Head Tide Station

[John Scott]

Head Tide continues to be my favourite wayside station. It is my ambition to ride a steam train there, one of these days.

The accompanying image shows the idyllic location of Head Tide. The business-like nature of the station and its positional relationship with the historic and famous Head Tide Church can be seen.

[Graham Buxton]

More on the Head Tide Church building here:

https://www.alna.maine.gov/head-tide-church

The page linked above is part of a group of pages about historic features in the Alna area.   Note that one of the other pages is about the Trout Brook Preserve Trail, and that page mentions the WWF Railway, and even includes a 1951 photo of the remains of the bridge.

See the links on the left side of the page above, or here is a direct link to that Trout Brook Preserve Trail page:
https://www.alna.maine.gov/trout-brook-preserve-trail

[John Scott]

Very interesting, thanks Graham.

The community effort to preserve the church is admirable. The cultural importance of it cannot be overstated.

I note, from the Midcoast Conservancy map, that its Blue Trail and the WWF Right of Way partly coincide. I imagine that will eventually necessitate some compromise. The existence of the Trout Brook Preserve is a great thing.

[Ed Lecuyer]

It is planned to relocate the Midcoast Conservancy's trail to the west side of the ROW as part of our preparations to begin train service in Spring 2021.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I take it that we have agreed to do the relocation for the Conservacy?

Jeff S.

[Dave Crow]

The photo makes it appear that the station was on the property of the Red Cottage?

[Ed Lecuyer]

Jeff - I believe there is a tentative agreement for this. The details are still being worked out.

Dave - No.
Hide Tide Road - which is where the Red Cape abuts - is on the embankment in the mid-upper right side of the photo.
The Red Cape (which pre-dates the Railroad) is out of sight behind the barn and out of the frame.

I like this photo a lot as it answers some questions about the Head Tide station site, specifically how it was accessed and that it was a fair distance away from the actual village.

I wonder what that small shed adjacent to the tracks is. I've never noticed that before.

Also note the flatcars on the siding. The freight door of the station is open. Is that a person standing on the platform?

The photo has "37" imprinted on it. Might be 1937? If so, where are the cars from the Whitefield wreck? (Weren't they re-railed and pushed to Head Tide to languish?)

[James Patten]

That shed is a section house.

The '33 wreck cars were rolled to Head Tide, but there's a siding to the left (RR north) out of sight where the cars came to rest.

[John Scott]

The number 37 is just an identifier for the photo, as one of a series. I have seen others in the series but I do not own them so should not post. This photo, and probably the others that I have seen, is an unused postcard and it was taken from an album because there are some glue marks on the back.

The small shed adjacent to the tracks is the Section Crew hut. It is thus identified in photo No. 38 of the series on a used postcard dated 09 July 1908. The section crew and their hand car are shown.

[John Scott]

Another view of the station.

[John Scott]

This view shows the tracks (zoom in), south of the church, just as they are about to enter the cutting. Taken from Rte 218 when still an unmade road. This is No. 12 in the series.

[Bill Baskerville]

In the first picture it looks like a person on the platform to the left of the station.

[Bob Holmes]

Fascinating pix (and a bit of history)!

[Jeff Schumaker]

The picture postcards are from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co., which was located in Belfast, Maine.

Jeff S.

[John Scott]

The first two images can be found reproduced in the book "Two Feet to Tidewater" but the post card images provide rather better resolution. The book has additional related Head Tide images. Studying all of the available images, together, allows a good understanding of the way this wonderful location appeared 120 years ago, when the trains were running strong to serve a thriving community.