Maine Bicentennial Series - York Utilities Company 1923 - 1949

 
The accident ended it all. The front end of No. 90 dangles
over the Mousam River after the car derailed on the Mill
Square Bridge, February 6, 1947. Operator Stanley Cram
stands on a small islet in the river after he jumped from the
trolley. Some 17 passengers scurried to safety through the
rear door. This picture appeared in newspapers all over the
world, taken by Michael Shalhoup, Sanford Tribune photographer
Regular passenger service ended less than two months later.
O. R. Cummings Collection

The Last Electric Railway Company to Operate in Maine

Here is the newest release in the Maine Bicentennial series of electric railways in Maine. This blog post features the York Utilities Company summary/images from the book, "Atlantic Shore Trolleys" Bulletin No. 2 NEERHS by O. R. Cummings, January 1, 1966, "Atlantic Shore Line Railway" by O. R. Cummings, presented as Transportation Volume 4 by the Connecticut Electric Railway and the National Railway Historical Society-Connecticut Chapter - June 1950 Re-issued January 1957. And text/images are also taken from an O. R. Cummings book, "Trolleys To York Beach: The Portsmouth Dover & York Street Railway", Bulletin No. 1, New England Electric Historical Society, December 30, 1964. 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 or from O. R. Cummings Collection.

To see the online version of the 1957 book, Atlantic Shore Line Railway at Bangor Public Library here 

• 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

• York Utilities Company

     Early in 1922, the bondholders of the Atlantic Shore Railway instituted reorganization proceedings, and after a series of conferences and hearings, an agreement was finally reached among all parties and a new operation of a railway system was to be created, with some prospect of success.

     The reorganization took place on February 1, 1923, when the Atlantic Shore Railway was sold to a group of bondholders who, on the same day, incorporated the York Utilities Company.

     From the start, the management was faced with almost insurmountable obstacles in being able to continue as a viable railway operation. Automobiles were increasingly popular, and the era of restlessness following WWl was leading travelers to destinations away from the local beaches.

No. 50 at Central Square in Sanford circa 1925. No. 50 was 

a two-operator car when in service with the Atlantic Shore

Railway. Once No. 50 was with the York Utilities Company,

it was converted to a one-operator car. 

O. R. Cummings Collection

    One-man trolley operations were introduced in an attempt to pare the expenses, but earnings continued to decrease. The condition of the properties was suffering due to a lack of funds to invest in the proper maintenance of facilities and trackage. 

Rebuilt semi-convertible No. 56 - one of nine cars rebuilt

to being a one-operator car by the York Utilities Company.

Folding steps, air-controlled doors, and dead-man controls

were installed. photo from Harold Forsyth in

the O. R. Cummings Collection

     To promote better service between Sanford and Springvale, a new line was built on Main Street which opened in December 1923, This new line provided a loop service between the two communities, but serving as a loop was limited to evenings and Sundays only.

York Utilities Company map of operations in

the Sanford-Springvale area - not to scale.

sketched by R. Borrup in O. R. Cummings Coll.

     The first line to be abandoned was the Kennebunk-York Beach line, which was suspended on March 31, 1924, after a lifespan of only 17 years, nearly all of which were unprofitable. The rails and overhead were removed in the fall. That same year, bus operation was started over a new route between Sanford and Springvale.

     In 1925, bus service replaced the trolleys on the Town House-Cape Porpoise and the Town House-Kennebunkport lines. The tracks were retained for freight service. Bus service also began between Sanford and Biddeford via Alfred.

     Early in 1927, rail service between Sanford and Biddeford was reduced to four trips a day, with the trolleys operating every two hours between West Kennebunk and Biddeford. later that year, the company received permission to operate buses from Biddeford to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport; and on September 15, all rail service outside of Sanford and Springvale was discontinued. The Town House carbarn was closed and the repair shops were moved to Sanford where a new frame carhouse had been built earlier.

Interurban bus No. 209 - an early type used

on the line from Sanford to Biddeford.

O. R. Cummings Collection

     The six miles of track saved when the Town House -Biddeford track was torn up in 1929 was used to re-lay more than 80 percent of the trackage on the two lines between Sanford and Springvale. This relaid rail was carefully bonded and heat-treaded. The new overhead wire was also installed, along with many new poles and ties, and the shops were rebuilt and modernized.

