The right side of the Narcissus sports a couple of
replacements; single window posts. PWM
As 2019 rolls along, later in the year, on October 31st, the Narcissus will be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its arrival at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Narcissus is currently in the Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop, in the midst of a complete restoration to operating condition. Once the restoration is complete, the Narcissus will be on display for the visiting public, and for special occasions will be operated on the Museum's Heritage Electric Railway
Scrolling down any of the Narcissus blog posts you will find the listing of the various generous organizations that have made donations to the Narcissus Project. Also listed are organizations whose members may have also contributed individually to the Narcissus Project. We are grateful to you all. Thank you!
The Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. (MassBayRRE) supports railroad preservation projects through two grant programs: The H. Albert Webb Memorial Railroad Preservation Award and their Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund Grants. Through both of these programs, Mass Bay RRE has supported preservation projects at the Seashore Trolley Museum for dozens of years. The Narcissus received funding for seat work through Mass Bay RRE's Railroad Preservation Grant. I was asked to submit a two or three-page article to Mass Bay RRE for inclusion in their official publication, The Callboy. The article would include an update on the progress of the Narcissus restoration and some historical background of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban and the Narcissus. That article was published in the March 2019 issue of The Callboy.
Those of you know me, writing a two or three-page story about Narcissus is really difficult for me. In part, my writing skills are ... well, if you read my posts, you know :) I am passionate about Narcissus. There are so very many incredible things about this project that can be written about. So, I took the three pages of the text from The Callboy article, tweaked it a bit, added some images, and here it is.
Thank you to Dave Brown at Mass Bay RRE for inviting me to submit a story for The Callboy and for the financial support for the Railroad Preservation community by the Mass Bay RRE through their grant programs.
Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14, Narcissus - "Start to Finish"
The Narcissus was built in 1912 in Laconia, New Hampshire at the Laconia Car Company Works for the Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad (PG&L), based in Lewiston, Maine. This luxury, high-speed, wooden electric interurban with its exquisite mahogany interior, resplendent in copious ornamental brass components including forty ornate leaded stained glass windows, its center ceiling panels embellished with gold leaf fleur-de-lis, with alternating red and green interlocking rubber tile on the floor and it was all appointed by the intrepid builder of the PG&L, W. Scott Libbey.
Interior of one of the Laconia-built PLI
interurbans. You can see the fleur-de-lis
in the corners of the center ceiling panels
and the interlocking rubber tile flooring.
Photo courtesy of Seashore Trolley
Museum
Libbey also personally named each of the original six coaches after his favorite flowers. The 46-foot coaches had green plush Mohair upholstered, reversible seats, and a smoking compartment with two, six-foot-long, leather-covered bench seats, making a seating capacity of 52 passengers. Its four-90 hp Westinghouse motors, capable of generating speeds of 70 mph, were reached from time to time.
The short video below has the audio of Clyde Walker Pierce, Jr. talking about his experience with trolleys in southern Maine and his recollection of "racing" the PLI interurbans with his automobile in the early 1930s.
The short video below has the audio of Clyde Walker Pierce, Jr. talking about his experience with trolleys in southern Maine and his recollection of "racing" the PLI interurbans with his automobile in the early 1930s.
Map from O.R.Cummings
1956 book, Portland-
Lewiston Interurban.
The most famous passenger to ride in the Narcissus was Theodore Roosevelt. The former President was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, while he campaigned for the Progressive Party candidates, during a trip from Lewiston to Portland.
Photo of Theodore Roosevelt on the number 2 end of the
Narcissus waved to residents of Gray on August 18, 1914.
Photo courtesy of Gray Historical Society
The Narcissus operated between Lewiston, Maine, and Portland, Maine on a thirty-mile, private right-of-way, using the interurban line that was built to steam railroad specs. Construction of the line was seasonal from 1910 until finished in 1914. Operations commenced early in July 1914 and carried on until the line ceased operations late in June 1933. Just a few weeks before the opening of the line in 1914, the principal of the line, W. Scott Libbey, died. Within a couple of months, the management changed and so did the name of the line. It became the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad. Best known as the Portland-Lewiston Interurban or simply, PLI.
The front page of the Lewiston Evening Journal, May 18, 1914.
Announcing the passing of W. S. Libbey, the extraordinary man who built,
what would become; the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Announcing the passing of W. S. Libbey, the extraordinary man who built,
what would become; the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
For interurban operations when exiting the northern end of the private right-of-way, arrangements were made to connect with the Lewiston, Augusts, & Waterville Street Railway at the junction of Minot Avenue, Fairview Avenue, and Old Portland Road in Auburn, with interurban cars being given trackage rights over street railway tracks from the junction to Union Square and the Portland, Gray, & Lewiston's carhouse on Middle Street, Lewiston.
