on the back of the map on the "Auburn" end. The original
team applied. "Profile of the Portland, Gray & Lewiston RR
The "key" to the map is at the "Auburn" end of the map.
The image is of the facsimile map. Quality of this "copy"
is incredible...seriously. "Surface Line" is black in color,
is red in color. The percentage at the bottom is the proposed
grade incline. PWM photo.
The occasional light blue-grey lines represent notable banks within the right of way, typically along an existing roadbed, while the black dashed lines appear to represent an alternate proposed design grade, and are shown with a corresponding alternate design grade percentage down below.
"0" on the map is where the survey data begins.
The text denoting the starting point reads:
"McFalls Div LA&W RR Track 337.50"
Mechanic Falls Division of the Lewiston, Augusta &
Waterville Railway was the electric railway system
that would be used by the interurbans to travel through
Auburn to the Interurban station that would be built
on Middle Street in Lewiston. "Track 337.50" refers
to the elevation of the track at this point - PWM photo
Note the numbers at the very bottom of the map. These
represent the centerline horizontal distance from the
beginning in hundreds of feet.
Edited from the Original Photo by Tim Gurczak,
NEDCC Collection Photographer
Numbers on the very bottom edge of the sheet represent the centerline horizontal distance from the beginning in hundreds of feet, so 550 would signify 55,000 feet from the starting point (marked “0”) at the intersection with the Mechanic Falls Division of the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway line in Auburn (the intersection of Minot Avenue and Manley Road and Court Street). These numbers are on each dark green vertical line of the graph paper, and are 1000 feet apart, with each of the interior light green vertical lines being at 100-foot intervals. This results in a horizontal graphic scale of 1” = 400’. Unfortunately, there are no numbers to follow along the side of the sheet to label elevations, so elevations have to be interpolated from the scattered ones shown across the entire profile. This allowed us to determine that each dark green horizontal line represents fifty feet in elevation, with each light green horizontal line being at 5-foot intervals. This results in a vertical graphic scale of 1” = 20’.
Note at the top - several notes mention important features.
Edited from the Original Photo by Tim Gurczak,
NEDCC Collection Photographer
Occasionally, the elevations of important features were noted, with a perpendicular offset distance from the centerline. Elevations are always on a particular datum, meaning they are referenced to a known or assumed elevation level, often Mean Sea Level. The current datum used in the United States is the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88), which superseded the National Geodetic Datum of 1929 (NGVD29). This was originally known as the Sea Level Datum of 1929 and was established by the National Geodetic Survey. Google Earth, which uses NAVD88, depicts elevations approximately 102’-105’ lower than the elevations listed on the survey.
The Interurban baseline was likely being surveyed around the same time the USGS was performing its surveys for the surrounding areas. The first few miles of the route would have been part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maine Poland Quadrangle, dated December 1908, but surveyed in 1906-1907 in cooperation with the State of Maine. The early USGS topography maps depict contour lines and various benchmarks, which list the vertical datum as mean sea level, so it is curious why this profile survey should have elevations over one hundred feet higher than the USGS elevations. It is helpful in our analysis of this survey that from West Falmouth heading south to Portland, the Interurban line was “newly” depicted on the 1914 Portland Quadrangle USGS Map.
The surveyors in 1907/08 for the PG&LRR ROW would
have been prepared similarly to this group of surveyors.
Survey party for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad
circa 1900 courtesy Maine Memory Network
5% was apparently the magic number for the design, as this was the maximum grade to be utilized. Areas, where the red line is above the black line, would be where there was fill needed, while areas, where the red line is below the black line, would have to be cut, so placing the proposed red line as close as possible to the existing grade of the black line would minimize the cost of labor and materials. In some places, the word “ledge” can be seen hand-written at a few of the high points.
Sheet 1 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 1:
It is interesting, that the stationing begins on Minot Avenue in Auburn rather than in Portland or Lewiston at either end of the line. It is also curious, based on the distance and elevation difference between the starting point and the first two road intersections, that the proposed starting point at station 0+00 appears to be at the intersection with Court Street. Shedding light on this is the passage in “Maine’s Fast Electric Railroad, Portland-Lewiston Interurban” by O.R. Cummings, confirming this original plan was later changed to have the line run up Poland Road to Fairview Junction on Minot Avenue, which is longer and steeper than the original depicted on this profile and also had to cross Taylor Brook.