Birney safety car No. 82 of YUCo at the Sanford

carbarn on June 21, 1935. The paint scheme was

blue with aluminum trim. This car and its mate,

No. 80, was transferred to Seashore Trolley

Museum for preservation purposes in 1946. These

two cars were originally Nos. 1 and 2 from the

Denver & South Platte (CO) in 1919. Converting

these two cars to handle standard-gauge tracks

of the YUCo was one of the last jibs undertaken

in the Town House shop in Kennebunkport.

No. 80 is currently under restoration at Seashore

Trolley Museum. It is being restored to

be No. 1, the representative of the Denver

& South Platte Street Railway. No. 82 will

be restored to be the Birney Safety car

representative of the York Utilities Company.

O. R. Cummings Collection

     On August 19, 1935, the last trolleys operated on Main Street with buses taking over the next day. River Street trolley passenger service continued for twelve more years. Operations being reduced to one car, providing a 30-minute headway along with regular freight service.

Sanford Village bound is No. 88 or 90 on Pleasant Street, 

at George Street, Springvale on May 30, 1946. Trolley

operations on River Street had less than a year left.

O. R. Cummings Collection

     The final regular trolley passenger trip was made on April 1, 1947, by No. 88, although there was a special farewell excursion run on April 27 for the Boston Division of the Railroad Entusiasts, Inc.

At the time it discontinued service, the York Utilities Company was operating the only passenger trolley car service in the State of Maine, and the last small city rail operation in New England.

Trolley passenger service between Sanford and Springvale

villages ended on April 1, 1947, but on April 27, a special

farewell excursion was run for the Railroad Enthusiasts.

Here is No. 88 in Springvale. No. 88 was the last trolley

car in Maine to carry passengers during a public operation.

No. 88 was acquired by the Seashore Trolley Museum for

historic preservation. It awaits the funding needed to

have its turn to be restored. O. R. Cummings Coll.

     On April 1, 1949, the newly formed Sanford & Eastern Railroad, which previously had purchased the route of the former Portland & Rochester Railroad, bought the Sanford-Springvale freight line. In June, once a newly ordered diesel locomotive arrived, the trolley locomotive, No. 100 was replaced.

1906 electric locomotive No. 100 was originally purchased

for use by the Atlantic Shore Line Railway, then used by the 

Atlantic Shore Railway, and ended its public freight service

life in 1949 with the York Utilities Company. No. 100

was used to haul coal from the Cape Porpoise Pier to the

mills in Sanford; hauling tree-length lumber harvested

along the right-of-way between Kennebunkport and 

Biddeford (where Seashore Trolley Museum operates

its Heritage Railway), also for hauling railroad boxcars

to and from mills in Kennebunk, West Kennebunk, Alfred,

Sanford, and Springvale to connections with various

railroad terminals. No. 100 was acquired by Seashore

Trolley Museum in 1949 for historic preservation.

No. 100 was thoroughly restored from 2006-2009.

O. R. Cummings Collection

Former U. S. Mail and Express car No. 108 was purchased in 1904

for use by the Portsmouth, Dover & York Street Railway. It served

as an overhead line maintenance work car for YUCo. No. 108

was acquired by the Seashore Trolley Museum in 1949 for historic

preservation. No. 108 underwent exterior restoration work

in the early 1980s, returning it to its U. S. Mail service

look.  No. 108 needs additional major restoration.

O. R. Cummings Collection

A YUCo bus is sandwiched between the disabled No. 90,

left, and No. 88 at the Sanford carbarn in March 1947. The

body of No. 90 was sold to a private party and became part of

a summer cottage in Moody Beach, Maine.

O. R. Cummings Collection

     Five pieces of electric railway equipment and a small baggage car were acquired by the New England Electric Railway Historical Society (NEERHS dba: Seashore Trolley Museum). The organization also negotiated a trade of services to acquire some track, overhead wire brackets, and other line-related materials.  York Utilities Company continued on as a passenger carrier utilizing their buses.

Trolley No. 88 is transferred to Seashore

Trolley Museum - YUCo general

manager, Albert Moineau (left) and

Theodore Santarelli de Brasch, vice-

president and general manager of

Seashore Trolley Museum, shake hands

as No. 88 makes its "farewell" run

on Sunday, April 27, 1947. Photo

by Michael Shalhoup, Sanford, ME.

     Seashore Trolley Museum has ten historic Maine railway vehicles in its collection that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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