No. 14 - Seashore Trolley Museum's Laconia Car Company-built Collection

In the hands of the Seashore Trolley Museum members/volunteers,

Ed Dooks and his granddaughter Chelsey Pino, carefully

peel away the paper from the newly applied Laconia Car

Company decal on the side sill of the Laconia Car

Company-built, and then newly restored,

1906 electric locomotive from the Atlantic Shore Line Railway,

No. 100. Image by PWM 6-30-2009

The Laconia Car Company was located in the center of

Laconia, NH. Over the years, it expanded and took up 7 acres

of land. There were woodworking shops, foundries, set-up

shops, storehouses, and paint shops. The extensive

four-story brick building was dedicated to the iron foundry, which was

connected with the car fabrication business.

     Laconia Car Company was one of the important electric railway streetcar manufacturing companies at the turn of the 20th century. This builder was the only industry in the New Hampshire town of the same name. The community problems faced by the townspeople following the company's collapse in 1928 have been the subject of several important economic studies. (1) Seashore Trolley Museum has ten accessioned electric railway representatives from the Laconia Car Company among its collections. The Laconia collection at Seashore Trolley Museum is diverse. Starting with two early single-truck models from 1895, with monitor roofs and a seating capacity of 26 passengers, up to a 1918 semi-convertible, with a seating capacity of 44. The collection includes a 1904, double-truck, 15-bench, open car with a railroad roof, wooden interurbans, a postal service car, and a wooden steeple cab locomotive.

     Three of these Laconia vehicles in Seashore's collection are listed in the National Register of Historic Places; 1904 Portsmouth Dover & York Street Railway, No. 108, wooden Railway Post Office/Express, 1906 Atlantic Shore Line, No. 100, wooden Steeple Cab Locomotive, and 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14 - Narcissus, wooden Interurban Coach.

(1) p. 6, 1954 "Historic Cars of the Seashore Electric Railway, 1st edition

1912 - No. 14, Narcissus - Portland-Lewiston Interurban

Wooden Interurban Coach - Double/Air

Laconia Car Company - Seats: 52   L: 46' 0"   W: 8' 7"   H: 12' 11"  Wt: 68,000
Acquired the car body in October 1969

Theodore Roosevelt was on the No. 2 end of the Narcissus as he addressed the

gathered folks in Gray, Maine on August 18, 1914.

Image courtesy of Gray Historical Society

     Maine's finest and fastest electric railway, the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, commenced regular operation on Thursday, July 2, 1914, its 29.8 miles of main track extending almost due north from a connection with the Cumberland County Power & Light Company-leased Portland Railroad Company in Portland through West Falmouth, West Cumberland, Gray and the town of New Gloucester to Auburn and a connection with the Mechanic Falls line of the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway. The cars operated between Monument Square, Portland, and Union Square, Lewiston, 34.37 miles, and the initial two-hour headway soon was replaced by hourly service which was maintained until the line was abandoned in mid-1933. The connections in Portland and Auburn were known as Deering Junction and Fairview Junction, respectively, and from register stations, at both points, conductors called the dispatcher in Lewiston for orders.

From the Laconia Historical and Museum Society archives,
in Laconia, NH a list shows that in April 1912,
the Laconia Car Company Works received the order (661)
to build four interurbans for the

Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad.
This is the same month that Titanic set sail on its maiden
and final voyage, as well as the month the Red Sox new home,
Fenway Park opened. The
PGLRR became the Portland-Lewiston Interurban in 1914.

     Six passenger cars on hand on an opening day consisted of six 36-foot double-truck coaches "smokers," Nos. 10, 12, 14, & 16 were built by the Laconia Car Company, and Nos. 18 & 20 were built by Wason Company. The car bodies arrived in Portland in January 1913, being placed in storage in a temporary wood frame carhouse until the late spring of 1914 when they were towed to Lewiston to be equipped with trucks, motors, controllers, and air brake systems and otherwise made ready for operation.

Because of interurban promoter W. Scott Libbey's desire that each car has a distinct personality and not be identified just by number, all six were named after flowers. No. 10 was the Arbutus; No. 12, the Gladiolus; No. 14, the Narcissus; No. 16, the Clematis; No. 18, the Azalea; and No. 20, the Magnolia. A seventh coach-smoker, No. 22, was acquired from Wason in 1920 and was named Maine.

