These four sixty-five hp motors are for the Narcissus. They
are waiting to be picked up, placed in a truck, and then will
be delivered to A-C Electric in Auburn, ME. That is where they
are waiting to be picked up, placed in a truck, and then will
be delivered to A-C Electric in Auburn, ME. That is where they
will each be rebuilt. The armatures will be
vacuum/pressure-impregnated and epoxied, the
vacuum/pressure-impregnated and epoxied, the
bearings sleeved, the cases line-bored and trued, and the
fields rewound and epoxied as well.
The Narcissus was built in 1912 in Laconia, NH, and operated on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) between the two cities from 1914 to 1933. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus from Lewiston to Portland on August 18, 1914.
The blog posts include updates on the restoration of the National Register of Historic Places, Narcissus, which is currently taking place at Seashore Trolley Museum's Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop in Kennebunkport, Maine. Posts also include topics; on the connections that Theodore Roosevelt has here in Maine, the PLI and its connections to the communities it served (Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland, Gray, New Gloucester, Auburn, and Lewiston), the builder of the PLI, W. S. Libbey, other electric railway systems in Maine, and people of Maine that had an impact on the electric railway development here in Maine.
Starting in 1965, the Museum has been seeking and acquiring trucks and all the other various mechanical and electrical components that would be needed to make the Narcissus look, operate, and stop appropriately and safely. The body of the Narcissus arrived on the Museum campus on October 31, 1969. The original rare Baldwin trucks, each with two 90-hp motors, were scrapped in the mid-1930s shortly following the end of operations of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. Over the ensuing years, the Museum acquired four sets of trucks that each had attributes that were considered strong candidates for use in creating a pair of trucks for the Narcissus. This winter, the task of building the trucks for the Narcissus begins. Various components of the four sets of trucks acquired for the Narcissus will be removed and utilized in building the two trucks for the Narcissus. In addition, other components for the two trucks will need to be fabricated for installation on the trucks. We will be using 65-hp motors (GE 263-A) that will be placed in Baldwin trucks. These Baldwin trucks will be base trucks, as there will be many modifications required to have the truck(s) look correct and fit/operate correctly with the Narcissus.
ID plate on one of the 65-hp motors.
The first Baldwin "base truck" just before entering the shop
where it will start its complicated transition to becoming one
of the two trucks used to propel the Narcissus. Components
from three other sets of trucks will be used in building the
two trucks for the Narcissus using these Baldwin base trucks.
A side view of the first Baldwin base truck that will
be renovated for use by the Narcissus.
In the "box", the first Baldwin base truck will
be sharing the heated workspace with the
Denver, Birney car, during cold winter months.
This is what we will call the second pair of Baldwin trucks.
This set of trucks had four 65-hp motors and four-axle
sets removed for use in building the Narcissus trucks.
Today, the axle sets were removed from the "second set of
trucks" and brought to the doorway of the restoration shop.
We will not be using the wheels or journal boxes from
these axle sets, but the remaining components from these
will be used in building the Narcissus trucks.
This is what we will call the third set of Baldwin trucks
acquired for use in building the Narcissus trucks. The
angled-down "tail" seen here to the left of the wheelset, will
be removed from both of these trucks and used in
building the Narcissus trucks.
This is what we will call the fourth different Baldwin truck
set acquired (this set was acquired in 1965 from Ontario,
Canada) for use in building the Narcissus trucks.
One truck has the correct journal boxes for the Narcissus.
These will be used in building the Narcissus trucks,
but will also be used to cast the remaining boxes needed.
The fourth set of trucks also has some of the correct
brake pieces needed to build the Narcissus trucks.
Another major step forward with the Narcissus restoration has been taken this month as the forty-foot, vintage southern yellow pine timbers have been located, and inspected, then a purchase order was executed to acquire them for use as the side sills for the Narcissus.
The left side of the Narcissus is ready to
receive its new thirty-seven-foot-long vintage
southern yellow pine side sill.
Click Here to see the original sills being removed.
The right side of the Narcissus. You can clearly see the
tenon at the base of several of the vertical wall/window posts.
These tenons fit into the mortise (holes) cut into the top
37-foot-long vintage southern yellow pine side sill.
Click Here for the post on removing the original right sill and steel channel.
Once the two forty-foot timbers are cut, sawn, and milled to the ready-to-go specs of 5" x 8" x 37', they will be delivered to STM (perhaps mid-December?) and the arduous effort of handling the sills to properly prepare them for installation will begin.
Just moving the 37-foot sills to and from the various work "stations" for them to be positioned properly and safely will be a challenging, time-consuming endeavor. Each sill weighs approximately 300-400 pounds and will need to be positioned next to the removed original sill to mark the exact placement for the holes to be drilled. These holes will match the holes in the channel steel that will encase the interior side and a portion of the top and bottom edges of the sills. The flat back of the channel steel with the encased sill will be bolted to the 37-foot-long passenger compartment floor sill/joist.
