Bridgton Junction on Google Earth

[Ben Rockney]

Hi all,
I've seen quite a number of posts dating from a few years ago under the topics "Locating Bridgton Junction" or "Visited the Junction."  I too visited The Junction in mid-July with my brother. Not having done a lot of research in advance, we were able to locate the main line, the turntable pit, the foundation of the Engine House, but really had no idea of how things were once arranged there and how the raised NG main line related to the rest of the yard.

Since then, I have received from the Bridgton Historical Society a good photograph of the original B&SR RR ROW and track map dating from 1916.  (Rob C. posted a similar photograph on February 22, 2013.)  I have superimposed the track, road, and building outlines on Google Earth.  The match with the terrain today is really striking.

A .kmz file that can be opened in Google Earth can be downloaded here from the Google Earth Community server:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gec-history-illustrated/Yyn8xeBjeM8

The view shows the narrow gauge main line looping around from northeast to southeast to parallel the standard gauge line where freight and passengers could be transferred.  In the yard, note the turntable pit, the single stall engine house where engines were refilled with water, and the coal shed where they were refueled.  The original path of the highway was parallel to the yard and survives today as the dirt road named "Train Junction" on Bing Maps and Garmin GPS systems.  As trains left The Junction heading north, they crossed the highway and entered a steep uphill grade through what is today a gravel pit.  That rising grade along the road can easily be viewed in Google Maps' street view.  Mike F. and Duncan M. have photos of many of these places on NERAIL but this GE file should help getting oriented.  

After our July visit to The Junction, we followed the ROW up to Bridgton and then headed over to Weeks Mill and then down to Alna where we met my granddaughter and her parents for a first visit to the WW&F.  I can't tell you how impressed I was with the work you all are doing there and am looking forward to returning with them for the Victorian Christmas.

[Tom Casper]

Ben, the average home computer probably won't open the file.  I know mine can't.  Any tips on what is need to view?

Tom C.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Usually, you can use Google Earth to download and view a .KMZ file. I tried this one, however, and I couldn't get it to work. I also tried another mapping program that reads .KMZ files - with no luck.

[Jonathan St.Mary]

Works for me on an old laptop.  Did have to scroll way in (increase magnification) considerably before the drawing showed up.

[Ted Alexander]

Usually, you can use Google Earth to download and view a .KMZ file. I tried this one, however, and I couldn't get it to work. I also tried another mapping program that reads .KMZ files - with no luck.

Hey Folks....
I had no problem using google earth. As a matter of fact I went to street view and could make out the grade crossing.
Ted

[Ben Rockney]

Hi All,
I'm sorry some of you are having trouble getting the .kmz file to open in Google Earth.  I don't have a lot of experience (not any, really) with uploading files to GE so I'm open to advice.  I'll try to figure something out...perhaps I could further reduce the resolution of the overlay I created, though I don't want it to start looking blocky and in theory a 2 MB .kmz file should be able to be handled by GE.  But enough of you are having trouble to show the problem is real.  I'm open to advice on this.

While I work things out, I would be happy to send the .kmz file to any of you directly as an email attachment, which would get around any problems related to downloading the file from the GE link.  You see my name to the left of this post.  My email address is just a concatenation substituting my name into the following: firstname.lastname@gmail.com . Drop me an email and I'll send the file to you.

For the record, this is my experience so far opening the file through the link from various devices I have access to :

modern Windows laptop running Windows 7 and GE 7.1.1: works
MacBook Air running OSX 10.8.4 and GE 7.1.1: works
iPad2: my brother says it works
iPad1: reports GE is running low on memory and the top of the overlay where the ROW crosses the highway is missing, but it opens
iPhone 4S running iOS 6.1.3 and GE 7.1.1: works

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

It would be easier to rent a small plane and pilot and fly over the area yourself.  Some of this computer "jazz" gets WAY too complex for average morons like me.

Richard

[Steve Smith]

Richard, old duffers like us are NOT moronic, just members of an obsolete generation. 

But hey, how very consistent of us that we're fascinated with an obsolete machine that goes choo-choo!

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Hey Steve,

You're not obsolete ... after all you do the important job of journal inspections and maint on WW&F rolling stock every quarter! 

Ya know ... you're a bit young for this but I see folks like you, Julius and Bill H. - (the WWII generation) as the wonderful people who brought us through the Great Depression and the war years.  I will never forget the contributions of my parents generation, whether they are good with computers or not 

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