade drops down to the shore. It looked like the railroad grade. We didn't see part of the original fill going off towards the stream in the brush on our left.
As you walk North on the grade, watch on your left as you get to the bottom of the hill. You will see a portion of the remaining fill. Walk up on top of the fill and follow it to the stream. You will be about 25 feet above the stream when you reach the abutment.
Stewart
Joe Fox replied:Sluice Hill was the 4% grade right? I believe I heard it was 4 or 6 miles long, and started off as 2%. I haven't done much research on the SR&RL, since I would rather learn more about the W, W, & F, since I am, or try to be one of the regular volunteers.
Joe
Stewart Rhine replied:Joe, You are right about the grades on Sluice Hill. The three miles from Reeds to Perham Jct were at 2% ascending and the next 4 miles was 4% up to the summit. The top of the grade is about 1/4 mile before the line crossed the Oberton stream. You can drive about half the way up Sluice Hill until the wash out's have you walking. It's a great hike up to Reddington Pond.
Joe Fox replied:Thanks Stewart. I wasn't sure exactly. I will have to ask dad if we can go for a hike up there sometime. We were supposed to go with Dana, to explore the Hiram yard some more on the B&H, but we never did go. Talk to you later.
Joe
Steam replied:I thought the whole Reddington area was off limits due to it being owned by the U.S.Navy and used as a SEAL training base! When did that change? Always saw No Trespassing signs up there. We drove up Sluice Hill to the washout where the little stream goes off that steep waterfall on the left as you face north. Was that Cascade Brook where the Model Ts took water?
Richard Symmes
Stewart Rhine replied:Richard, You are right about Cascade Brook waterfall. It flows down from the right, crosses the grade and drops off about 100 feet on the left as you look North, up the mountain. That is where the photo of the stopped Model T was taken. As to the signs, the NAVY still owns the land and you must have permission to follow the grade once you cross the Oberton Stream. The signs begin a bit before the South end of the pond. We usually hike as far as the dam. I have been in there four times and haven't seen anyone other than some local hunters/fishermen.
Steam replied:I recall someone telling me some years ago that they were stopped by military personnel with M16s who threatened to arrest them for trespassing! So we've usually steered clear of the whole area. Others have told me they have called and asked for permission to enter, and have gone in to where the Reddington depot was, etc. I've always wanted to get in there, just to say I've been there! Probably nothing to see once you get there!
Onward and upward!
Richard
Stewart Rhine replied:Richard, A bunch from Phillips got permission and went into where the town was last the Summer. John Stinchfield could tell you who they contacted with the NAVY. They saw the foundations where the mill sat but said it was all over grown. They hiked in a mile or more past the dam. I'd like to get in there some time too.
Steam replied:Stewart,
If you ever line up an "official" trip in there, let me know ahead of time if you can. I, and a few others down here, would love to have a chance to see Reddington!
We've been to Dead River, Dallas, Eustice Jct., etc. over the years, and up to Greens Farm ("Narrow Gauge Road") area a couple years ago. Since 1962 we've been up there at least a dozen times on 3-day exploration trips from one end to the other. First time, the roundhouse and shops at Phillips were still there. We got to go inside and see the wood turning operation. With all that sawdust and a live boiler, no wonder it burned!
Richard
Stewart Rhine replied:Richard, I'll let you know when the next WW&F group goes up there. We usually go in the Fall. Your explorations of the SR&RL sound great. Do you have photos from your trips up there in the 1960's and 70's? I'd like to see them sometime.
Stewart
Stephen Hussar replied:Thanks to Stewart Rhine for forwarding these pictures of the recently discovered SR & RL tenders. Photos were taken in October of this year.
Joe Fox replied:I have taken photos, of basically the same angle this year. I just haven't developed the film yet. I think that it is cool, that they have put those tenders on display, but it would be nice if they could restore them, or at least, try and prevent them from decaying any more.
Joe
Stewart Rhine replied:For those who have not been to Phillips - the top photo shows both tenders, a stationary boiler (in the middle) that came from the shop, and part of a Portland Company stack (on the left). There is also a wheel set that is out of view. The bottom shot shows the better of the two tenders. At the top left is the water control valve ring and handle. The stack is lying at the bottom right.
Steam replied:How is it that those tender bodies got saved when the locomotives were cut up? I don't see the point. And why were they buried? I know the water/coal bunker from #22 was also left near the Phillips roundhouse, and is now over at the musem site. Why did the scrapper leave them? Maybe they should dig more; perhaps the entire #24 is buried somewhere (l.o.l.)!!
I have photos/slides from all the trips I've made up to SR&RL country since 1964.
