Bangor Railway & Electric Company's No. 14 in Hampden.
One-of-seven, 8-wheel (double-truck), light-weight, safety
cars built in 1921, that arrived in Bangor from the Wason
Company in Springfield, MA, in 1922. Primarily used for the
Hampden and Brewer line. Numbered 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16,
and 18, all were sold in 1942 to the Johnstown (PA)
Traction Company (JTC), where they were renumbered
from 305 through 311. All but No. 311 were scrapped in
1947. No. 311 stayed in service until 1961. No. 311 was
saved and sold to the Rockhill Trolley Museum (PA)
See more about Bangor's only surviving trolley and
its happy home in Rockhill Furnace, PA.
Photo courtesy of Joel Salomon
One-of-seven, 8-wheel (double-truck), light-weight, safety
cars built in 1921, that arrived in Bangor from the Wason
Company in Springfield, MA, in 1922. Primarily used for the
Hampden and Brewer line. Numbered 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16,
and 18, all were sold in 1942 to the Johnstown (PA)
Traction Company (JTC), where they were renumbered
from 305 through 311. All but No. 311 were scrapped in
1947. No. 311 stayed in service until 1961. No. 311 was
saved and sold to the Rockhill Trolley Museum (PA)
See more about Bangor's only surviving trolley and
its happy home in Rockhill Furnace, PA.
Photo courtesy of Joel Salomon
A screenshot from Google Maps on 2-29-2020
of where I think the intersection is in Hampden that
Car 14 is seen in the above photo
Here is the newest release in the Maine Bicentennial series of electric railways in Maine. This blog post features the Bangor Railway & Electric Company summary/images from the book, "Bangor Street Railway" by Charles D. Heseltine, published as Transportation Bulletin No. 81 January -December 1974 through Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society copyright 1976 Roger Borrup and Charles D. Heseltine. Some text/images may be from the NEERHS 2015 publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946. Additional images will be credited.
- 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
Fully restored as Johnstown Traction Company (JTC) No. 311
in operation at Rockhill Trolley Museum in Rockhill Furnace,
PA. No. 311 is the former Bangor Railway & Electric Company's
No. 14. When it was retired from service in Johnstown, PA in
1961, No. 311 was the last of its type to be operated in
any United States city on a regular schedule. Photo from
Joel Salomon, Rockhill Trolley Museum
Passengers enjoying their ride on restored JTC No. 311
while in operation at Rockhill Trolley Museum. Formerly
No. 14 of the Bangor Railway & Electric Company, operating
most often on the Hampden and Brewer line. When saved,
JTC No. 311, was the first car acquired by Rockhill Trolley
Museum. Photo from Rockhill Trolley Museum's website.
Wason Car Company's builder's photo from 1921 of the interior
of Bangor Railway & Electric Company's No. 16, the sister
car to No. 14, now restored as Johnstown Traction Company
No. 311 at Rockhill Trolley Museum.
Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
Early in the 1900s, the electric railways serving the three largest population centers in Maine; Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor, had attracted the attention of New York and Philadelphia's financial interests. In some cases, these out-of-state interests were syndicates. In some cases, individuals within these syndicates or the individual syndicate would acquire shares in a railway company in Maine with plans to take control of the particular railway. Ultimately, many of the electric railways in Maine, were at one time or another, controlled by these various syndicates. The three city-centered systems succumbed to the syndicates with first Bangor, followed by Lewiston, and then finally Portland, on February 1, 1912. Through A. B. Leach & Company of New York, E. W. Clark & Company of Philadelphia, and J. and W. Seligman & Company of New York (brokerage houses), were in control of the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville, the Bangor Railway & Electric Company, and the Portland Railroad.
Bangor Railway & Electric Company
June 30, 1905, was the date of the consolidation at which time the various water power, electric light, and street railway properties were reorganized in a merger creating the Bangor Railway & Electric Company.
Bangor Street Railway, Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railway, Penobscot Central Railway/Bangor and Northern, and the Bangor, Hampden & Winterport Railway all came to be merged with the Bangor Railway & Electric Company.
On behalf of the General Electric Company, which held large interests in the Bangor corporations, John R. Graham was called into service to consolidate the Bangor properties. The predecessor of the Bangor Railway and Electric Company was the Old Town Electric Company which had been organized in 1889. The name of the corporation was changed by an act of the legislature in 1905. The act permitted the newly organized Bangor Railway & Electric Company to purchase, or otherwise acquire, the various lighting, street railway, and water power companies of the area.
Development of both the street railways and the power company in Bangor may fully be credited to John R. Graham. The consolidation of most of the entities took place on April 1, 1905. The consolidation was completed in February 1906 with the addition of the 28 miles and the equipment of Penobscot/Bangor & Northern Railway, which became the Charleston Division of the Bangor Railway & Electric Company (BR&E).
The early years of the consolidation focused on investing in improvements to infrastructure, power sources, and overall service to patrons. These improvements included a rotary substation being built at Kenduskaeg Village and considerable money being spent on improving River Park on the Hampden line and the Charleston Division. Service improvements to patrons included transfer privileges extended to the Charleston Division with free transfers issued on the local lines covering the first fare zone on the Charleston run. Seven daily round trips through Charleston, and hourly service to North Bangor and Kenduskeag Village.