     Each of the original cars was 46 feet long overall and 8 ft. 3/4 in. wide and had steam coach roofs and straight vertically sheathed sides. There were seven arched windows - six double sashes and one single sash - on each side, the sashes being arranged to lift. The arches above the sashes and the windows in the roof clerestory were glazed with ornamental leaded glass. The exterior livery was Pullman green with gray roofs, and, dark red doors and trim, and gold leaf numbers and lettering.

Interiors of the Laconia Car-built PLI interurbans

     On Tuesday, August 18, the Narcissus carried what probably was the most distinguished passenger in the Portland-Lewiston Interurban's history. Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt, while in Boston, set out on a day trip to northern Maine, campaigning for the Progressive Party. He was invited by the interurban management to inspect the still new railway, riding from Lewiston to Portland with brief stops in New Gloucester and Gray. The former chief executive addressed the gatherings of townspeople at each stop. Upon arrival in the Forest City, "Teddy" voiced his pleasure over the "bully" ride he had enjoyed and given motorman Charles H. Mitchell and conductor Joseph N. L'Heureux, best known as "Joe Happy," each a tip of $10, a not inconsiderable amount in those days.

     The Narcissus still was active when the Portland-Lewiston Interurban was abandoned on June 28, 1933. Three months later, on September 27, the railway properties, including all rolling stock, had been sold to H. E. Salzburg Inc. of New York City, a railroad salvage concern, and dismantling of the property began shortly thereafter. Car bodies were sold to private parties and among them was the Narcissus, which eventually became the summer home of J. Henry Vallee near Sabattus Lake in the present town of Sabattus. Mr. Vallee agreed to part with the Narcissus, if the Museum would have the shell of a replacement cottage constructed; after a major fundraising effort, the deal was consummated. The Narcissus arrived at the Seashore Trolley Museum on October 31, 1969. Currently, the Narcissus is undergoing restoration at the Town House Restoration Shop at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. History by O. R. Cummings, Historian, New England Electric Railway Historical Society


Additional Details on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban and Narcissus - Click the Date to open a link
4.27.2015   - The PLI Bouquet is Ordered - April 1912
8.15.2015   - W. S. Libbey: The Man and His Mill

6.28.2016   - The End of a Classic Interurban - June 28, 1933
7.1.2016     - Sudden Death of Hon. W. Scott Libbey - Lewiston Evening Journal May 18, 1914
7.2.2016     - The Beginning of a Classic Interurban - July 2, 1914

9.30.2016   - Scrapbook Celebrates the People of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban

1.7.2017     - Narcissus Restoration Project Outreach-Research 2016

1.29.2017   - W. S. Libbey-Builder of the PLI: His Stanley Steamer Model K 30-hp Semi-Racer

4.2.2017     - May 1956 - Portland-Lewiston Interurban by O. R. Cummings - PLI History

4.16.2017   - September 1967 - Portland-Lewiston Interurban by O. R. Cummings-PLI History
5.12.2017  - Cell Phone for the Narcissus Arrived Today - 1903 Model ;)

Oscar S Adkins and John I Cluff with No. 14, Narcissus  in Gray @1914

Narcissus and an Augusta & Kennebec Railways in Union Square, Lewiston,

Maine - April 6, 1933. O. R . Cummings Collection 

Click Here: Video clip of the 1930s/40s railway fan trip as it passes "Camp Narcissus" in Sabattus, ME

Narcissus is loaded on the trailer and ready to leave Sabattus and head

to its new home, Seashore Trolley Museum Oct. 1969

Photo courtesy of Daniel Vallee

     The video below has Daniel Vallee describing what it was like growing up while living in the Narcissus. The Narcissus was Vallee's summer camp for 30-+ years (and a year-round home for two years).

     The video below has Clyde Walker Pierce, Jr. discussing what it was like to race the Portland-Lewiston Interurbans in the early 1930s.

Click Here: Video of Theodore Santarelli de Brasch explaining the "Birth" of Seashore Trolley - 1939

Additional blog posts on Seashore Trolley Museum's Laconia Car Company-built Collection:
Click Here: No. 14 - 1912 Laconia Car Company-built Collection

Click Here: No. 38 - 1907 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 60 - 1895 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 100 - 1906 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 108 - 1904 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 235, No. 50 & No. 9 - 1895, 1902, & 1904 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No 4175 - 1914 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 4387 - 1918 Laconia Car Company-built Collection

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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