Portland Railroad's St. John Street Shop crew photo, c 1919-1922
Courtesy of Theresa Cline. Theresa's grandfather, Chalmer Elam Cline, is in this photo.
Theresa also knows that Erland Liberty Jones is in the photo. Both lived in Yarmouth.
There are 39 shop crew members in this photo. We would really like to identify as many of these
individuals as possible. If you, or anyone you know, had a family member or family friend
who worked in the Portland Railroad shop during these years, please let me know.
I did conduct additional research...see the results below - Phil Morse email: p.morse31@gmail.com
There is no date on when this crew photo was taken. I did some research on the trolley
cars in this photo and was able to narrow down the possible time frame :) And...we found the names of every person in this photo 🙌 Scroll down the post for those names.
I was glad to be able to locate newspaper clippings through the Portland Press Herald Archives. Google Books online to find the story on the PRR shop in the January 1917 issue of Street Railway Journal. In addition, much of the text and most of the photos were from O. R. Cummings' two Portland Railroad publications, the Portland Railroad 1957, Part I - Historical Development and Operations, and 1959, Part II - ... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply. I also looked through the O. R. Cummings Collection of photos at the Seashore Trolley Museum. Edwin "Bill" Robertson's 1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys.
Click Here - for the post on the early years of the St. John Street Horsecar Carbarns (1888) and through the Electric Railway Carbarn and Shop and to the conversion to Buses (1941).
Click Here - find many posts on Maine Electric Railway history throughout Maine
On top of the ladder: Erland Liberty Jones.
As I mentioned in the opening, this photo of the PRR Shop crew inside
the St. John Street shop from Theresa Cline has no date. I thought I might be able
to narrow the possible date to when the photo was taken by looking at the three
trolley cars in the photo.
The number of the trolley car on the far left is not visible. I looked at the body and roof type and at the windows of the vestibule (the enclosed end where the controls are for the motorman to operate the car.). I then looked through the inventory list and photos of the trolleys in the Portland Railroad over its electric years (1891-1941) that were in the O. R. Cummings two Portland Railroad publications of the Portland Railroad, 1957, Part I - Historical Development and Operations, and 1959, Part II - ... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply. I also looked through the O. R. Cummings Collection of photos at the Seashore Trolley Museum.
The best match in what I found was an order of nine single-truck, 20-foot, closed cars received in 1895 from the J. G. Brill Company in Philadelphia, PA. Nos. 100-108. Research showed that Nos. 107 and 108 were destroyed in 1901 at the St. John Street carhouse fire. The remaining cars had their open-ended platforms enclosed later during that decade (1905).
So, to start, I was thinking the car in the crew photo might be one of these - Nos 100-106.
Then I looked at the other cars in the photo.
No. 100 was a single-truck trolley that arrived in 1895. It was common
practice in the early years to have the motorman exposed to all the
elements of each and every day, throughout the year, as he operated the
trolley cars in open-end platforms. Eventually, beginning in the
middle of the first decade of the 1900s, the platform areas were enclosed.
By the mid-teens, laws mandated that all closed cars have enclosed vestibules.
In the early years, No. 100 was painted blue for the Spring Street-Grand Trunk Station Route.
In those days, PRR cars were "color-coded" and stayed on the same route.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_018
No. 100 is on Pearl Street near the Customs House, after 1905, when its open platforms were rebuilt into enclosed vestibules.
The sign above the crew on the vestibule roof was added.
Which meant the car could go on different routes (In the St. John shop
crew photo, the sign reads, Old Orchard).
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_019
The trolley car on the right in the St. John Street shop photo seemed to be one of the larger cars, and on the front end exterior dasher of its vestibule, a portion of two numbers can be seen. Based on those numbers and the car's body and roof type, I was able to look through the Portland Railroad's inventory list and photos and found that No. 244 was the best match.
No. 244 was a 28-foot, double-truck, closed "box" car. It was built in 1911 by the Portland Railroad crew in the St. John Street shop and placed on Brill-made trucks. It was scrapped in 1940.
No. 244 is seen here and is noted as being at a PRR shop. I don't recognize
the neighborhood, in the background, so I'm not sure which shop this is?
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_38_112
Shortly after World War II, most railways, including the Portland Railroad, began rebuilding many of their trolley cars to operate with only one employee. Instead of having both a motorman and a conductor needed to operate a car, there would be only an "operator" with fare boxes that could hold the money for fares that passengers would drop the money into.
Trolley car manufacturers began building new trolley cars that were designed to be operated with one employee in the car. One of the most popular new one-man trolley cars was the "Birney" safety car. Initially, built as a single-truck car, it wasn't long before larger, double-truck, one-man cars were being built as well.
The last of the three trolley cars to try and identify in the St. John Street
shop crew photo is most likely one of what were called, single-truck,
"Birney" safety cars. Nos. 600 and 601 above are at the Deering carbarn.
Both were part of an order of 15 single-truck, Birney safety cars that arrived at
the Portland Railroad (PRR) early in 1919 (Nos 600-614).
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_037
Comparing the upper trim board of the vestibule windows of Nos. 600 and 601 in the above photo led me to think that the car in the St. John Street crew photo was one of the group of Nos. 600-604.
I found a discrepancy between two publications on the manufacturers for some of the cars in the order of Nos. 600-614.
Edwin "Bill" Robertson's 1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys, says The American Car Company built Nos. 600-605 for the PRR, and that the Wason Company built Nos. 606-614. O. R Cummings' 1959 publication, Part II -... Rolling Stock, Carhouses, Power Supply, states that the complete order of Nos. 600-614 was built by the Wason Company.