The two original 37-foot-long side sills
from the Narcissus are stored in the
parts storage trailer that is currently dedicated
to store parts for the Narcissus.
Mortiser (specialized woodworking machine
used for cutting square or rectangular holes
in a piece of lumber). This mortiser will be
used by the shop staff to cut the mortises in the
37-foot-long side sills for the Narcissus.
The mortiser (see above definition) is seen here at the end
of the long woodworking bench in the shop. The safe setup
to handle the 37-foot-long
side sill timber, while the mortise cuts are made, will
be challenging.
Ernie Eaton is the restoration shop project manager for Narcissus. Ernie is interested in technology and on his own, during his spare time, he has been working on a 3-D version of the Narcissus. This hobby has proven handy on several occasions recently, most notably when dealing with the wood vendor for the side sills. The virtual model of the sills shows the accurate placement of bolt holes and mortise locations so that when inspecting prospective salvaged, vintage, 40-foot timbers, it is easier to determine whether a timber's condition will be acceptable.
In this 3-D image, you see the placement of the mortise
locations on the top of the side sill for the vertical
wall/window post tenons.
A still-shot of a portion of the 3-D version of the Narcissus
seen here "virtually" on the mainline tracks at Morrison
Hill Station at Seashore Trolley Museum. 1915
Morrison Hill Station is the original waiting station of
the Portland-Lewiston Interurban line from West Cumberland,
and will be the site where the ribbon-cutting ceremony
for the completed Narcissus will take place.
We are still in need of funds for creating the interpretation programs that will tell this fascinating 100+-year-old story of the Narcissus. For information on donation options, scroll down this post and find the one that best fits your position. Fund 816 to help with the restoration and Fund 817 (PLI Education-Interpretation programs ) should be noted when making a donation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click Here for the post that has the short virtual 3-D video of the digital model of the Narcissus, with components added to the file from earlier this year (the gold leaf file had not been added yet).
Restoration work continues on the Narcissus. The Narcissus is more than 110 years old now and has so many incredible stories to share. The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one of those incredible stories.
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.
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
Seashore Trolley Museum Promo Video
The paperback edition of Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride can be purchased online through the Seashore Trolley Museum's store website. Books purchased through the Museum's website directly benefit the Museum and the Narcissus project.
Click Here to go to the Museum Store web page to order online
Click Here to go to the Amazon page to order the ebook or audiobook online
Paperback books are available at these local bookstores in Maine:
Center for Maine Crafts, West Gardiner Service Plaza
The Book Review, Falmouth
The Bookworm, Gorham
Letterpress Books, Portland
Maine Historical Society Store, Portland
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland
Morph Gallery & Emporium, Kennebunk
New Gloucester Historical Society, New Gloucester
Nonesuch Books and More, South Portland
Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops, All Locations
Thompson's Orchard, New Gloucester
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride
by Jean M. Flahive
Illustrations by Amy J. Gagnon
Listen to a 2-minute, 30-second, Retail Audio Sample of the Audiobook
Millie Thayer is a headstrong farmer's daughter who chases her dreams in a way you would expect a little girl nicknamed "Spitfire" would run full tilt and with her eyes on the stars. Dreaming of leaving the farm life, working in the city, and fighting for women's right to vote, Millie imagines flying away on a magic carpet. One day, that flying carpet shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm. A fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, she finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. Despairing that her dreams may be shattered, Millie learns, in an unexpected way, that dreams can be shared.
A resource for teachers
Companion curriculum State-standard-based units,
vocabulary, and reading activities for use in grades 3-8
are available online as downloadable resources through
Seashore Trolley Museum's website
www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/
Maine Historical Society has created eight companion lesson units in Social Studies and ELA that were inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride - These State-standard-based lesson plans for use in grades 6, 7, and 8 are easily adapted for use in grades 3-5. Vocabulary and Reading activities for grades 3-8 along with the eight lesson plan units are available free and may be downloaded through Seashore Trolley Museum's website www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/
Go to the Teacher Resource Page in the pull-down for more details.
A 60-second intro to Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride by author, Jean Flahive
Click Here to watch the video on YouTube
Award-winning author, Jean M. Flahive
Please Consider a Donation to the Narcissus Project to help us tell the incredible story of the Narcissus through the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project.
Here is an example of how donations to the Narcissus Project now will help with the interpretation portion of the project. The interpretation programming will include exhibits, displays, and education programming. In 2019, through generous donations to the Narcissus Project, we were able to conserve, replicate, and have high resolutions digital image files made of the original, 1910, 28.5-foot long, surveyor map of the elevation and grade of the 30-mile private right-of-way of the Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad (Portland-Lewiston Interurban) Click Here
Thank You!
the crowd gathered in Gray, Maine on August 18, 1914.
