Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway
closed car No. 8 with destination sign for Cresent Beach
while towing a work car with what looks like track materials.
circa 1914 - O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_198
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Here is the newest release in the Maine Bicentennial series of electric railways in Maine. This blog post features the summary of the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway in O. R. Cummings' book, "Transportation Bulletin No. 6, Part 1. January 1952 -"Rockland, Thomaston & Camden Street Railway", issued by the Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Additional photos will be credited accordingly. This material is taken from a copy of Transportation Bulletins No. 6 book acquired by this blogger.
Click Here for the post: Ninety Communities in Maine with Electric Railway Service!
Click Here for the post: 57 Million Passengers Carried on Electric Railways in Maine in 1915!
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - History of the Portland Railroad 1860-1941
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - History of the Calais Street Railway 1894-1929
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - History of Aroostook Valley Railroad 1909-1946
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Fryeburg Horse Railroad 1887-1913
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - The Norway and Paris Street Railway 1894-1918
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Skowhegan & Norridgewock Railway 1894-1903
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Benton and Fairfield Railway 1898-1928
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - The Somerset Traction Company 1895-1928
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - The Fairfield and Shawmut Railway 1903-1927
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Waterville, Fairfield, & Oakland Rwy 1887-1937
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Trolleys to Augusta, Maine 1889-1932
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden St.Rwy. '92-1931
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Biddeford and Saco Railroad Co. 1888-1939
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Mousam River Railroad 1892-1899
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railway 1899-1904
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Portsmouth, Kittery & York St. Rwy 1897-1903
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Bangor Street Railway 1889-1905
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Bangor Railway & Electric Company 1905-1925
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railway 1895-1905
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Penobscot Central Railway 1898-1906
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Bangor Hydro-Electric Company 1925-1945
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath St Rwy 1898-1907
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville St Rwy 1907-19
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway 1919-1941
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Portland & Brunswick Street Railway 1902-1911
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Auburn & Turner Railroad 1905-1928
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Auburn, Mechanic Falls & NorwayStRwy1902-7
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Portsmouth, Dover & York St Rwy 1903-1906
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Atlantic Shore Line Railway 1900-1910
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Atlantic Shore Railway 1911-1923
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - York Utilities Company 1923-1949
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Portland-Lewiston Interurban - It Begins 1914
Click Here for the post: Maine Bicentennial series - Portland-Lewiston Interurban - The End 1933
Seashore Trolley Museum, - Museum of Mass Transit, is celebrating its 80th Birthday-Year in 2019!
Special Events are scheduled - Public operations start on May 4, 2019.
Click Here for the 2019 Events & Special Activities for the 80th Anniversary Season, with hot links
Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway
About ten years after the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden Street Railway began operation, a new company, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & Owl's Head Railway, was organized on March 25, 1902, to build from Rockland into South Thomaston, there dividing and running by one branch to Cresent Beach and Owl's Head. Construction began in 1905 and by November 30, 4.35 miles of the route, from South Main and Mechanic Streets in Rockland to Cresent Beach, had been completed.
On March 27, 1906, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & Owl's Head Railway went into receivership, with the receiver beginning operation of the line on July 3rd. Power was purchased and cars were leased from Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden, which granted trackage rights over South Main Street to Park Street in Rockland.
The property was sold to the bondholders on November 1, 1908, and a new company, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway was organized. Two open and two closed were acquired, one of the latter being purchased second-hand from the Boston Elevated Railway and the other coming from the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden. The two opens were also second-hand but their original owner is unknown.
The branch to South Thomaston village was finally built in 1914, the necessary certificate of safety being granted on January 5th. Later that year, the company sought to effect its own entrance into Rockland, using streets not occupied by the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden Street Railway. Although a franchise was granted by the city, the petition for the necessary permission to build was dismissed by the Railroad Commissioners.
The railway also planned to extend from Crescent Beach to Owl's Head village and from South Thomaston through Tenant's Harbor to Port Clyde. Neither extension was ever built.
The railway was not a profitable one, revenues barely covered bed-rock operating expenses. President Alfred S. Black personally furnished money to pay the bond interest for several years, and when an open car overturned in an accident during the summer of 1917, he paid the claims that resulted from the mishap.
Service was suspended in the late fall of 1917 and during the following winter, efforts were made to interest the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden in taking over the South Thomaston line. But the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden Street Railway was not interested. A receiver was appointed early in 1918.
Thomas Hawken, former general manager of the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden, was engaged to make a survey of the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George, report on its physical condition, and estimate the cost of making it safe for operation. From the basis of his unfavorable report, it was decided to seek abandonment. And so, in 1918, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway passed into history
About ten years after the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden Street Railway began operation, a new company, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & Owl's Head Railway, was organized on March 25, 1902, to build from Rockland into South Thomaston, there dividing and running by one branch to Cresent Beach and Owl's Head. Construction began in 1905 and by November 30, 4.35 miles of the route, from South Main and Mechanic Streets in Rockland to Cresent Beach, had been completed.
Map from the 2015 NEERHS book, "The Illustrated Atlas of
Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946"
Ash Point waiting station.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_201
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
One open car and one closed car at the Crescent Beach Hotel.
circa 1914
Courtesy Penobscot Marine Museum LB2007.1.1.112586
The branch to South Thomaston village was finally built in 1914, the necessary certificate of safety being granted on January 5th. Later that year, the company sought to effect its own entrance into Rockland, using streets not occupied by the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden Street Railway. Although a franchise was granted by the city, the petition for the necessary permission to build was dismissed by the Railroad Commissioners.
South Thomaston waiting station. Circa 1915
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_202
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Open car No. 2 at the Crescent Beach Hotel. Circa 1914.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_195
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Open car No. 2 took a tumble. The date in the Museum
file makes note of the date September 3, 1914.
So, it is unclear from the Museum records whether this is the
accident referred to in the text of O.R.'s book describing
an open car overturning in the summer of 1917?
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_196
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Here is the carbarn where you see the South Thomaston
spur line turning off to the left. Circa 1917
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_200
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
View looking out from the carbarn. The track on the right coming
at the viewer would be passing the carbarn (behind the viewer)
and heading on to South Thomaston. The road in the
distance; tracks turn left for Rockland and turn right for
Crescent Beach. Circa 1917.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_41_203
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Thomas Hawken, former general manager of the Rockland, Thomaston, & Camden, was engaged to make a survey of the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George, report on its physical condition, and estimate the cost of making it safe for operation. From the basis of his unfavorable report, it was decided to seek abandonment. And so, in 1918, the Rockland, South Thomaston, & St. George Railway passed into history
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.