Here is evidence that the Nos. 600-604 were built by the American Car Co.
This is the American Car Company "Builder's Photo" of PRR No. 600 before
being shipped with its four sister cars - Photo taken on April 17, 1919.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_034
This article has me wondering if Edwin "Bill" Robertson's
1982 publication, Remember The Portland, Maine Trolleys, states
correctly, The American Car Company built Nos. 600-605
for the PRR? The article states that five cars were included in the order. If
No. 600 is the first, then Nos. 601-604 would make five cars.
That would mean No. 605 was in the Wason order of cars
numbered up to 614.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
has a slight variation from the American Car Company's Nos. 600-604.
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, has No. 615,
a sister car to No. 613 above. No. 615 is the only surviving trolley
car from the Portland Railroad that exists. It needs a sponsor to
work with the Museum to restore the car to operating condition.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_038
Click Here: Former PRR No. 615 at Seashore Trolley Museum on the National Register of Historic Places
Process of elimination to determine the year that the St. John Street crew photo might have been taken.
Portland Railroad's St. John Street Shop crew photo, c 1919-1922, Courtesy of Theresa Cline
If my research process is correct, the three cars in the photo are likely:
Left to Right: Let's start with the car in the back. If it is one of the Birney safety cars, Nos. 600-614 that arrived early in 1919, or it's one of the Birney Safety cars Nos. 615-622 that arrived in 1920, that means the St. John Street shop crew photo was taken after that series of Birney safety cars arrived; 1919/1920, and because the car in the crew photo in front of the Safety car was either scrapped in 1921 or 1922, that means the photo was taken no later than 1922.
The window of the photo is most likely between 1919-1922
One of the 1895 cars: Nos. 100-108
- Nos. 100 and 101 were scrapped in 1922
- Nos. 102 and 103 were combined to make No. 700 in 1917
- Nos. 104, 105, and 106 were scrapped in 1921
- Nos. 107 and 108 burned in the 1901 fire
No. 700 was made in 1917 in the St. John Street shop by taking the 1895
single-truck cars, No. 102 and 103, and building the only center entrance
car that the Portland Railroad had in service.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_049
No. 700 was scrapped in 1930, probably at the Deering carbarn on
Stevens Avenue near Morrill's Corner.
Photo courtesy Seashore Trolley Museum Library:
O. R. Cummings Collection 2009_2_39_052
Central Maine Power owned the Portland Railroad for a while. I wanted to conduct research to see what I might uncover by looking through various files in the massive CMP Collection #2115 at the Maine Historical Society. I made an appointment and, with help from Katie Alleman, Research and Administrative Librarian at Brown Research Library (BRL) at the Maine Historical Society (MHS), and with fellow member Ernie Eaton, we spent a day looking through many of the CMP files. One of the early incredible findings was a copy of the same PRR St. John Street Shop Employee Group photo...with all the names of the 39 employees!!!
The CMP file of the copy of the photo, at BRL /MHS, has the list of names listed in groups in each corner of the photo.
to see each group with the names. Then scroll down to see Thersa Cline's photo with all the names
placed to match up with the group listing...4 rows, left to right. No date is mentioned in the CMP photo.
If you recognize any of the names and can provide some background on the individual, I appreciate
you for sharing that information with - Phil Morse email - p.morse31@gmail.com (Thank you:)
Photo from the Central Maine Power Collection #2115 - Box 354 - Folder #17 in
Photo from the Central Maine Power Collection #2115 - Box 354 - Folder #17 in
Photo from the Central Maine Power Collection #2115 - Box 354 - Folder #17 in
Photo from the Central Maine Power Collection #2115 - Box 354 - Folder #17 in
Photo from the Central Maine Power Collection #2115 - Box 354 - Folder #17 in
Portland Railroad's St. John Street Shop crew photo, c 1919-1922, Courtesy of Theresa Cline
Here is the "Rest of the Story" - The names of each of the 39 individuals -
First Row - Eight individuals (Left to Right):
Daniel "Dan" Frye, O. W. Henderson, Mr. Allen, Mr. Royles, James "Jim" Small, L. F. Jones,
Irving Auspland and Roy "Pat" Patterson
Second Row - Nineteen individuals (Left to Right)
Mr. Thurlow, Mr. Mayberry, John Rumery, Roy Fitts, Robert "Bob" Kerr, Mr. McKay, Joe McGheen,
William "Bill" Croudis, Edward "Ed" Pelkey, Walter Fisher, Chalmer Cline, Aught Tracy, Fred Alexander,
Harry Colesworthy, James "Jim" Gibson, John Beal, Carol Burnham, William "Bill" Libby,
and Patrick "Pat" Curran
Third Row - Four individuals (Left to Right)
Ernest Marsh, David "Jack" Johnston, Eben "Sam" York, and Philip "Stebby" Stebbins
Fourth Row - Eight individuals (Left to Right)
Erland "Buck" Jones, Levi Curry, Einer Henhingsen, Edward "Ed" Frates, Frank Hanson, Ernest Gallant, Walter Beal, and William "Wilbur" Taylor
Based on the # in each row, it's a little difficult to feel comfortable with
who #6 and #7 are (the two near the top of the ladder - circled in red).
Maybe the lower individual is #6, and the individual above is #7?
Photo - Courtesy of Theresa Cline
If you recognize either individual and his name,
let me know so we can apply the update...ty.
Photo - Courtesy of Theresa Cline
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click Here: For the list of links to Theodore Roosevelt Maine Heritage Trail Posts in Easy Order to View
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 first 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
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
.jpg)
.jpg)