The first stretch shows it running along a “Highway”, which is now known as Manley Road (Court Street extension), and then along Hotel Road, up to a “Road” at station 52+00, being the current Poland Road, which the Interurban would ultimately follow alongside to Fairview Junction on Minot Avenue.
This is one of the Maine Lidar maps that won't really
show the PLI right-of-way. It followed
Poland Road from Fairview Junction at Minot Avenue.
0+00 Minot Ave-Manley Rd
T. Blake Image
0+00 Minot Ave-Poland Rd.
T. Blake Image
Fairview Junction had a "phone booth" that was used
exclusively by the conductors of the Portland-Lewiston
Interurban. Before entering or leaving the right-of-way
each PLI vehicle had to stop and the conductor had to
call the Dispatcher for orders. O. R. Cummings Collection
22+00 Bridge Poland Rd-Taylor Brook
T. Blake Image
Continuing to follow along Hotel Road, it crossed “Flagg Road” at station 68+00, now known as Littlefield Road, at Littlefield Corner.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way veering south from Poland
Road, just before Hotel Road. It
parallels Hotel Road into the intersection
where it crosses the
Little Androscoggin River and
the right-of-way continues
to be next to Hotel Road.
It was designed to cross about 20 feet above Little Androscoggin River at station 80+05, on a bridge squeezed between bridges for Hotel Road and “Lewiston & Auburn R.R.”, which it would meet at a grade crossing immediately after at station 84+00. It then began one of the steepest grades of the line, as it quickly met “Small Road”, now Martindale Road, at station 85+00.
80+05 Bridge Little Androscoggin
T. Blake Image
The former PLI right-of-way bridge over the Little
Androscoggin is in between the Grand Trunk Railroad
bridge seen on the right and the bridge on the left for
passenger cars and trucks. Donald Curry Image.
The PLI's Magnolia Crossing the Little Androscoggin River.
O. R. Cummings Collection
A 4.0% grade was proposed from the grade crossing, with an alternate 4.5% grade shown with the dashed black line (the steepest proposed grade of the entire profile), running up to an apparent bridge crossing to be about 24 feet over the former “Rumford Falls Div. M.C.R.R.”, which ran behind the current Whited Truck & RV Center at 2160 Hotel Road.
98+00 2230 Hotel Road N-NE
T. Blake Image
98+00 2230 Hotel Road N
T. Blake Image
98+00 2230 Hotel Road NE
T. Blake Image
98+00 2230 Hotel Road S
T. Blake Image
98+00 2230 Hotel Road SW
T. Blake Image
The baseline is then shown to run alongside the “Highway” (Hotel Road) from station 116+00 to a “Road” (Beech Hill Road) at station 124+00.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way leaving Hotel Road to cross
Beech Hill Road then crosses East
Hardscrabble Road, and is seen above as
David Drive. Then the right-of-way
exits David Drive heading south.
Sheet 2 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 2:
The baseline continues to be very level to “Danville Junction Road” (now East Hardscrabble Road) at station 132+80, and then along the current David’s Drive, roughly 10 feet above a brook at station 144+00, to a crest at station 159+00. It descends to a proposed point about 18 feet below the “Main Line of G.T.R.R.”, where the Interurban apparently created an underpass to run below the Grand Trunk.
132+80 East Hardscrabble rd-David's Dr
T. Blake Image
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way just exiting south from the
bend in David Drive, and travels parallel
with Hotel Road as it passes through what
is now I-95 and then underneath the
Grand Trunk Railroad overhead.
202+00 GTRR S
T. Blake Image
202+00 GTRR N
T. Blake Image
202+00 GTRR NW
T. Blake Image
202+00 GTRR W
T. Blake Image
202+00 GTRR W1
T. Blake Image
The PLI burrowed under the Grand Trunk Railroad
mainline a short distance east from the Danville sub-station/
passenger station. O.R. Cummings Collection
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
the right-of-way heading south parallel
with Hotel Road, crossing what is now I-95,
and then going underneath the Grand
Trunk Railroad passed overhead. The
right-of-way continues towards Poland
Spring Road.
It crosses approximately 17 feet above Moose Brook at station 214+00, and about the same over another brook at station 217+00, before running along the current Ora’s Lane and crossing “Ricker Road” (Poland Spring Road/Route 122) at station 223+00 and “Gross Road” (now gone – the extension of Turkey Lane) at station 225+00. It followed the existing terrain very closely until passing the Androscoggin/Cumberland County line into New Gloucester and crossing about 15 feet above Royal River at station 258+50.
