No. 3 of the Somerset Traction Company in Madison, Maine.
Photo from Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. Belfast,
Maine. Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
Here is the newest release in the Maine Bicentennial series of electric railways in Maine. This blog post features the summary of the Somerset Traction Company as written by O. R. Cummings in his 1955 book, Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State.
Additional photos will be credited accordingly. This material is taken from a copy of the Toonervilles of Maine book acquired by this blogger.
To see the online version of the 1955 book, Toonevilles of Maine at Bangor Public Library here
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Seashore Trolley Museum, the Museum of Mass Transit in Kennebunkport, Maine, is celebrating its 80th Birthday year in 2019! Many events are scheduled and many more will be scheduled before the opening of public operations on May 4, 2019.
The Somerset Traction Company
Serving the Kennebec Valley towns of Skowhegan and Madison, the Somerset Traction Company was chartered in perpetuity by the Maine legislature in 1895. The incorporators were, General Russell B. Shepherd, Lewis Anderson, Joseph O. Smith, Albert G. Blunt, Joseph P. Oak, Samuel W. Gould, and Thomas H. Anderson, all of Skowhegan. General Shepherd was named the president of the company and Thomas H. Anderson was treasurer.
The road was capitalized at $200,000 but only 228 shares of stock, at $100 par, were issued and outstanding. There was a real estate mortgage of $75,000 on the property but no bonded indebtedness.
Construction began in 1895 and was suspended in the fall of that year after the entire line had been graded and the track laid for five and one-half miles, about three miles of which were ballasted. Work resumed in the spring of 1896 and on June 5, the Railroad Commissioners granted a certificate of safety for the portion of the road from Water Street, Skowhegan, to Hayden Brook in Madison, a distance of 5.5 miles. The operation commenced the following day. On August 12, the balance of the route, from Hayden Brook to Maison Center and Madison, another six miles, was placed in operation.
Map of Somerset Traction Company
between Skowhegan, Maine, and Madison, Maine.
Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
A brief description of the road appeared in the 1896 report of the Maine Railroad Commissioners and read as follows:
"This line, extending from Skowhegan to Madison, was commenced last year and
completed during the past season. The rails are laid in the streets of Skowhegan and Madison, but out of the village proper, by the side, and in a large part entirely outside of the highway. It is a well-built road in all respects, graded to hauling standard railroad freight cars. The track is laid with heavy steel, on good ties, and well ballasted. The bridges are substantial wooden structures, built by the company and of ample strength to carry any load that may be put upon them."
No. 2 of the Somerset Traction Company at the
end of the line on Madison Avenue, Skowhegan, Maine.
Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
The two bridges referred to in the above quotation were trestles 208 and 272 feet in length, located over Cold Brook in Skowhegan and Hayden Brook respectively.
A short extension in Madison, from the original terminus near the Congregational church to the post office, .25 mile, was completed and placed in operation on September 24, 1897.
According to the Railroad Commissioners report for 1898, the Somerset Traction Company operated 12 miles of mainline plus .23 miles of sidings and turnouts for a total of 12.23 miles of track.
In 1899, the railway acquired a tract of land on the shore of Hayden Lake (also known as Wasserrunset Lake) and began the development of Lakewood Park, a typical summer resort complete with a hotel, outdoor theatre, dance hall, and other attractions.
The grounds of Lakewood Park
From the 2012 NEERHS book,
"The Trolley Parks of Maine" Photo within the collection of
the Seashore Trolley Museum.
A wharf was built on the lakefront and a steamboat was purchased to provide cruises around the lake. A short track extension, .20 mile in length, from Madison Center into the park, was completed in 1902.
The boat landing dock at Lakewood Park, with the steam launch
in the background. From the 2012 NEERHS book,
"The Trolley Parks of Maine" Photo within the collection of
the Seashore Trolley Museum.
Operations
Like most New England street railways, the Somerset Traction carried on operations according to the season of the year.
In winter, two cars were used, each making five round trips daily except on Sundays when only four round trips were made. the first car left Skowhegan at 6 in the morning and the last at 7 at night. The running time was one hour.
Summer schedules called for three cars, with the first leaving Skowhegan at 5:45 a.m. and the last at 9 p.m. This gave practically hourly service. In addition, there were extra cars from Skowhegan at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and from Madison at 7:30 for the accommodation of theatre patrons at Lakewood. Cars ran from Lakewood to both Madison and Skowhegan after the theatre performance ended, after dances, and occasionally during intermissions on dance nights.
No. 11 of the Somerset Traction Company after being rebuilt
with steel sides. At the time, the car was still without
air brakes. Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
On special occasions, such as the Fourth of July, service was half-hourly, with nearly every car the company owned being out on the line.
