Charles D. Heseltine - April 10, 1938 - Portland Division - Electric Railroaders Association Begin Reaching Out

Robert C. Melcher presents to, Miss Mary Godell, librarian at 

Warren Memorial Library  the "History of the

Westbrook Electric Cars"  from the Portland Division of the ERA -

local Maine electric railway historian, Charles D. Heseltine, was

also a key member of the ERA in researching and creating

the Westbrook history contents.

Portland Press Herald - April 10, 1938 page 38

 

The Portland Division of the Electric Railroaders Association (ERA) was established Octoberber 4, 1937. That day was the 77th anniversary of the establishment of the Portland and Forest Avenue Horse Railroad.

Charles D. Heseltine was the State Secretary and Robert C. Melcher was the Superintendent of the newly established Maine ERA group.

Click Here: for the post Maine Bicentennial - History of the Portland Railroad -1860-1941

The history was compiled by Charles D. Heseltine

Evening Express - April 9, 1938 - page 9

Click Here: for the post Ninety Communities in Maine Had Electric Railway Service!

Click Here: for the post 57 Million Passengers Carried on Electric Railways in Maine in 1915!

In preparation for the Westbrook electrification, four

double-truck open trolley cars were built in 1892 in PRR's

own Bennett Street carhouse shop on Munjoy Hill for use
specifically in Westbrook. Seen here is No. 77, one of the
four open cars were built in 1892.

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:

 O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_36_040

Click Here: post on the Portland Railroad electrics serving Westbrook, Gorham, and South Windham 1892-1941

Ibid

Parlor Car - Bramhall - arrives in 1896

    The double-truck parlor car trolley, "Bramhall", was built in 1896 by the J. G. Brill Company, Philadelphia, PA, and is said to have been given free to the Portland Railroad in appreciation for past and anticipated future business. As seen below, it was primarily for use by PRR officials, but it was available for charter by special parties - at an extra rate, of course. It was a handsome one, painted in shiny black with gold leaf trim and lettering, and had ornamental iron grillwork on the ends. The interior was fitted with 20 wicker chairs with plush seats, tasseled curtains at the windows, and two cupboards (for spirits) at each end. In 1916, it was rebuilt as an experimental pre-payment car and became No. 500. It was scrapped in the 1920s.

The parlor car, Bramhall, at Fort Allen shortly after arriving

in Portland in 1896.

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_034

The parlor car, Bramhall.

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_033

The interior of the parlor car, Bramhall.

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_49_003

Ibid

Common Street, near City Hall, in Waterville. Standing in

the vestibule is Arthur L. Foster of Augusta. Eight of these single-end,

semi-convertible observation cars, even numbered #320-334 were

purchased in 1908 for the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville St. Rwy.

Originally, these cars only had a controller and brake valve in the enclosed

end. A short time after arriving, however, a controller and brake valve

were installed in the observation platform end, as seen here in this image.

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_21_175

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library

Click Here: for the post of the Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville Street Railway - 1907 -1919

Ibid

Click Here: for the post of the biography of Mrs. Anthony's father, W. Scott Libbey

Click Here: for the post - April 1938 issue - Portland Div. ERA newsletter Maine Electric "Transiteer"

Click Here: for the post on the history of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railway 1919-1941

Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI)

Albion M. Conant, left, PLI motorman, and Beecher True Lane,

conductor, are the crew of the No. 10, Arbutus, on Forest Avenue,

between Woodford's and Morrill's corners. c1914

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_27_014

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library

Arbutus in the yard of Mrs. 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

    During the 1940 visit to Mrs. Anthony's to spend time with the Arbutus, the leader of the founders of the Seashore Trolley spent some time talking to Mrs. Anthony about the new trolley car collection in Kennebunkport, the Seashore Electric Railway (Seashore Electric Railway would become Seashore Trolley Museum). Ted asked Mrs. Anthony to consider having the Arbutus become part of the collection at the Kennebunkport site in the future. Mrs. Anthony's reply was that the Arbutus was a memorial to her dearly beloved father and she wasn't looking to give the Arbutus up. A few years later, towards the end of WWII, sadly, Mrs. Anthony had the Arbutus scrapped so the metal could benefit the War effort.

Click Here: for the post on What Happened to the PLI Interurbans after the End of Operations - 1933

Locomotive #90 and trailer at PLI Deering Junction Register Station.

A worker is standing on lumber as he talks with the man on

the horse-drawn wagon. c1916

O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_27_018

Courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library

Click Here: for the post on the Beginning of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban - July 2, 1914

Click Here: for the post on the End of the PLI - June 28, 1933

A few years later, in the 1960s, the members at the Seashore Trolley Museum were able to negotiate with the owner of the body of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus, and by building the owner a new home, to replace the Narcissus where they had lived, the members were able to acquire the Narcissus body. 

Click Here: for the post on looking back 50 years at the Narcissus being acquired.

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

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