From the Kevin Farrell Collection - The cover of Volume One,
No. Three, May 1938 issue of
The Maine Electric Transiteer - the newsletter
of the Portland Division of the Electric Railroaders
Association (ERA)
I was seeking clarification on dates for an electric railway fan trip on the A & K (Androscoggin and Kennebec Railway) electric railway system in the Auburn/Lewiston area in the later 1930s.
Within the O.R. Cummings Collection of photos at Seashore Trolley Museum, there are a series of photos that are not dated and have no descriptions. Some are clearly of an ERA (Electric Railroaders Association) railfan trip sponsored by the Portland (ME) Division of the ERA. Some images have Car No. 120 with an ERA banner on its dasher. There are several other images in the series that also seem they be of a railway fan trip, but on a different car (No. 190) that is not sporting a banner.
I reached out to several Seashore members and to the ERA. The ERA admin for the online social site replied to my request promptly and replied there are very few Maine-related archives in the central offices, but that they would conduct a search. I did receive an email from longtime Seashore member, Kevin Farrell, earlier this week stating a "package" was on its way to me with contents that would help clarify the A & K railway fan trip in 1938. On July 28, 2023, I received Kevin's package :)
Thank you, Kevin!
Two, of the several items in the package, are very early issues of a newsletter from the Portland Division of the ERA. I personally had not heard of this publication before; The Maine Electric Transiteer.
In the April 1938 issue, the detailed schedule for the Portland Division of the ERA's railway fan trip on the A & K on April 19, 1938, is included. There also is a short history of the A & K Railway. along with several other electric railway-related topics. A fun read for sure - looking back 85 years ago!
(Over the next couple of years, July 2023 - February 2025, I would be searching for more issues of the Maine Transiteer newsletter. In newspaper archives and in the Maine Historical Society's Robert Melcher Collection, I was able to find great evidence to clarify April 19, 1938, A & K Excursion and what was initially scheduled to be the Patriot's Day, April 19, 1939, A & K Excursion that was postponed to Memorial Day, May 30, 1939)
Click Here: for the post - March 1938 (The Very First Issue) (MET) Maine Electric Transiteer Newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the April 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the June 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the July 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Aug/Sept 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Dec 1938/Jan 1939 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Feb/Mar 1939 MET newsletter
The quality of some of these pages for reading the text is challenging...reading some of the text might be difficult. As with some previous issues...I will mention the key topics on each page...enjoy!
In this post is the May 1938 issue. There is a short history of the Atlantic Shore Line Railway. A couple of poems. Updates on "current" electric railway operations in Portland (ME) and many other tidbits.
The sequence of the pages in this post is in order when opening and turning each page...the pages of this issue are stapled together.
Francis Monahan did the sketch on the cover of this issue of
the Transiteer newsletter. The description states: Atlantic Shore Railway
Express Car. Here is a photo of No. 106, one of the Express Cars of
the Atlantic Shore Railway.
O. R. Cummings Collection at the Seashore Trolley Museum
2009_2_7_101
Write-up on Transiteer member activities - PCC name changed
Portland Railroad Updates
Editorial page - Comments on buses
Info on different railways - an advertisement
Half of the page is about an upcoming presentation on
building model electric railways. The other half of this page
is a promotion to attract new subscribers to the Transiteer
newsletter - new subscribers can secure their free copy of:
The "Bramhall"? The "Merrymeeting:? or The Arbutus.
I'm not sure what photos of the parlor cars Charles Heseltine used as the enticement for new subscribers, but, below is a photo of each. The April 1938 Transiteer issue also used this plan to attract new subscribers. I used three different photos in the April issue than the three used below...fyi.
The Portland Railroad parlor car, the Bramhall.
Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_033
The "Merrymeeting" at the Lewiston carhouse c 1900.
This carhouse was built in 1899 and burned down late in 1903.
O. R. Cummings Collection at Seashore Trolley Museum.
Arbutus in the yard of Gertrude Libbey Anthony(1940) in
Bay View, Saco, Maine. Image from the incredible
scrapbook containing materials from the reunions
(1938-1941) of the former employees of the
Portland-Lewiston Interurban. The PLI employees
Scrapbook is among the holdings
of the Seashore Trolley Museum Library
A poem about the PRR Belt Line - Update info learned about
various electric railways
The History of the Atlantic Shore Railway by
Charles D. Heseltine
The History of the Atlantic Shore Railway continued
The History of the Atlantic Shore Railway continued
This Month in Electric Railway History that took place
over many years
Map of the Atlantic Shore Railway
Update on Transiteer questions
Updates on PRR
Editorial page - A look at topics - next issue of the Transiteer
Advertisements
Back cover - Advertisements
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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.
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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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