Private PLI phone booth at Fairview
Junction in Auburn, where the conductors
on a PLI railway vehicle needed to use
the phone to call the Dispatcher
to receive orders when entering and
exciting the PLI right-of-way. Photo
courtesy of Seashore Trolley Museum
The dispatcher's office was in an office on the second floor of the carhouse in Lewiston. A telephone booth was at each of the right-of-way, where cars would stop, the conductor would then call the dispatcher for orders when entering or exiting the ROW.
Dispatcher's office 2nd floor, the first
window on the left at the PLI
Lewiston carhouse. Photo courtesy
of Seashore Trolley Museum.
Likewise, for operations when exiting or entering the southern end of the right-of-way, permission for the Portland, Gray, & Lewiston to connect with the Portland Railroad (PRR) at Morrill's Corner was granted in 1913. PRR built a branch off from its North Deering line to the interurban right-of-way at Allen and Goodrich Avenues. The PRR also built a double-track line along Forest Avenue, from Woodford's Corner to Morrill's Corner, so that the interurbans could reach their terminal without interference from city cars.
Private PLI phone booth at Deering Junction in
Portland, where the conductors on a PLI railway
vehicle needed to use the phone to call into the
Dispatcher to receive orders when entering and
exciting the PLI right-of-way. Photo courtesy
of Seashore Trolley Museum
Initially, in 1914, there were six interurbans; four built by Laconia; No. 10, Arbutus, No. 12, Gladiolus, No. 14, Narcissus, No. 16, Clematis; and two built by Wason Manufacturing in Springfield, MA; No. 18, Azalea, and No. 20, Magnolia. In 1915, for local service, two large traditional suburban coaches (Nos. 40 & 42, not named) with seating for 48, were built by Wason (no smoking compartment), and in 1920, Maine's Centennial year, an additional large Wason-built interurban with a smoking compartment, No. 22, Maine, was added.
No. 16 at the Laconia Car Company Works flatcar before
being shipped to Maine. Photo courtesy of Seashore Trolley
Museum.
Over the nineteen years of operations, there were 7.3 million passengers carried on the PLI. At the end of service in 1933, all but one car were stripped of all mechanical and electrical components and their bodies were put up for sale. The two Wason suburban coaches from 1915 were sold for storage use and later both bodies were acquired by the Seashore Trolley Museum. (Both have since been scrapped). The body of No. 22, Maine was bought and placed in Lewiston and was used as a drinking/eating establishment for many years until it was scrapped. No. 10, Arbutus, was sold as a complete operating interurban to a daughter of W. Scott Libbey, Gertrude Libbey Anthony. She had the Arbutus moved to her home in Bay View, Saco, ME, and placed on a short section of track as a memorial to her father until it too was scrapped in 1946.
No. 10, Arbutus on a trailer on its way to Gertrude Libbey
Anthony's home in Saco, Maine. Photo from the
Scrapbook of the Employees of the PLI, courtesy of
Seashore Trolley Museum.
A few items from the Arbutus were saved and distributed to historical societies in Maine. Several of the stained glass windows and mahogany sash from the clerestory made their way to Branford Electric Railway Assoc. in New Haven, CT, and were given to Seashore Trolley Museum in 2001 for use in the restoration of the Narcissus. The bodies of the Gladiolus, Clementis, Azalea, and Magnolia were all scrapped at some point.
Awaiting their fate in the railyard in Lewiston 1934.
Left to tight - No. 20, Magnolia, No. 14, Narcissus, &
No. 22, Maine.
No. 22, Maine when a diner in Lewiston.
In O. R. Cummings' 1967 book,
"Maine's Fastest Electric Railroad: Portland-Lewiston
Interurban"
The body of the Narcissus was purchased by a fella who moved it to nearby Sabattus Pond (Lake) where he was going to try and make it into an eating establishment. That didn't transpire, so the body was resold to a neighbor, J. Henri Vallee, for $100. Henri had it moved to his lot at the lake and made the Narcissus his summer camp for the next 35 years.
Looking at the narrow doorway of the Number 1 end of the Narcissus. The
smoking compartment area is through the doorway, then onto the vestibule
of the # 1 end. The entrance to the attached kitchen/dining area is to the left,
out of sight from the angle this photo was taken. The date that is written on
the back of this photo, is July 8, 1961. Left to Right - Venerand Paquette,
Billy Paquette, Rose Marie Paquette, J. Henri Vallee.
Image courtesy of Daniel Vallee.
Narcissus was the Vallee family summer camp from 1934 until 1969.
Image courtesy of Daniel Vallee.
