On page 5 of the newsletter, an article from the March 8, 1939 edition of the Boston Post. The article titled "Locomotive Brings Heat to Two Shoe Plants After System Breaks Down".
An illustration of a steam locomotive next to a massive factory is captioned, "Locomotive Heats Two Factories" with the description of the photo describing " old 2611, once the pride of the Grand Trunk Railroad in Maine, has been pressed into service to heat shoe factories where 1,100 employees had been put out of work when the heating system went bad".
The article then states, "Norway, Maine, March 7 - A Canadian National Railway locomotive late today began providing heat for the plants of the Norway and B.E. Cole shoe companies after the dual heating system of the plants had been disabled for several days. Failure of the system threw 1,100 employees out of work and threatened to cause cancelation of large orders of spring shipments. Officials of the firms negotiated with the railway and today a large locomotive arrived to meet the emergency. It was run along a spur track to the factories. Employees will go back to work tomorrow morning".
My own thoughts and a question follow, your comments welcome.
First, the Norway Historical Society has a set of Sanborn Insurance maps that show all.of the nearly one mile long "Norway Branch Railroad" trackage and businesses served by this line (which ran off the Grand Trunk main in South Paris).
The maps are fascinating to view.
I read recently that the old rail of the Norway Branch was used when the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company & Museum laid rail along the former Grand Trunk right of way in Portland harbor.
The Norway Historical society has a few snapshot photos of rail being removed in the early 1980's and stacked.
Much of the Norway Branch right of way can be walked. You can begin at a small parking area behind the Norway Police and Fire department garages and hike out towards the connection with the G.T.
While it was not unusual for old locomotives to be used as stationary boilers, my question is how was the locomotive typically plumbed into a heating system? Live steam from the steam dome or hot water from a washout or boiler blow down connection. If anyone suffering through this lengthy mess, would like to add particulars of plumbing, pressure restriction valves or any other information that would illuminate how the mechanical connections might have been made, I'm all ears...
