The Portland (Maine) Division of the ERA (Electric Railroaders
Association) at the India Street Station of the Grand Truck Railroad
on Patriot's Day, April 19, 1938. The ERA members and guests are about
to board the train for Mechanic Falls, Maine, where they will then
board the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway, "Special" Trolley,
No. 120. They will join other ERA members on board No. 120 for
the Portland Div ERA's first electric railway fan trip excursion.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Over the past couple of summers, I researched activities that took place in 1938 and 1939 that connected to the creation of what we know now as the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. Edward Dooks, a long-time member of the Seashore Trolley Museum, recorded interviews he conducted in the late 1980s, with several early founders/members of the Museum. Ed recognized and asked many during the interviews to clarify a couple of dates in particular. April 19, 1939 and May 30, 1939. Both of these dates were described by early members as being, "the date," that the Portland Division of the ERA (Electric Railroaders Association) hosted a fan trip on the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway. Last summer (2024), I found a couple of pieces of evidence that showed the Patriot's Day, April 19, 1939, ERA A&K Rwy Excursion was, at the last minute, changed to Memorial Day, May 30, 1939.
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Photographs of two A&K streetcars used during the 1938 and 1939 ERA excursions, No. 120, and No. 190, sometimes had dates and sometimes did not have dates. Making it a bit challenging to clarify which date the cars may have been used for the ERA excursion.
I felt more evidence was needed, so, as I learned more about Robert Melcher's role in the Portland Div. of the ERA and his passion for electric railways, I reached out to some historical societies to see if they might have a Robert Melcher Collection in their archives. Maine Historical Society's Brown Research Library does. I made an appointment and looked through a good amount, but not all, of the contents in the Robert Melcher Collection. Included in this post of the Portland Division of the ERA's Patriot's Day, April 19, 1938, and its, Memorial Day, May 30, 1939, electric railway fan excursions are many more pieces of evidence clarifying that yes, the 1939 A&K Rwy excursion took place in May - Enjoy :)
The Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway Album
in the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine
Historical Society's Brown Research Library
A hand-drawn map of the A&K lines still in service during 1939
is drawn on the inside front cover of the A&K Rwy album.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine
Historical Society's Brown Research Library
Inside, the first page of the A&K Rwy Album features
the General Manager, Alfred Sweeney. Robert Melcher
gives credit to Mr. Sweeney for providing many of the
photos within the album. In Robert Melcher's file containing
correspondence, there are many letters from Mr. Sweeney
to Robert, as he responded to Robert's communications.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine
Historical Society's Brown Research Library
Click Here: for the post on Robert Melcher
Click Here: for the post with newspaper clippings - Portland Division of the ERA 1937/1938
Click Here: for the post with newspaper clippings - Portland Division of the ERA 1939-1940
The Portland Division of the ERA published a newsletter. Below are links to several of the publications:
Click Here: for the post - March 1938 (The Very First Issue) (MET) Maine Electric Transiteer newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the April 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the May 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the June 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the July 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Aug/Sept 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Dec 1938/Jan 1939 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Feb/Mar 1939 MET newsletter
April 19, 1938 - Portland (Maine) Division of the Electric Railroaders Assoc. A&K Rwy Excursion
January 29, 1938, a letter from A&K Railway, General Mgr,
Alfred Sweeney, to Robert Melcher of the Portland Division
of the ERA (Electric Railroaders Association). Mr. Sweeney
provides options for the planning of the Portland Div.
of the ERA's first electric railway fan excursion on the A&K.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
Volume I, No. 2 - issue of the Portland Division
of the ERA's, The Maine Electric Transiteer newsletter, page 2,
describes the schedule for the Patriot's Day, April 19, 1038,
A&K Rwy fan trip excursion.
From the Kevin Farrell Collection at the Seashore Trolley Museum
The paragraph from the page above describes stopping
in Sabattus and fans visiting the Portland-Lewiston
Interurban, Narcissus. The Narcissus is currently
being restored at the Seashore Trolley Museum in
Kennebunkport, Maine.
Click Here: for the post that has the film clip of A&K Rwy No. 120 during the fan trip passing by the Narcissus at Sabattus Lake on April 19, 1938.
When reading this paragraph of the stop in Sabattus, so the ERA members/guests could walk over and take a look and take photos of the Narcissus, I recalled this hand-written sketch (see below) by Ellis Walker (he passed away a few years ago) that he mailed to me. He had visited the Narcissus during the Portland Division fan trip of the ERA on April 19, 1938. He shared the photo he took as well. He also was on the A&K fan trip of the Portland Div. of the ERA on May 30, 1939. He had a relative who lived in Auburn. He would watch the PLI interurbans stop to enter/exit the right-of-way at the Fairview Crossing. He never was a passenger on a PLI car.
You can see in his map sketch, that "Location #1" is where the Narcissus was first located in Sabattus, Maine - c1934, has the A&K Bridge and the A&K track next to it. Based on the photo below, behind the Narcissus. I found the photo below in the Robert Melcher Collection at MHS. The photo itself has no date, but other photos on the same page are dated 1936. Robert labeled the photo as an "Abandoned Car at Sabattus." It is the Narcissus. If you look at the background of the photo, on the right, you can see a line pole with a metal arm extended that holds the overhead wire. I'm pretty sure this is the Narcissus resting in "Location #1" as Ellis describes before the Narcissus was relocated to "Location #2, where it became the Sabattus Diner and then later, the Vallee's summer camp.