223+00 Rte 122 Front
T. Blake Image
223+00 Rte 122-Ora's Lane
T. Blake Image
223+00 Rte 122
T. Blake Image
former employees of the PLI at Seashore Trolley Museum.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heading south
over Moose Brook and then becomes what it now
Oras Lane where the interurban would stop at the
Danville sub-station/passenger station before
crossing Poland Spring Road to then run parallel
with Eastman Lane.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI shows
the PLI continued straight south from
where Eastman Lane turns east then
crosses into Cumberland County and over
the Royal River
Sheet 3 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Sheet 3:
It proceeded up a long, steady grade along Lewiston Road (Routes 4/100/202), with the blue-grey line shown for banking along the road, and a black dashed line for an alternate design that followed much more closely to the existing terrain in an apparent area of “Ledge”. It is odd, that they did not label “Highway” along this long stretch.
Sheet 4 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 4:
It would cross a “Road” (Gilmore Road) at station 331+00, following the “Highway” (Lewiston Road) through Upper Corner along the highest elevation of the line, then pulling away from the “Highway” before crossing another “Road” (Peacock Hill Road) at station 346+00. It crossed a “Lane” at station 356+50 (probably a farm path along a stone wall at the edge of a field), where it is interesting that they noted an elevation for a “bottom of well” and an elevation for “350 ft. East”. It then crossed a “Road” (Rowe Station Road) at station 368+00 and started a long downhill stretch.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI following
Lewiston Road until the right-of-way turn
east crossing Peacock Hill Road then heads
to cross Rowe Station Road
to then parallel Intervale Road for a while.
Sheet 5 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 5:
In Lower Corner, it crossed “New Auburn Road” (Cobb’s Bridge Road) at station 449+00 and “Depot Road” (Intervale Road/Route 231) at station 456+00, continuing downward to cross a 35-foot deep +/- ravine at Stevens Brook (where the crossing would dramatically wash away after a freshet several years later). It then began a steady climb, crossing Weymouth Road at station 520+00, two small brooks at stations 530+00 and 532+00, and proceeding downward across Penney Road at station 547+00.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heading
south after crossing Rowe Station Road
and is now parallel to Intervale Road.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
continuing to basically parallel Intervale
Road, where it then crosses Cobb Bridge Road.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI after
crossing Cobb Bridge Road continues
south crossing Interval Road.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI after crossing
Intervale Road is heading south and passes
the end of the Weymouth Road extension
Sheet 6 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 6:
It would follow along the current Terri Lane before crossing “Poor Farm Road” (Town Farm Road) at station 575+00 and along the current Angelica Drive, then across a couple of deep ravines for Brandy Brook (not labeled), before crossing “Yarmouth Road” (Morse Road) at station 609+00.
609+00 Morse Rd Shed
T. Blake Image
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI just east
of Gloucester Hill Road heading southwest
just touching the end of the Weymouth extension
then crossing Penny Lane and then Town
Farm Road, then over Brandy Brook before
crossing Morse Road to run parallel
with Lewiston Road.
Sheet 7 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 7:
The line continued down into North Gray, crossing Collyer Brook (also not labeled) at station 646+00. It started uphill again, immediately crossing a “Road” (Mayall Road) at station 650+00, and following alongside a “Highway” (Lewiston Road). A blue-grey line is again seen for the road banking, and a black dashed line for an alternate design following more closely to the existing terrain.
646+00 Bridge Collyer Brook MDOT Benchmark
T. Blake Image
646+00 Bridge Collyer Brook Side
T. Blake Image
646+00 Bridge Collyer Brook
T. Blake Image
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
at the very top, crossing Collyer Brook
and continues parallel with Lewiston Road
then at North Gray turns south towards
Gray.
At the next peak, someone has penciled in the word “Ledge”, where some blasting would be needed to meet the design grade. It then dipped over an apparent gully at station 686+00, before climbing up to a crossing about 8 feet above another brook at station 714+00 at the current Trestle Way entrance.
714+00 Bridge Trestle Way
T. Blake Image
You are looking at what is now the entrance to the private
Trestle Way is just north of what was Cole Farms Restaurant.
This image shows the PLI concrete bridge near Webster siding
in North Gray in the early years of operation of the PLI.
The bridge remnants as seen on September 6, 2017, in North Gray.
