WW&F Two-Footer and Farewell by Clinton Thurlow Soft Cover

Description: RailroadTreasures offers the following item: WW&F Two-Footer and Farewell by Clinton Thurlow Soft Cover WW&F Two-Footer and Farewell by Clinton Thurlow Soft Cover 116 pages Copyright 1964, SECOND EDITION 1965 CONTENTS Introduction 5 Song by F. A. Nary9 The Tracks Are Laid12 Stations21 Weeks Mills to Winslow38 Financial Downfall43 Leonard Atwood - Inventor49 Samuel J. Sewall - General Manager56 Excursions63 Recollections72 Engines84 Time Books - Earl Keef95 Some Employees of the WW&F 110 Profile Map of the Weeks Mills-Winslow Line 113 INTRODUCTION Even though we might think that the narrow gauge here in Maine was some time ago we must realize that railroads in Europe go back as far as 1550. In 1825 a railroad was built by John Stevens to operate on tracks in the United States. This was the first to run in this country and ran on tracks that comprised a half mile circle in Hoboken, N. J., Stevens' home. On February 6, 1815, Stevens obtained the first railroad charter that was granted in America for a railway between the Delaware and Raritan rivers. He formed the Camden and Amboy Railway across New Jersey in 1832. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered on February 28, 1827 and began operating January 7, 1830. The gauges of railroads throughout the world vary anywhere from one foot eleven and five eighths inches in Central America to five feet six inches and in the past have been as wide as seven feet. The standard gauge, popular in the United States, is four feet eight and one half inches. Although we see the retrenchment of the railroad here in Maine at present, we must realize that it was one of the earliest and greatest achievements in the country. The first railroad in the State of Maine goes back as far as 1832. The first Maine passenger road operated from Bangor to Old Town. The rickety little train puffed over wooden tracks capped with iron rails. The road was operated by the Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad Company, later known as the Bangor, Old Town and Milford Railroad. This line operated until 1869. The only heat provided in these early cars was from ten gallon cans filled with boiling water. One of these little engines in the State of Maine struck and killed a hog.The owner demanded restitution, but receiving none, he boiled down the fat from the hog and spread it along the railroad tracks for nearly two miles. Of course we realize what happened. The train could make no progress on the greased track until the train crew had received some sand from Bangor. Another practical joker at that time tied the train to a tree stump at one of its stops. The train started up, went for some distance and then with a big jar came to a halt, nearly tearing the wood from the train. General Samuel Veazie took over the road in 1851 and ran it until 1869, when it was sold to the Europe and North American Railroad. As long ago as 1836, before the Grand Trunk was contemplated, a reconnaissance for a railroad from Wiscasset to Quebec was made by Col. Long of the United States Army. The line thus laid down was 246 miles in length. Col. Long stated that the old Indian Route had been known to the French explorers as early as 1604 as the shortest way to Canada, i.e., by the upper reaches of the Kennebec, the Dead River, thence down the Chaudiere to the St. Lawrence. We can see that the railroad officials had been studying early American History. They surmised that were this railroad established, Wiscasset would become the winter port of the St. Lawrence and the large output of timber from the Canadian forest and grain from the great northwest would traverse this course on its way to the London market by a comparatively short ocean route. This dream persisted during the early 1850's but failed due to lack of capital. Capital seemed to be the thing that the officials of the little road lacked and which held them up in realizing more of their dream. The charter for the Quebec Railroad was granted in 1854. William Embden was one of its chief promoters. He worked tirelessly to get the road going, but his dreams came to naught. From a little pamphlet put out in 1874, (first annual report of the directors of the Wiscasset and Moosehead Railroad Company ) we quote "Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Wiscasset and Moosehead Lake Railroad Company will be holden at the Court House in Wiscasset, on Monday, the Seventh day of September, 1874, at ten o'clock in the fore noon, for the election of directors, and the transaction of such other business as may legally come before said meeting. By order of the Board of Directors George B. Sawyer, Clerk Wiscasset, August 18, 1874." All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. 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Price: 40 USD

Location: Talbott, Tennessee

End Time: 2024-02-27T20:45:29.000Z

Shipping Cost: 9 USD