Going back to the 1930s, the early Seashore Trolley Museum members were hoping to acquire the complete Arbutus from Mrs. Anthony, but when the early members returned home after serving in WW II, they found that the Arbutus had been scrapped. The members then focused their attention on their second choice. To try and acquire the Narcissus.
No. 10, Arbutus, on display as a memorial to Gertrude
Libbey Anthony's father, W. Scott Libbey, the intrepid
builder of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. Photo
from the Scrapbook of the Employees of the PLI,
courtesy of Seashore Trolley Museum.
O. R. Cummings published his first book on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban in 1956. This book certainly stirred the pot with Museum members and by the early 60s, they were in contact with Mr. Vallee to see if he would be open to negotiating to turn the Narcissus over to the Museum. By 1965, there was an understanding, in principle, that basically, if the Museum paid for a replacement home, Mr. Vallee would turn the Narcissus over to the Museum. These early years had the Museum members working on two fronts for the Narcissus. First, a group led by Bill Dox worked on raising funds and recruiting in-kind donations from contractors for building the replacement home, and secondly, as the Narcissus was a body-only, Museum members started searching in earnest for all the electrical and mechanical components needed to make the Narcissus stop and go. That was one long list. Many other components that would be needed for completing the project could be made or perhaps repurposed from other non-accessioned vehicles on the property.
The two Balwin 79-25A trucks with each containing two Westinghouse 90-hp motors would be next to impossible to find. The search was on for funds, contractors, and components.
In 1965, with the assistance of Maine Governor, John H. Reed, a pair of Baldwin trucks with motors was obtained from Oshawa, Ontario, as a gift (a gesture of international goodwill) from the Canadian National Railways. Though not a match for the original trucks, they were considered a strong candidate for use by the Narcissus.
O. R. Cummings published his second book on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban in 1967, "Maine's Fastest Electric Railroad: Portland-Lewiston Interurban." O. R. signed over the royalties of the book to the Narcissus fund (once his initial expenses were covered). Sales of this new, comprehensive, 90-page publication took off and the Narcissus fund began to grow steadily.
Later in the 1960s, major electrical and mechanical components for use in the Narcissus restoration were either traded for from sister railway organizations or acquired from the Boston MTA Everett Shops when the MTA released obsolete parts they had in storage from the previous fifty years. A Westinghouse Multiple System - 8-unit switch box, reverser, two HL-15B Multiple Control System controllers, a compressor, resistors, grids, etc., were all located for the Narcissus. As these parts arrived throughout those early years in the '60s, they were "stored" in the various storage areas on campus. Finding and extracting them became a challenging treasure hunt fifty years later.
The Westinghouse Multiple System - 8-unit switch box that
will be refurbished for use in the Narcissus. PWM
One of two HL-15B
controllers that will be
refurbished for use in the
Narcissus. PWM
Meanwhile, progress in fundraising and enlisting contractors to help with the construction costs to build a replacement home for Mr. Vallee continued. Work on the replacement home started in 1968. The home was completed and the Narcissus was loaded on a trailer on October 31, 1969, the Narcissus arrived at Seashore Trolley Museum.
Fifty years ago!
The Narcissus just before leaving for the Museum, with the
new replacement home for the Vallee family in the
background in Sabattus. Image courtesy of Danial Vallee.
In my opinion, having the necessary funds available each year, over the many, many years that would be required to do all the work necessary to complete the restoration of the Narcissus has been the single most challenging task over the previous fifty years that the Museum has had the PLI survivor.
Seashore Trolley Museum, spring 1970, with the Narcissus
in the parking lot. PWM
Once the Narcissus was on campus at the Museum, late in 1969, it took some years to build the restoration fund up to an amount of money adequate to where work could begin on the restoration. In the ensuing decades, once several thousands of dollars were available, the Narcissus would enter the restoration shop and have some work done. Once the money in the fund ran out, then the car would be removed from the shop for several years until adequate funds were replenished to an amount that would allow restoration work to carry on for another year or so. Over those many years, when the car was in the shop, meticulous notes were taken, sketches were made, and photographs were taken and added to the car's file. Many wooden components were removed, refinished and some replica pieces were made and then stored. Best restoration practices of the time were followed with the work done on various components of the body. This carousel continued, basically each decade until the second decade in the 21st century.
The Interior of a Narcissus vestibule clearly shows the white
paint covering the mahogany door and interior walls,
window sash, etc. June 1995. Courtesy Tom Hughes.
Narcissus as the tarp is about to be removed before
entering the shop. Courtesy Tom Hughes.
That was then, this is now.
The Museum volunteers and staff involved with the Narcissus Project embraced a plan that required breaking away from what had been the conventional procedure for conducting piecemeal restoration of the Narcissus based on financial resources, and instead, decided to start fresh. Basically, going back to square one, creating an outcome-driven plan with tasks identified and undertaken based on prioritized stages led by having few, if any assumptions of the condition of existing materials or components until a true, hands-on, assessment could determine the condition.