The very early stages of construction for a few new houses
would be accessible by using Trestle Way. PWM
Sheet 8 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 8:
The line passed through another area of “Ledge” before meeting up again with the “Highway” (Lewiston Road) and crossing a “Road” (Colley Hill Road) at station 753+00. It continued through the center of Gray, crossing “Depot Road” (Yarmouth Road/Route 115) at station 771+00, before heading down into Gray Meadow.
771+00 Rte 115
T. Blake Image
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heads south
from Colley Hill Road, through what are
now the baseball diamonds behind
Pennell and New Begin Hall in Gray,
and then a stop at the Gray
sub-station/passenger station before
crossing Yarmouth Road, then continuing
south through Gray Meadows.
Sheet 9 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 9:
It made the long stretch through the meadow, with a design grade of about 5 feet above it to apparently avoid flooding, then started uphill, crossing a “Road to East Gray” (Long Hill Road) at station 863+00.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
continuing south on its long stretch through
the Gray Meadows.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
continues south crossing Long Hill Road
then on to where it will cross the
Whitney Road.
Sheet 10 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 10:
It continued uphill and crossed a “Road” (Whitney Road) at station 898+00 before running along the current Juniper Lane through a high area of “Gravel”, probably used for material during construction. It can again be seen where someone penciled in the word “Ledge” at 3 high points before the line crossed over the brooks at stations 930+50, 942+00, and 947+00. It proceeded down across a “Road” (Verrill Road) at station 958+00, and over a “Brook” (upstream section of Piscataqua River) at station 966+00.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
heading south as it crosses the Whitney
Road. Then it looks like it has become
Juniper Lane, then it continues where
it crosses Verrill Road.
The line of dash marks is labeled the "Old
Railroad Grade" on this 1944 Army Map Service
topography map Sheet #6971 IV SE Series
V811 - Cumber Center, Maine. These dash marks
are of the former right-of-way of the PLI.
You can see it runs to the east of and
parallel with Gray Road.
898+00 Whitney Rd-Juniper Ln
T. Blake Image
Whitney Road crossing during the early years of the PLI.
Image from the O. R. Cummings Collection
Starting in 1915, there would be several small waiting stations,
like the one seen in the image above, at various crossings
along the rural right-of-way. South Gray had one and
Verrill Road Crossing had one too
This crossing is unidentified.
O. R. Cummings Collection
Sheet 11 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 11:
It curiously shows the line joining up with the “Highway” (Portland Road/Gray Road/Routes 26/100) before crossing the town line into Cumberland, and along the “Highway” for about a mile, which we know is not where it was constructed. This may be due to the steep slope around station 1000+00. We know the line ran along the current Tammy Lane before crossing a “Cross Road to East” (Skillin Road) at station 1027+00 and another “Cross Road to East” (yet unknown) at station 1035+00. It then began the long drop-down Morrison Hill, where an alternate design has been penciled in, before crossing Mill Road at station 1050+05, and then crossing about 12 feet above Piscataqua River at station 1093+00.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way heading south parallel
to the Gray Road.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way becoming Tammy Lane and
then crossing Skillin Road.
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way disappearing as it exits
Tammy Way after crossing Skillin Road.
We know it crosses Mill Road at
Morrison Hill and photos show it
as a large drawn-out curve. We can see
in this Lidar where it comes from
a southeasterly direction from the
Wilson Road as it approaches
Gray Road, but due to construction
over the years, the right-of-way is
not clearly defined by the Lidar.
The line of dash marks is labeled the "Old
Railroad Grade" on this 1944 Army Map Service
topography map Sheet #6971 IV SE Series
V811 - Cumber Center, Maine. These dash marks
are of the former right-of-way of the PLI.
You can clearly see the Morrison Hill curve
after it crosses Mill Road heading south.
Morrison Hill curve. Based on the topo map above,
this seems to be facing south with the
Gray Road is on the right.
O. R. Cummings Collection
1050+05 Mill Rd-Interurban Dr
T. Blake Image
1093+00 Bridge Piscataqua River
Bridge #5 of the PLI in West Falmouth near the Cumberland
town line. T. Blake Image
Heavy rains in 1915/16 washed out around Bridge #5 at
the Piscataqua River in W Falmouth.
former employees of the PLI at Seashore Trolley Museum.
