Elm Street in Mechanic Falls
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_024
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 Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway summary/images from the book, from 2015 NEERHS book, "The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946" Additional information came from the 1915 Public Utilities Report.
From the Poland side of Little Androscoggin looking at
a trolley passing through Minot Corner.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_001
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
- 3.15.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - York Utilities Company 1923-1949
- 3.14.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Atlantic Shore Railway 1911-1923
- 3.11.2020-Maine Bicentennial Series - Portsmouth, Dover & York St Rwy 1903-1906
- 3.9.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Auburn, Mechanic Falls & NorwayStRwy1902-3
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Portland & Brunswick Electric Railway 1902-1911
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway Co. 1919-1941
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville St Rwy 1907-1919
- 3.6.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath St Rwy 1898-1907
- 3.4.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Hydro-Electric Company 1925-1945
- 3.4.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Penobscot Central Railway 1898-1906
- 3.3.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor. Hampden & Winterport Rwy 1896-1905
- 3.2.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railway 1895-1905
- 3.2.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Railway & Electric Company 1905-1925
- 3.1.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Street Railway 1889-1905
- 2.23.2020 -Maine Bicentennial Series - Portsmouth, Kittery & York St. Rwy 1897-1903
- 2.22.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railway 1899-1904
- 2.21.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Mousam River Railroad 1892-1899
- 1.31.2019 - Maine Bicentennial Series - The Norway and Paris Street Railway 1894-1918
- 1.27.2019 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Aroostook Valley Railroad 1909-1946
- 10.17.2018 - Maine Bicentennial - Portland Railroad History 1860-1941
No. 190 with its destination sign as "Special." This
indicates that a group hired the car for a special occasion,
perhaps a fan trip?
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_002
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway
An act to grant additional powers to the Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway was approved by the legislature on March 28, 1903. It seems that perhaps the initial approval of the organization of the company on October 21, 1902, didn't include broad enough powers to allow the company the latitude needed to attract the financial support to make the company viable. The additional powers in this 1903 act did. However, the company was still not able to attract enough interest to initiate the start of the line until it was restructured.
No. 310 in Hackett's Mill crossing the Little Androscoggin
River bridge. O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_007
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
What would become Maine's longest electric railway, with more than 150 miles of mainline trackage, started with its "parent" company, Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway obtaining authority to change its name to the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway in 1907. The new (LA&W) inherited rights granted to the parent in 1903, to acquire the property, rights, privileges, and franchises of some of the other railway companies. This would be just what the new corporate organizers had in mind. Even though the independent company named, the Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway ended in 1907, the line continued serving the public until 1941.
No.190 again in a sequence photo from the previous photo.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_003
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
These rights led to the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway, starting with Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway, acquiring the Brunswick Electric Railroad (later known as the Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath Street Railway), the Bath Street Railway, the Lewiston & Auburn Horse Railroad Company, the Augusta, Winthrop & Gardiner Railway, the Augusta & Waterville Railway, the Auburn & Turner Railroad, and the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway, operating 156 trolley cars on 161 miles of track.
No. 120 was hired for this fan trip of the "Portland Trolley
Electric Railroaders special outing. We have learned that
the date of this trip was April 19, 1938.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_004
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Click Here to see the April 1938 issue of The Maine Electric Transiteer that shows the full schedule of the April 19, 1938, Portland Div of the ERA fan trip.
Construction of the Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway actually did not start until 1907. The first $42,000 in construction costs were handled under the initial parent company name and on July 8, 1907, the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway took over and carried on the management payment arrangements for the construction of the line.
No. 190 in Minot probably on Minot Avenue with the Little
Androscoggin on the right through the brush.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_005
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
The construction company, the Northern Construction Company, was contracted to build the Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway Street Railway, had the contract adjusted to exclude the Norway extension from Mechanic Falls, and to include the construction of the Sabattus to Gardiner extension and the Augusta to Waterville extension.
Auburn to Mechanic Falls: $166,430
Sabattus to Gardiner: 524,133
Augusta to Waterville: 483,843
Total of $1,174,406
Construction of the Auburn-Mechanic Falls trackage began at Washington Street and Minot Avenue and proceeded about nine miles; to Steven's Mills, Haskell Corner, Minot, Hackett's Mills to Mechanic Falls. The line was never extended to Norway to connect with the Norway & Paris Street Railway.
No. 186 on a trip in September 1939. Hackett Mills Road
bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_009
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
The system opened for service with two closed cars, one open car, and a snowplow assigned to the line (the open car would be kept in the carbarn in Turner during the winter months). The line would follow alongside the main highway with a private steel bridge over the Little Androscoggin River at Hackett's Mills.
The Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad (PLI) opened for service on July 2, 1914, and it branched off from the Auburn, Mechanic Falls & Norway line at Fairview Junction. The PLI would end operations on June 29, 1933 (Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport is now restoring the only surviving PLI interurban, the Narcissus).
Auburn-Mechanic Falls Map from
2015 NEERHS book,
"The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street
& Electric Railways 1863-1946"
When operations commenced later in 1907, through-trips started in Lewiston at the waiting room at Hulett's Square at the head of Lisbon Street; to Court Street and Minot Avenue, Turner Center Creamery spur, Washington Street and Minot Avenue, Fairview Junction (PLI), Garfield Road (First Fare Limit), Pulsifer's (Second Fare Limit), Minot Corner, Hackett's Mills (Third Fare Limit), Sand Pit spur, Harris Hill (Fourth Fare Limit), and to the end of the line in Mechanic Falls.
A total of 10.23 miles.
Each fare limit was 5 cents. So, a through-trip, in either direction, costs a total of 20 cents.
No. 120 during a fan trip of the Portland Trolley Electric
Railroaders excursion. Hackett Mills Road
bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_012
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
No. 120 during a fan trip of the Portland Trolley Electric
Railroaders excursion. Hackett Mills Road
bridge over the Little Androscoggin in Poland/Minot.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_013
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
At the Advent Christian Campground on Lewiston Street,
Mechanic Falls. O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_015
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
The Advent Christian Church is seen on the left in the back at
the end of the line in Mechanic Falls. September 1939, No. 186.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_017
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Sunday, April 1941, No. 190 at the corner of Elm and
Lewiston Streets in Mechanic Falls.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_018
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
The Advent Christian Church is seen on the left in the back
at the end of the line in Mechanic Falls.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_019
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
No. 28 was a passenger car on the Lewiston, Brunswick &
Bath line. It was converted to an overhead maintenance
work car. Seen here at the corner of Elm and
Lewiston Streets in Mechanic Falls
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_020
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
No. 180 at the corner of Elm and Lewiston Streets in
Mechanic Falls has its trolley pole wire secured in the down
position before heading out for East Auburn.
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_10_021
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Revenues generated on the line in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1915, were $32,095
The Line was abandoned on September 1, 1941, along with the remainder of the Lewiston railway system.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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