double-truck open trolley cars were
built at PRR's own Bennett Street carhouse
shop on Munjoy Hill fin 1892 for use specifically in Westbrook.
Seen here is No. 77, one of the four open cars that were built in 1892.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_040
Photo and research resources used in this blog post are courtesy of Seashore Trolley Museum's Library; specifically from the O. R. Cummings Collection and Phil Morse (PWM), and O. R. Cummings books, "Portland Railroad" Part 1, 1957, and Part 2, 1959, and the Osher Maps Library at the Smith Center for Cartographic Education at University of Southern Maine Portland Campus, 314 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101.
Monument Square in Portland, Maine was the hub for all the early horse-drawn and electric railway systems running into and out of Portland. This blog features the high-speed, luxury interurban, No. 14, Narcissus of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) that is now being restored at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Narcissus and nine other Maine vehicles used on electric railways have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. Though we are deep into the research of information and materials related to the PLI and the Narcissus for use in creating the interpretation portion of the Narcissus project, it's too hard to resist posting other interesting electric railway tidbits from Maine's transportation history. With that in mind, from 1914 until 1933, the Narcissus, as a PLI interurban, operated in and out of Monument Square to pick up and discharge passengers. As we approach Maine's Bicentennial year (2020), this blog will release posts that relate to many electric railway operations throughout the State of Maine. One of the first in the series will be a more comprehensive look at the Portland Railroad. The 470 Railroad Club in Portland will host a public presentation on the history of the Portland Railroad beginning at 7 p.m. on October 17, 2018, at 75 State Street, Portland, Maine; the entrance to the meeting hall is on Gray Street between Gray & Park Street.
This blog post will be a bit of a teaser for that presentation at the 470 Railroad Club next month (Oct. 2018) and will show a few images of the Portland Railroad system as it first serviced Westbrook, then later expanded to serve the communities of Gorham and So. Windham.
Click Here to go to the post: Maine Bicentennial - Portland Railroad: A History of Public Transportation 1860-1941
Click Here to go to the post: Portland Railroad - Forest Avenue to Riverton Park Revisited
Click Here to go to the post: Portland Railroad - Congress St. Revisited: Monument Sq.-Union Sta
Click Here to go to the post: Portland Railroad - South Portland & Cape Elizabeth Revisited
Click Here to go to the post: Portland Railroad - Munjoy Hill Revisited
Click Here to go to the post: Trolleys Through Scarborough, Maine
Click Here to go to the post: Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14, West Falmouth, Maine
Stroudwater Village - horsecar trolley service starting in
August of 1891. Stroudwater, like Deering, was originally
a part of Westbrook, and later annexed to Portland.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_31_043
Stroudwater - August 31, 2018 - PWM
The church on the left is the same structure as the photo above.
Westbrook, Maine - Late in 1891, the Portland Railroad was successful in receiving authority to build the Westbrook Extension. Two routes were considered; the first was extending the line from Stroudwater, along Westbrook Road to Westbrook. The second route and the one selected, extended from Woodford's Corner in Deering, through Woodford Street, and along Brighton Avenue to Cumberland Mills and Westbrook. In June 1891, the Portland Railroad had electrified its Deering line. The new Westbrook line extension would open as an electrified line on June 29, 1892.
The Westbrook line of the Portland Railroad was
electrified before the Munjoy Hill section in Portland.
Most of the early electric cars for Westbrook operations
were kept in the Beckett Street carbarn on Munjoy Hill.
Here is an image of horses towing an electrified
trolley from the Beckett Street carbarn on its way to
Monument Square. Monument Square was electrified and
the Westbrook-bound car could then be used on the Westbrook
line. This horse transfer took place in 1895.
Courtesy of O.R. Cummings' book,
"Portland Railroad - Part 1" April 1957.
Postcard date-stamped July 10, 1911, showing a PRR trolley
car on Main Street in Westbrook, ME. The stone building on
the right is Walker Public Library at 795 Main Street.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_030
Walker Library at 795 Main Street Westbrook.