Note to me from Ellis Walker with his hand-drawn
map of where the Narcissus was first located
in Sabattus and where it was later relocated to
closer to the Lake.
Ellis Walker to Phil Morse 2014
Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14, Narcissus, on the lot
in Sabattus where it was first delivered in 1934 - This photo was
taken by Robert Melcher on June 6, 1936.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
Click Here: for the post on Robert Melcher - his journal entry from June 6, 1936, mentions him visiting Sabattus and seeing the abandoned interurban car in a field. He also visited a former PLI employee, Oscar Adkins at his home in Auburn on that day.
Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts
Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban
The schedule for the A&K Rwy excursion for Patriot's Day, April 19, 1938, began with Portland Div. ERA members/guests from south of Lewiston/Auburn, boarding a Grand Trunk Railroad station in Portland to Mechanic Falls, where it would meet A&K Rwy No. 120, who had ERA members/guests board it at the Lewiston Station.
No. 120 was hired for this fan trip of the Portland Division
of the Electric Railroaders Association special outing.
We have learned that the date of this trip was April 19, 1938.
O. R. Cummings Collection - the Seashore Trolley Museum
2009_2_10_004
No. 120 during the Patriot's Day, April 19, 1938 fan trip
of the Portland Division of the Electric
Railroaders Association excursion. Hackett Mills Road
bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_013
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
No. 120 during the Patriot's Day, April 19, 1938,
fan trip of the Portland Division of the Electric
Railroaders Association's excursion. Hackett Mills Road
Bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_012
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Hackett Mills Road Bridge.
Bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
Hackett Mills Road Bridge.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
Hackett Mills Road Bridge.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
The "Crooked Bridge" in Lewiston.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway (A & K) No. 120
at the entrance to Lake Grove Park in Auburn during
the Portland Division of the Electric Railroaders Assoc. (ERA)
A&K Excursion. Photo from the Robert Melcher Collection in
the Maine Historical Society archives in Portland, ME, at
the Brown Research Library.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
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A newspaper clipping featuring members and guests
of the Portland Div of the ERA celebrating its first anniversary.
One of the speakers was Gerald Boothby, who showed
the film he recorded of the A&K Railway excursion on
April 18, 1938. That recording is available to purchase through
the Northeast Historic Film at Bucksport, Maine.
Portland Press Herald - October 9, 1938 - page 47
years ago. PWM
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Click Here: to see the post on the film
May 30, 1939
The May 30, 1939, Portland Division (ME) of the ERA (Electric Railroaders
Association) began with members south of Lewiston/Auburn, boarding a train
at the Maine Central Railroad Station at Union Station on St. John Street
in Portland, and traveling to Mechanic Falls, where they would then board,
A&K Rwy No. 190 that arrived with ERA members/guests from the Lewiston
Station. Together they would begin the nearly 7-hour fan trip.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
April 12, 1939, a letter from A&K Railway, General Mgr,
Alfred Sweeney, to Robert Melcher of the Portland Division
of the ERA (Electric Railroaders Association). Mr. Sweeney
agrees with Robert Melcher and supports the change of date
of the Portland Div. of the ERA's second fan excursion on
the A&K, to Memorial Day, May 30, 1939, from the original
date of April 19, 1939, Patriot's Day.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
A ticket to participate in the second Portland Div
of the ERA on the A&K Railway. The original
date is printed on this ticket and was valid for use
during the rescheduled date, Memorial Day,
May 30, 1929. From the Robert Melcher Collection
at the Maine Historical Society's Brown Research Library
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine
Historical Society's Brown Research Library
February 17, 1939, a letter from A&K Railway, General Mgr,
Alfred Sweeney, to Robert Melcher of the Portland Division
of the ERA (Electric Railroaders Association). Mr. Sweeney describes
the two A&K Rwy cars that would be used by the ERA during the excursion.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
The detailed schedule of the initially scheduled, April 19, 1939,
A&K Railway Excursion that was postponed to Memorial Day,
May 30, 1939.
Detailed schedule for the A&K Excursion that would actually
take place on Memorial Day, May 30, 1939.
Sun Journal - March 13, 1939 - page 12
No. 190 with its destination sign as "Special." This indicates
that a group hired the car for a special occasion. That is the case
with this photo. Members of the Portland Division of the Electric
Railroaders Association (ERA) hosted electric railway fans for a
day-long excursion on the A & K Railway on Memorial Day,
May 30, 1939. This was the Second Annual A&K Fan Trip.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_002
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
No. 190 in Minot probably on Minot Avenue with the Little
Androscoggin on the right through the brush.
O. R. Cummings Collection at the Seashore Trolley Museum
2009_2_10_005
No. 190 again in a sequence photo from the previous photo
of the ERA fan trip excursion on the A&K Railway on
Memorial Day, May 30, 1939.
O. R. Cummings Collection at the Seashore Trolley Museum
2009_2_10_003
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From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
The members/guests of the Portland (Maine) Div. of the ERA
boarded A&K Rway No. 120 to ride during the remaining portion
of the Memorial Day, May 30, 1939, excursion.
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A&K Rwy No. 120 with the ERA on May 30, 1939.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
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The "Crooked Bridge" in Lewiston.
From the Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical
Society's Brown Research Library
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We continue the restoration work on the 1912 Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts
Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem. This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!
Click Here: Donation Options
The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.
Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban
The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.
Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project
Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
the Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