Richard Symmes
Steve Klare replied:Hi Steam,
Are you the "Steam" from Railroad.net?
We discussed this in the thread "Monson #3 at Phillips". The tender bodies in question were buried long before the scrapping, and are actually tenders that were replaced. (...maybe when 16 and 18 went to Waterville to become Prairies?)
These were buried as fill when the Brayman track was built.
Srnumber9 from Railfan.net and Yahoo (etc. ...even IMDB!)
Steam replied:I see!
Yes, I'm "Steam" from RR.Net, etc.
What about the boiler that was over behind the Phillips Hist. Soc.? Someone said that was from either Puck or Ariel, one of the 2 B&B locomotives. Is that so, or just wishful thinking?
Richard
Steve Klare replied:I've always heard it was "Ariel". The story was they were digging a foundation in Strong and found it buried there.
I actually helped paint this boiler back in the mid 80s. This is not to say I actually painted it, but a fellow from the local body shop volunteered to paint it black. He found that if he put his compressor on a long enough power cord to reach the boiler, the line drops kept the compressor from starting up. So he'd spray until the pressure ran out, we'd all drag the compressor over to the Historical House and plug it in, charge the tank up to pressure, and then unplug it and drag it back out to the boiler.
Same trip we painted caboose 556 (still a "trailer" back then), but that was buckets and brushes.
We stayed in Phillips free that week, but I think we earned our keep!
Stephen Hussar replied:From Stewart Rhine: Former B&B "Ariel," and some Kingfield then & now...
_________________
* * * *
"Give me enough Swedes and whiskey and I'll build a railroad to Hell."
- James J. Hill
Stephen Hussar replied:Phillips "then & now."
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* * * *
"Give me enough Swedes and whiskey and I'll build a railroad to Hell."
- James J. Hill
Joe Fox replied:It's to bad that Philips Depot, doesn't have any track in front of it. There are a lot of people in the state of Maine that never knew that we once had two foot gauge railroads, and how important the railroad industry is to our country.
Joe
Bill Sample replied:I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Kingfield Station has followed most of the others into the pages of history, being torn down a year or two ago. From what I remember being told, saving and moving the station was beyond the means of the SR&RL group, although pieces of it were salvaged. It was said that a good replica of the station was much more cost effective as the original was much modified and not in the best structural condition.
This illustrates the importance of getting out and seeing what is left from the original two footers while it is still around. Not everything can be saved.
Stephen Hussar replied:Yes, Bill you're right -- my apologies. I guess unfortunately that one doesn't qualify for the then & now category anymore.
_________________
* * * *
"Give me enough Swedes and whiskey and I'll build a railroad to Hell."
- James J. Hill
Stewart Rhine replied:Bill, As steve said, the Kingfield station is gone but the distinctive bay window with door was saved. I have a recent photo of the bay window leaning against the front of the 1970 era Phillips station at Sandy River Railroad park. I'll send it to Steve to post. I have not been to Kingfield since the station was torn down but I will be going up there in May.
Steam replied:I believe the SR&RL group did a pretty thorough documentation of Kingfield station. I've seen photos on their website showing lots of interior details, and I think measurements were taken as well. All that is reassuring, but still it was sad to see the various buildings at Kingfield disappear over the years...mostly to make way for a car dealership's expansion!
Luckily, I managed to get color slides of them back in the early 1960s when they were in good shape.
Richard W. Symmes
Stephen Hussar replied:Kingfield in 2004
Bay window from Kingfield in 2006
_________________
* * * *
"Give me enough Swedes and whiskey and I'll build a railroad to Hell."
- James J. Hill
James Patten replied:The bay window on the Phillips station seems out of place.
Bill Sample replied:Just waiting for the a Kingfield replica to be built so it can find a home I guess.
Stewart Rhine replied:I took the "now" view of the bay window in October and it was not attached to the building, just leaning against it. I think John has plans to cut it into the front wall at some point. It is rare in that bay windows usually have three windows instead of a door in the middle.
Mike Fox replied:Still a nice example of the station. Wish I could have made it upcountry to see that before they did it in. I finally found Depot street in Kingfield last year. But that was during work and I never made it back up there in something more reasonable in size to sight see.
Mike
Josh Botting replied:Where did you guys hike in from?
Reddington is a flight survival training base, not SEAL traning.
I duno who you should talk to.
Stewart Rhine replied:Josh, We walked up Sluice Hill from the Jct. We didn't go any farther than the dam at the south edge of the lake. You can see where the locals go in there all the time to fish, etc. The SR&RL group from Phillips got permission from someone to hike into where the town was last summer. John S. told me about that in October. I don't remember who he got permission from but he said that it's not hard to get permission when no one is training up there.