Extra cars to meet passengers at various train stations and the Eastern Steamship Company. This resulted in considerable baggage and express business. in an attempt to develop the agricultural economy of the area served by the Charleston Division, the BR&E established a "model farm" close to the Six Miles Falls carbarn to demonstrate modern techniques in farming. This was done in collaboration with experts from the State College in Orono. The company also built several potato storage houses along the route to serve as collection centers for the crop.
A new, modern carhouse with repair facilities was built on lower Main Street and opened in 1906. It was claimed to be the first use of reinforced concrete for this type of structure.
Old wooden bridges were a problem. Even though portions of the bridge between Bangor and Brewer were upgraded in 1902/3, trolley cars were still not permitted to cross. The bridge over the Stillwater River in Orono was condemned for use by trolley cars later in 1907. The bridge over the Segeunkedunk Stream. The fire of 1911 badly damaged the two municipal bridges over the Kenduskeag Stream. The bridge at Six Mile Falls was washed out in 1920.
The great Bangor fire of 1911 claimed the general offices of the BR&E as well as the Park Street substation. Much of the heart of the business section of Bangor was lost.
BR&E continued making improvements. A one-mile extension of the Hampden line was made to Dorothea Dix Park late in 1913. Finally, on September 28, 1914, electric cars commenced operations over the newly completed steel bridge over the Penobscot River between Bangor and Brewer, linking the Brewer Division with the rest of the system.
John R. Graham died on August 24, 1915. He was succeeded as president of the BR&E by Erastus C. Ryder, who was replaced in 1920 by Edward M. Graham, John's son. Edward served until 1958 when he was named chairman of the Board of the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company.
During WWl, the Bangor system became the third-largest electric freight line carrier in our Pine Tree State, topped only by the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway, and the Atlantic Shore Railway. The old Penobscot Central route, which became the Charleston Division was primarily a freight line. A total of 94,353 car miles were reported by the freight department for the year ending June 30, 1919, with freight income at $52,644.81. Inflation during the war years added to the troubles of reduced ridership. Passenger receipts for the 1919 year ending June 30, amounted to $432,683.64. Operating expenses outstripped income, a troubling trend.
Certain reorganizations in the financial structure of the Bangor Railway & Electric Company resulted when the General Electric Company divested itself of its subsidiary, the Electric Bond & Share Company, in 1924. As a result, the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company was organized on June 9, 1924. Stock in this new corporation was exchanged on an equal basis for stock in the Bangor Railway & Electric company. The new company formally took over operation on March 1, 1925
At that time, the Bangor trolley system was operating a total of 58.73 miles of mainline track, including the lengthy Charleston line. The high watermark for the number of passengers carried and net earnings was during 1921, with 7,835,046 passengers carried. 1914 was actually the year with the highest net earnings from railway operations at $166,135.
No. 32 is about to leave Market Square, Bangor for Charleston,
in 1915, as conductor Arthur L. Cameron at left and Motoman,
William Wood pose. No. 32 is a combination built by J. G. Brill Co.
in 1906. The sliding door in the background is for loading
freight. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
J. G. Brill Co. builder's photo of combination car No. 32
in Philadelphia, PA in 1906 before being shipped to Bangor.
A combine or combination car was designed to handle express
or light freight and also carry passengers. Generally,
one-third of the car compartment was for freight, usually
with a sliding door on one or both sides of the body, and
two-thirds of the car compartment had seats for carrying
passengers. Combines were commonly used on rural lines.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Bangor local lines
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in the NEERHS 2015
publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric
Railways 1863-1946.
No. M-1, a 1903 Wason Car Company 4-wheel Shear/plow
was purchased used from Eastern Mass. St. Rwy.
Image from the Edwin "Bill" Robertson Coll. PWM
Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railway
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in the
2015 publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of
Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946.
No. M-6, a 1901 Ruggles Co., 8-wheel, double-truck rotary
snowblower used on the Old Town line.
Image from the Edwin "Bill" Robertson Coll. PWM
No. 34, like No. 32, is a combination car. Here No. 34 is in
Kenduskeag Villiage on the Charleston line. Circa 1910
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Penobscot Central Railway
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in the
2015 publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of
Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946.
On the Charleston line, No. 34 is in East Corinth.
No. 34, like No. 32 was built by J. G. Brill Co. in 1906.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Charleston Division
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in the
2015 publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of
Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946.
No 46, outside of Bangor Union Station was built in 1919
by the American Car Company, is one of the many
"Birney" Safety Cars operated on the Bangor system
These cars required only a motorman for operations,
reducing the need for a conductor, thus reducing payroll costs.
Image from Edwin "Bill" Robertson Coll. PWM
Bangor, Hampden & Winterport Railway
(Never did reach Winterport...btw)
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in the NEERHS 2015
publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric
Railways 1863-1946.