Image courtesy of Gray Historical Society
The Narcissus as the Sabattus Lake Diner in Sabattus, Maine,
circa 1940. Photo by John Coughlin in the Kevin Farrell
Collection at Seashore Trolley Museum
L. Henri Vallee (right) and family members in the
Narcissus, when it was Vallee's summer camp in
Sabattus, Maine circa 1958. Photo courtesy Daniel Vallee
Inside the Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop, the Narcissus is in the midst of major work as we strive to complete its restoration. We are now planning the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project. Donations to the Narcissus Project may be used in the future to help tell the incredible 100-plus-year-old story of the Narcissus. Your donation to the Narcissus is helping to make the dream of the project's success, a reality.
See below for Donation options -
It starts with YOU
Your Donation Matters
Make a Donation TODAY
Please Help the Narcissus.
Donation Options to Help the Narcissus Project:
The New England Electric Railway Historical Society
is the 501c3 organization that owns and operates the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME, and the National Streetcar
Museum in Lowell (MA).
The New England Electric Railway Historical Society registered with the IRS (EIN# 01-0244457) and was incorporated in Maine in 1941.
Check or Money Order ***** should be made payable to:
New England Electric Railway Historical Society
In the memo: for a donation to the Interpretation programming
please write: PLI Education Fund 817
For a donation to help with the restoration write: Narcissus Fund 816
Mail to: Seashore Trolley Museum
P. O. Box A
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Credit Card ***** donations can be one-time donations or you
may choose to have a specific amount charged to your card
automatically each month. Please contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2800 ext. 3.
Online Donations - may be made by using a Credit Card:
Click Here to make an online donation through the Museum's website - When at the Donation page: Fill in donor info, etc., when at "To which fund are you donating? Scroll down to "Other" and type in 816 Narcissus, then continue filling in the required information.
Click Here for PayPal - to make an online donation: you can use email: finance@trolleymuseum.org and in the message box write:
For "Narcissus Fund 816" - if supporting the restoration
For "PLI Education Fund 817" - if supporting Interpretation programs
Donation of Securities ***** We also accept donations of
securities. You can contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2800 ext. 3,
for brokerage account information for accepting donated securities.
BONUS ***** If you work for a company/corporation that will
"match" an employee's donation to an approved 501c3 non-profit
educational organization, please be sure to complete the necessary paperwork with your employer so that your donation is matched :)
Questions? ***** Please contact Narcissus project sponsor:
Phil Morse, narcissus@gmail.org or call 207-985-9723 - cell.
Thank You :)
Thank You for our Current Funding Partners
* 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation - 2020/2018 - Major Gift, 2017/2014 Matching Grants
* Renaissance Charitable Foundation (LPCT) by Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Fund
* Renaissance Charitable Foundation (LPCT) by Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Fund
* Mass Bay RRE - 2018 Railroad Preservation Grant
* Thornton Academy (Saco, ME) - Staff & Alumni - Matching Grant Challenge 2014
* New England Electric Railway Historical Society (Kennebunkport, ME) - Member Donations
* Amherst Railway Society - 2015 Heritage Grant
* National Railway Historical Society - 2016 & 2015 Heritage Preservation Grants
* Enterprise Holding Foundation - 2015 Community Grant
* Theodore Roosevelt Association - Member Donations
* John Libby Family Association and Member Donations
* The Conley Family - In Memory of Scott Libbey 2018/2017/2016/2015
* The W. S. Libbey Family - Awalt, Conley, Graf, Holman, Libbey, McAvoy, McLaughlin, Meldrum, O'Halloran, Salto, - 2018/2017
* The Hughes Family 2017/2016/2010
* New Gloucester Historical Society and Member Donations
* Gray Historical Society and Member Donations
* Gray Public Library Association - Pat Barter Speaker Series
* Scarborough Historical Society - PRR/PLI
* LogMein - Matching Employee Donation
* IBM - Matching Employee/Retiree Donations
* Fidelity Charitable Grant - Matching Employee Donations
* Richard E. Erwin Grant - 2017/2016
The Narcissus, with interior back-lit, stained glass windows is majestic.
Make a donation today to help restore the interior of this Maine gem.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track! Once restored,
you will be able to ride in luxury on this National Register Treasure at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
PWM photo
Please Consider Making a Donation to the project of the National Register of Historic Places member, Narcissus. We are currently raising funds to advance the restoration and to tell the incredible story of this Maine gem.
Various News stories during the summer of 2015 about the
Narcissus and its connection to Theodore Roosevelt. TR
was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914.
Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson
The Narcissus - July 31, 2015. Make a donation today.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track!
Once restored, you will be able to ride in luxury on this
National Historic Treasure at