Image from Google Maps 2018
The Westbrook line was busy in the early years
of operation and it was customary for several years for an open
trolley car such as No. 77 seen here, having a former open
horsecar trolley as a trailer to carry the increase in passengers.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_057
PRR No. 175 at the end of the line on the western end of
Main Street in Westbrook. The trolley pole is set up for a return to
Portland c 1930 - Westbrook Tire Shop offering Fisk Tires
in the background - right. No. 175 was built for the PRR by
the J. G. Brill Co., in Philadelphia, PA in 1902.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_039
Portland Railroad No. 155 is a 14-bench, double-truck
open trolley car built for the PRR in 1901 by the J. G.
Brill Co., in Philadelphia, PA. Seen here probably on the
Westbrook-Gorham line loading passengers for a lovely
summer trip to Portland.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_061
A reprinted map, circa 1910, "Trolleying
Through the Heart of Maine."
Distributed by the Portland Railroad
and the Lewiston, Augusta, and
Waterville Street Railway. Courtesy
Seashore Trolley Museum
Plate #9 -Portland, Westbrook.
Gorham, and South Windham line.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street and
Electric Railways 2015
Gorham, Maine - Three years after the Portland Railroad (PRR) opened its Westbrook line, the PRR organized the Portland Extension Railroad in July 1895, to extend the line 4 miles to Gorham. Legal issues stalled plans until January 1901, when the PRR gained stock control of the Westbrook, Windham & Naples Railway. A route from Mosher's Corner to Gorham Village was laid out and construction began. On June 21, 1901, the first electric car entered the village, followed on June 26 by another car carrying a party of about 30 Eastern Starr members and one Railroad Commissioner. Regular service followed.
Central Square Gorham, ME - June 1901
J. A. Waterman Glass Plate Negative Collection
Central Square, Gorham, ME - June 1901
J. A. Waterman Glass Plate Negative Collection
Central Square, Gorham, ME
Image from Google Maps 2018
The home on the left is at 48 Main Street, Gorham 1904
J. A. Waterman Glass Plate Negative Collection
Title: Main Street Winter 1904
Image from Google Maps 2018
Central Square, Gorham
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_060
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_044
A busy day in Gorham, ME as five 14-bench open trolley
cars, each with at least 75 passengers, are in line preparing to
leave Central Square.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_058
South Windham, Maine - The Portland Railroad had competitors for providing electric railway service to Westbrook, Gorham, and South Windham. These challenges were part of what caused delays in constructing the line. One of the competitors was the Westbrook, Windham & Naples Railway (first known as the Westbrook, Windham & Harrison Railway) first graded a right-of-way from Westbrook to South Windham in the fall of 1898; following the old Gorham Road from Westbrook to Mosher's Corner and then continuing on to South Windham. By early July of 1899, rails had been laid from Westbrook to Mosher's Corner and overhead was being erected. Early in August, the first trolley car was tested on the line. The grand opening in South Windham took place on August 17, 1899. Stock control of the Westbrook, Windham, & Naples Railway was achieved by the PRR in January 1901.
No. 3 was one of the two original closed trolley cars from
1899 by the American Car Company in St. Louis, MO for the
Westbrook, Windham & Naples Railway. c 1899
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_051
No. 3 clearly had trouble staying on the tracks this day.
c 1899
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_052
An open trolley car in South Windham. The sign reads, J. H.
Kilgore - Livery.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_049
Passengers traveling on trolley cars heading to and returning
from the Westbrook line (South Windham, Gorham, and
Westbrook) to access parts of Portland would travel
along Brighton Avenue to Woodford Street then
to Woodford's Corner. Seen here is the intersection of
Brighton Ave. and Woodford St where
Woodford Street is on the left of the gas station. The trolley
is stopped on Brighton Ave. where Colonial Road
connects.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_31_017
No. 158 in the snow with destination sign; South Windham
via Brighton Avenue. 158 was built in 1901 by the
J. G. Brill Co., for operation on the Westbrook line of PRR.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_062
Half of the original electric trolley car fleet of the Westbrook,
Windham & Naples Railway. No. 4 open trolley car
and No. 1 closed trolley car with a trailer that was a
horsecar from the Boston West End system.
The trailer was scrapped immediately following the PRR
takeover of the WW&N Railway. This image c 1900
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_067
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
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