Wason-built double-truck safety car No. 14. No 14 was sold
in 1942 to the Johnstown (PA) Traction Company (JTC),
where they were renumbered from 305 through 311. All but
No. 311 was scrapped in 1947. No. 311 stayed in service until
1961. No. 311 was saved and sold to the
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_02_12_013
A postcard of a trolley car stopped at Hampden Corner.
PWM Collection
Veazie hydroelectric station interior photo in the early 1920s.
The major source of power for the Bangor trolleys.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Development of both the street railways and the power company in Bangor may fully be credited to John R. Graham. The consolidation of most of the entities took place on April 1, 1905. The consolidation was completed in February 1906 with the addition of the 28 miles and the equipment of Penobscot/Bangor & Northern Railway, which became the Charleston Division of the Bangor Railway & Electric Company (BR&E).
No 32 at the end of the line in Charleston in 1909. No. 32,
a combination car built in 1906 by the J. G. Brill Company.
Image from the Edwin "Bill" Robertson Coll.
No. 9, a 13-bench open car was built in 1912 by the Laconia
Car Company, Laconia, NH with steam railroad roof and
was used on the Hampden line for passengers traveling to
Riverside Park. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
13-bench, double-truck, open car No. 13, with sister open
cars, Nos. 9 and 11 were the last open cars purchased by the
Bangor system and were among the last open cars to be built
for a North American street railway.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
The "new" Bangor carbarn on Lower Main Street opened in
1906. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Double-truck, 1921 Wason Car Company-built, safety-car
No. 16 on Central Street in Bangor circa 1932. Sister
to No. 14, became No. 311 in Johnstown (PA)
Traction Company (JTC) in 1942 and is now restored and
operating at Rockhill Trolley Museum.
Photo from Joel Salomon, Rockhill Trolley Museum
Screenshot of Google Maps today
taken from about the same spot
as the photo above with car No 16
on Central Street. Remove the addition
from the top, the red brick building
on the left has an unusual shape and
is located in part on 79 Central St.,
Bangor, Me. I think we have a match:)
1902 freshet washed away the center span and approach to
Bangor-Brewer covered bridge and railroad span in
the foreground. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Bangor Library was one of the many buildings destroyed in
the 1911 conflagration. This is a 1910 view from the State
Street bridge over the Kenduskeag Stream. The trolley car
in the background is turning onto Harlow Street.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Six Mile Falls bridge the day after the trestle bents were swept
away downstream by ice in April 1920. One lonely trolley
looks on. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
BR&E continued making improvements. A one-mile extension of the Hampden line was made to Dorothea Dix Park late in 1913. Finally, on September 28, 1914, electric cars commenced operations over the newly completed steel bridge over the Penobscot River between Bangor and Brewer, linking the Brewer Division with the rest of the system.
Builder's photo of Semi-Convertible car No. 92 at the Wason
Company in 1914, before being shipped to Bangor.
Upper windows in semi-convertible cars could be lifted
and stored in a roof compartment, or removed altogether
allowing for maximum airflow through the car during
warmer weather Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
These patented storm windows
were installed on cars like No.
92 for the winter season, along
with electric heaters,
kept the passengers on
the Old Town line is toasty
and warm on Maine's coldest days.
Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Center entrance car No. 10 aboard a steam railroad flatcar
at the Laconia Car Company ready for shipment to Bangor
in 1916. Nos. 8, 10, & 12 were the first of this type for the
Bangor system. A low-step, center entrance,
pre-payment car would accept a crowd of passengers quickly.
They were nicknamed "submarines" and were referred to as
U-8, U-10, and U-12. They had Radiax-type trucks with
"floating axles" that were difficult to rerail and
seemed to jump the track and derail fairly frequently.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Center Entrance trailer No. 200 in a J. G. Brill Company
builder's photo in 1917. The trailer was converted to a
motorized car in 1919/20 and was renumbered to car No. 98.
builder's photo in 1917. The trailer was converted to a
motorized car in 1919/20 and was renumbered to car No. 98.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
During WWl, the Bangor system became the third-largest electric freight line carrier in our Pine Tree State, topped only by the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway, and the Atlantic Shore Railway. The old Penobscot Central route, which became the Charleston Division was primarily a freight line. A total of 94,353 car miles were reported by the freight department for the year ending June 30, 1919, with freight income at $52,644.81. Inflation during the war years added to the troubles of reduced ridership. Passenger receipts for the 1919 year ending June 30, amounted to $432,683.64. Operating expenses outstripped income, a troubling trend.
Switching freight at East Corinth on the Charleston line
in the early days of the BR&E 1897 box-express motor
built by J. G. Brill in 1897 for the Bangor, Hampden &
Winterport Railway.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
The Westland Avenue extension of 1922, bringing together the outer ends of the Hampden Street and Ohio Street lines, was the last major building job of the Bangor system. Forming Westland Ave. Loop in both directions that cars could travel and included combining the State-Garland loop.
At that time, the Bangor trolley system was operating a total of 58.73 miles of mainline track, including the lengthy Charleston line. The high watermark for the number of passengers carried and net earnings was during 1921, with 7,835,046 passengers carried. 1914 was actually the year with the highest net earnings from railway operations at $166,135.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!
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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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