Undaunted by the Challenge Still Ahead
With that in mind, to truly get to square one on the condition of the superstructure, it literally needed to be taken apart to be inspected properly. To look at the Narcissus in the restoration shop today, one would be hard-pressed to imagine "this" is the majestic Narcissus. The same Narcissus whose elegant interior mesmerized its passengers for nearly twenty years. Whose operators and passengers shared their stories of its beauty and speed with such passion that their stories have been retold and passed on for generations. Yet, what one sees in the shop is indeed the Narcissus.
Number 1 end and the left side of the Narcissus before
replacement window posts were installed. The new steel
channel is positioned and awaiting the vintage timber
southern yellow pine sill. PWM
Number 2 end and the left side of the Narcissus before
replacement window posts were installed. The new steel
channel is positioned and awaiting the vintage timber
southern yellow pine sill. PWM
replacement window posts were installed. The new steel
channel is positioned and awaiting the vintage timber
southern yellow pine sill. PWM
Extensive engineering preparation for the most challenging work to date on the Narcissus paid off in 2018 with the removal of the two thirty-seven-foot-long southern yellow pine side sills with their steel channel. The two new steel channels ordered, primed, and delivered are in position. The left side channel has had the necessary holes drilled in preparation for being installed. The left side passenger compartment vertical ash window posts and columns are now being repaired or replaced as necessary. The tight side steel channel and vertical ash window posts and columns will have their turn soon. Replacement, old-growth, thirty-seven-foot-long southern yellow pine side sill timbers have not been located. The search continues as leads are identified.
Heidi is making cuts to
the interior of one of the
pieces needed to make a
double. PWM
A stack of double-window posts for the Narcissus. PWM
A stack of single window posts for the Narcissus. PWM
Meanwhile, an inventory is being finalized for all the remaining brass components that will need to be cast. The order is expected to be placed in the next couple of months. In addition, colder weather conditions have volunteers and staff working inside on several projects in heated areas of the shop. Besides the above-mentioned work on the window posts; work on the ten mahogany doors, dozens of pieces of various sizes of mahogany trim, and twenty-plus mahogany veneer panels that fit along the interior walls, under the passenger windows, are being done, to name a few projects. The punch list of tasks to tackle and complete is a long one.
Some of the brass components will be used to
have additional pieces cast for future use. PWM
Two of the mahogany doors
for the Narcissus. PWM
Seth working on a mahogany sash for the
large leaded stained glass windows. PWM
Seth working on some of the dozens of small mahogany trim
pieces for the Narcissus. PWM
pieces for the Narcissus. PWM
The best way to follow the restoration work progress is by going to the Narcissus project blog www.narcissus1912.blogspot.com The blog was created to connect with a large number of folks, through the power of social media, to introduce them to and provide updates on the Narcissus Project, Theodore Roosevelt connection in Maine, Seashore Trolley Museum, and early electric railways in Maine.
The next large undertaking for Narcissus will be to build the trucks. Building trucks that have the same visual appearance as the originals, with operational integrity, and adequate power and speed for use by the Narcissus will be the largest single financial expense for the project. Costs are sure to exceed a quarter of a million dollars. The Baldwin trucks acquired in 1965 were joined by two other sets of trucks acquired 20 years ago or so, for potential use by the Narcissus, and between them all, along with major engineering/fabrication, a pair of trucks will be built for use by the Narcissus.
A page from the report of
the condition of two of
the truck sets available for use
in building a set of trucks for
the Narcissus.
In summary, on February 27, 2018, we received an email from the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation in CA, which included an RFP invite to submit an estimate; for the total costs associated with all aspects of work, materials, etc., with a timeline to complete the restoration of the Narcissus. Estimates did not include costs associated with creating/implementing interpretation materials/programs for exhibits, etc. We had thirty days to submit the request.
A few weeks after we submitted our proposal to the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation, we were notified that the Foundation approved the major gift. This major gift to the Narcissus Project will be the financial catalyst that will propel the restoration of this National Register of Historic Places electric railway icon forward. Arthur Jones and Joseph Brogan, the principals and founders of the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation, have truly honored the Narcissus with their Foundation's extraordinary gift.
When the restoration of the Narcissus is completed, the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed restoration of the 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus, will be at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport. We are still in need of funds for creating the interpretation programs that will tell this fascinating 110-year-old story of Narcissus. For information on donation options, scroll down any post until you come to the donation section or contact Phil Morse at p.morse31@gmail.com (cell-207-985-9723). Please help by making a donation today:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
