SR&RL map with photos

[Andrew Laverdiere]

Good day all. Recently I produced a google map of the entire route of the SR&RL. When I was visiting last week, I got to get some pictures and add them. If you notice any mistakes, please tell me.

https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=213270298552370336255.00046f50e172e6e480a71&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=10&vpsrc=1

[James Patten]

Some nice pictures you have there.

An FYI on the Farmington Depot building.  The building was moved westward after the Maine Central left Farmington.  You've got one side labeled "MEC side" and the other side labeled "SR&RL side."  Actually the "MEC side" was where both railroads came into the station.  The "SR&RL side" had no railroad on it, it was the side facing town.  The building was on the east side of the lot that you saw it on.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Hi Andrew,

Good photos, looks like you had good weather for the tour.  

A few notes;

Kingfield - the Station is gone.  The building you show is part of the lumber plant at Kingfield.  

Bigelow - nice close up of the wheelset.  Did you photograph the inside?  SR&RL is cast into the back of the wheels.

Rangeley - The Rangeley Station was on Main Street.  It was removed years ago.  The station that you show in a screen capture is the Marbles Station that served the Rangeley Lake House which was a large hotel on the hill.  That station is still there, by the shore of Rangeley Lake.  It can be reached by driving down the lane across from the Rangeley Hotel.  You'll see the back of it on the right hand side after you go about 1/4 mile.  The Station sat on an extension of the mainline which crossed the lane about half way in.  

Thanks for posting the map and photos, great idea.

Stewart

[Andrew Laverdiere]

Wow! Thanks James and Stewart! During the whole drive around Franklin County, I was mostly going by memory of what I had studied last year when I put the map together. Without internet access while I was visiting, I had to rely on a DeLorme atlas to get a general picture of where things ran. Still got some nice pictures in any case. It was great weather most of the time. It didn't help that I was out of range of cell service either most of the time. Having access to google maps on my smartphone would have helped a lot.

Too bad about Kingfield. That building resembles a depot pretty closely. Anyone know the location of where the old one was?

Thanks for the info on Rangeley. I had a limited amount of time to explore while our food was being cooked at the restaurant, and I'm glad I got what I could. Similarly for Bigelow, I didn't have much time to closely examine the wheel, just snap a few pictures.

The next time I'm in Maine, would anyone like to help explore and photograph where things went?

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Kingfield -  The depot was closer to town, on the same street where you photographed the lumber company building.  It sat close to Depot Street (on the north side), across from the car dealership.  The lot is a parking lot now.  Further back from the street is the old SR&RL car shop building.  It's a wooden (clapboard) structure with two large doors on the front.  It was being used by the car dealership a couple years ago.  It's the only large building remaining from all the SR&RL structures which included the station, roundhouse and turntable.

The bay window from the Kingfield station was saved and is on the platform of the 1970 era Phillips station at railroad park in Phillips.
 
Stewart   

[Andrew Laverdiere]

Hi Stewart.

My Google map was drawn from this 1930 Topographical map showing the ROW skirting the west side of downtown Kingfield with a small spur to the building I photographed.

http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=king32nw.jpg&state=ME

Plus, my friend pointed out this cool website of Maine Railroad stations, and he too says that its the Kingfield station.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzevgbob/id23.html

  So, who's correct?  

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

I was inside the original Kingfield station and took a bunch of photos before it was torn down.  It sat just where the previous post indicates.  I can show you photos if you come to the WW&F at Sheepscot.  Your 2012 photo shows the lumber company building at Kingfield.  There was a small stub-ended yard at Kingfield which was on a branch.   The Kingfield branch came off the main a bit south of town as the map indicates.

Stewart

[Andrew Laverdiere]

Thanks Stewart. Too bad I'm on the other side of the country now. Next time I'm in Maine, I'll be sure to drop by. I'd love to come see the equipment.

[James Patten]

We can assure you that the Kingfield depot no longer exists.  See this report from the SR&RL website: http://www.srrl-rr.org/Projects/Kingfield/kingfield.htm.  They did try to save it, but were unable to raise the money for it.

I agree that the building you show does look somewhat like the station building.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

I was in kingfield today and stopped by the former location of the yard.  The old SR&RL car building is now vacant because the auto dealership closed and the buildings are for sale.  It's too bad the station was razed for more parking which is no longer needed.

I also looked over the lumber company buildings again.  The structure you show does have a railroad look with the deep canopy and it's supports.  Plus, the building is in gray/green colors (which the Maine Central and SR&RL used).  It's an attractive building.  There are some other railroad era mill buildings in the complex, most of which are still being used.

Stewart

[Andrew Laverdiere]

Maybe the mill owner was a rail buff.