Blogger note: Just north of the bridge is one of the many cow/cattle tunnels that passed under the tracks so the animals could safely graze on both sides of the track. In the fall of 2017, a group of us checked out the underpass.
On Tuesday, November 21st, our concrete cattle crossing search party is
seen here approaching the PLI-built Piscataqua River bridge seen in
the previous photo above. Our search team includes (l-r) Thomas Bennett
(Prince Library), Joel Fuller (West Cumberland historian),
Glen Snow (Seashore Trolley Museum), and Christina Briggs
(Seashore Trolley Museum). PWM photo
Joel led us directly to the PLI concrete cattle crossing. (l-r)
Glen Snow, Thomas Bennett, Christina Briggs, and Joel Fuller.
PWM photo
Clearly, you can see the remnants of the PLI right-of-way in several
spots in West Cumberland. PWM photo
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heading
south from Wilson Road and where Bridge
#5 crosses the Piscataqua River as it bends
to parallel Gray Road.
Here is a Googe Earth image of the PLI right-of-way
where the cow underpass is and Bridge #5 crosses
the Piscataqua River.
Sheet 12 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 12:
It would then run up across a “Road to Cumberland Junction” (Range Road) at station 1102+00 and join up with the “Highway” (Gray Road) once again. A blue-grey line again represents the road bank as it is shown following the road for the next mile or so, crossing the town line into Falmouth and a “Cross Road to East” (Schuster Road) at station 1137+00.
Sheet 13 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
The line of dash marks is labeled the "Old
Railroad Grade" on this 1944 Army Map Service
topography map Sheet #6971 IV SE Series
V811 - Cumber Center, Maine. These dash marks
are of the former right-of-way of the PLI.
You can see where it starts at the top of the map
and heads south parallel with Route 26/100
the turns west and crosses Route 26/100
(Gray Road/Pine Tree Trail) and then crosses
Hurricane Road in West Falmouth. PWM
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI
right-of-way crossing Gray Road then
crossing Hurricane Road as it heads
southwest towards I-95
The PLI waiting station at Hurricane.
Image courtesy of Falmouth Historical Society.
Sheet 13 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 13:
The line would leave the “Highway” again, crossing a brook at station 1196+00, and about 12 feet above Piscataqua River at station 1210+00. An alternate design is again penciled in through the uneven terrain before approximately 30-foot banking marked “Gravel” at station 1255+00, just before crossing about 9 feet above Piscataqua River.
1261+00 Bridge Piscataqua River N
Bridge #4 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1261+00 Bridge Piscataqua River NE
Bridge #4 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1261+00 Bridge Piscataqua River SW
Bridge #4 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1261+00 Bridge Piscataqua River W
Bridge #4 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
Heavy rains in 1915/16 raised havoc with Bridge #4
of the PLI in West Falmouth near Hurricane Road.
1279+00 Bridge Piscataqua River E
Bridge #2 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1279+00 Bridge Piscataqua River N
Bridge #2 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1279+00 Bridge Piscataqua River SE
T. Blake Image
1279+00 Bridge Piscataqua River SW
Bridge #2 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
1279+00 Bridge Piscataqua River W
Bridge #2 of the PLI
T. Blake Image
Those heavy rains in 1915/16 did damage to Bridge #3.
Bridges #2 & #3 were two separate bridges but were
connected with each other. Combined, they spanned
100 feet over the Piscataqua River in W Falmouth.
Sheet 14 Photo by Tim Gurczak, NEDCC Collection
Photographer
Sheet 14:
The line continued to run fairly flat before crossing about 7 feet above Piscataqua River at station 1284+50. We know this bridge was constructed where the line met up again with Gray Road, but there is no indication of “Highway” shown. It then headed uphill to cross Blackstrap Road (Mountain Road) in West Falmouth at station 1302+50. It proceeded down through an uneven stretch before heading back up to “Westbrook Road” (Leighton Road at the easterly edge of Maine Turnpike Authority) at station 1347+00. Sadly, the only notation left on the map beyond this point is the word “span” at station 1387+00, which was likely the roughly 100-foot wide expanse of Presumpscot River to cross.
1284+50 Bridge Piscataqua River
Bridge #1 of the PLI in West Falmouth
T. Blake Image
Bridge # 1 of the PLI, a triple arch, across the Piscataqua
River at Pearson's curve, West Falmouth.
O. R. Cummings Collection
The Narcissus as the Sabattus Lake Diner in Sabattus, Maine,
