Author Topic: B&SR Baggage Tag  (Read 11255 times)

Ed Lecuyer

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B&SR Baggage Tag
« on: January 08, 2009, 08:58:26 PM »
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B&SR Baggage Tag has been converted from the pre-July 2008 WW&F Discussion Forum.
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Stephen Hussar wrote:
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Brass B&SR Baggage Tag from Stewart Rhine's collection.

_________________
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"Give me enough Swedes and whiskey and I'll build a railroad to Hell."
- James J. Hill

Mike Fox replied:
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Nice tag. I see it was before they dropped the E in Bridgton

James Patten replied:
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Some fallen flags on that tag: Eastern RR, the Portland & Ogdensburg RR.  Standard gauge, I know, but neat nonetheless.

Stewart Rhine replied:
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Mike,  Do you know when the "e" was dropped from Bridgton?  I didn't know it was ever spelled with an "e".  I looked through my paper, tickets, etc. and have not found anything marked Bridgeton & Saco River RR.
I'd like to know how old the tag is.  I'm going to look up the P&O and Eastern RR to see when they were taken over by the MEC, etc.  That would give me an idea when the names were no longer used.  Maybe Bridgton was just spelled wrong when the Robbins Company made the tags?  I had not looked at the tag for a number of years so I've never thought to research it until now.

Mike Fox replied:
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Off the top of my head Stewart, I think someting like the late 1800's about when the railroad was created. I'll have to check into that. I'll review a couple of books on Bridgton History I have and post my findings.
Mike

Bill Sample replied:
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I agree with Stewart that the Robbins Co. probably made the error, seems like I've seen this sort of thing happen before.  As for any earlier spelling of Bridgton, on page 16 of "Two Feet to the Lakes" there are a couple of pre-construction documents illustrated (c.1880) with the usual spelling shown.

Mike Fox replied:
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I know I have read it someplace. But doing a little research last night, this is what I found in Images of America, Lake Region edition by Diane and Jack Barnes. When it was founded in 1761, Bridgton used to be called Pondicherry. Then the name was changed to Bridge's Town in honor of a man named Moody Bridges. He was a proprieter who helped gain the land in a land Grant from Massachusetts. The name was later shortened to Bridgton.
This is not the way I remember reading it. I just can't put my finger on it right now. I myself think between Bridges Town and Bridgton there was actually Bridgeton or possibly even Bridgetown. Or both. Back then it seems it was nothing to change a name.
Mike

Mike Fox replied:
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Stewart, I took the liberty of looking up the Portland & Ogdensburg. Here is a basic sum up. The line was started in 1869. Name changed to Portland & Ogdensburg Railway in 1886. 1888 it became Maine Central, Mountain division.
So with that, I would guess that dates between 1883 when the Bridgton and Saco River Railroad started and 1888. Maybe a few years later too but that time frame would be my guess.
Mike

Stewart Rhine replied:
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Mike,  Thanks for the info.  The dates you list are interesting.  I didn't think the tag was that old when I got it but I've been told that the B&SR used the cardboard baggage tags in later years.  I don't know when they switched types but I have a pack of the card type tags and they are marked for the MEC.   A brass one would fit the earlier time frame.

Dana Deering replied:
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Eastern Railroad's Milepost 1 still stands on the ROW of what is now the Turner Island Railroad in South Portland, or at least it did the last time I was there.  My cousin owns the TIRR and it serves their small pier facility.  They have an occasional car movement using a high rail car shifter and I have done some switching for them.  The piers are at the old ERR yard facility and when they were doing some earthwork there a few years ago they uncovered the old turntable pit and enginehouse foundations.  I was there shortly after and got to see them.  All buried again I'm afraid.  There was once a RR bridge across the Fore River that connected the ERR to the MEC, and P&O near Yard 8 on Commercial St.
Dana

BM1455 replied:
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Dana, and all.
I would be interested to see what people find if they really look into the idea that Eastern RR "milepost one" was in Portland.  This may be milepost one, but it may be from the original PS&P RR and not the Eastern.  The Eastern originaly ran from Boston, north to Porsmouth where it interchanged with the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth RR which came down from Portland.  Since the Eastern was always a "Boston road", I would bet that the milepost one that you are talking about was more likely a PS&P milepost, as the Eastern would probably have had mile post one in the Boston area.  The PS&P was leased by the Eastern in 1870.
Ed Lecuyer
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