Freight and Express
The Somerset Traction Company intended to haul standard steam railroad freight cars over its line and for this purpose, a siding was extended into the Skowhegan freight yard and a physical connection was effected with the Maine Central Railroad. The expected business failed to develop and the siding was relocated to parallel the steam road iron so freight and express could be transferred directly between railroad and trolley cars.
It is related that the company made quite a business of hauling package freight and at times, the road handled carloads lots of various items such as wood, pulp, potatoes, sawed lumber, etc. Considerable baggage was transported, with a combination car making one round trip daily for many years. Mail was also handled by the railway, usually on the regular passenger cars but occasionally in combination if the load was heavy.
The original freight car of the Somerset Traction Company,
No.8, built by Briggs. The extreme right can be seen at
the end of the combination car.
Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
Fare
The through fare from Skowhegan to Madison was 30 cents, and the route was divided into six five-cent fare zones. From either terminus to Lakewood, the fare was 15 cents or 25 cents round trip. For many years, the 25-cent ticket included the admission fee to the park. Forty ride tickets for local travel in Skowhegan and Madison were sold for $1 and there were other types of special tickets for regular patrons.
Rolling Stock
The initial equipment of the Somerset Traction consisted of two, single-truck closed cars, one, single-truck passenger-baggage combination, four 10-bench single-truck opens, and a double-truck, motor freight car, all built by the Briggs Carriage Company of Amesbury, Mass., and two work cars. A Taunton four-wheel snow plow was purchased in the fall of 1896.
The passenger cars and the freight motor were equipped with Peckham trucks and General Electric motors and controllers.
A double-truck Duplex convertible was acquired in 1901 and in 1902, a Ruggles rotary plow was purchased. Maine winters are rugged and the little four-wheel plow apparently wasn't powerful enough to keep the road clear. It is said that the rotary was sold after being used for only a few seasons. It was slow and stiff and derailed easily - and property owners along the line objected to its use.
The Duplex, when delivered, had open platforms, and vestibules had to be added. The car had only two motors, was hard to handle, and had poor brakes. At one time, some homemade air brakes were installed but did not work too well. About 1914, two additional motors and a new braking system were installed and steel plates were riveted to the sides of the car, eliminating the convertible feature. The body was insulated so it could be heated in winter.
For several years, double-truck open cars were rented from the Waterville and Oakland Railway during the fair week at Skowhegan. These were brought to the Somerset Traction on flat cars and were returned the same way. Upon at least one occasion, two Somerset Traction opens went to Waterville and Oakland.
The original motor freight car appears to have disappeared from the scene about 1900 and is believed to have been converted into a flatcar. A new motor flat car was built by the company in 1913 and in 1915, a box motor with a steel underframe was purchased from the Laconia Car Company.
In 1912, the Somerset Traction designed and built at its carbarn a new four-wheel snow plow, replacing the old Taunton plow, for $1,300 without electrical equipment. This plow had special ice cutters that could remove high centers between the rails.
Another view of Madison Avenue, Skowhegan shows the
Somerset Traction plow, "Miss Skowhegan", the
combination car, and one of the single-truck closed cars.
Note the ruins of the building in the left background.
Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
Two of the original single-truck closed cars were rebuilt for one-man operation in about 1922 and a third single-truck closed was reportedly purchased at about the same time.
In its final year of operation, the Somerset Traction owned nine passengers and three freight cars, according to the "Electric Traction Pocket List" of March 1927.
Carhouse and Power Station
The carhouse of the Somerset Traction Company was located on upper Madison Street in Skowhegan and was a wooden building with three tracks and a capacity of nine single-truck cars. A fourth track at the right of the carhouse was used for shop purposes.
The Somerset Traction Company carhouse on Madison
Avenue, Skowhegan, Maine.
Photo from O.R. Cummings 1955 publication,
Toonervilles of Maine: The Pine Tree State
Several additions to the building were constructed at various times and a new machine shop was provided in 1912. The barn was painted in two shades of green and the building stood for several years after the railway was discontinued.
Power for the railway was first provided by a hydroelectric plant in Skowhegan but this was not too dependable because of occasional low water in the Kennebec River. During 1904, for example, operations were curtailed for about seven months because of a lack of sufficient power.
In 1912, arrangements were made to purchase power from the Central Maine Power Company and a substation was built near Lakewood Park for $8,500. This building was of fireproof construction, with a concrete roof, and was equipped with a 300 KW. Westinghouse rotary converter, with the latest electrolytic lightning arrestor. The amount of power available from this substation proved to be ample for every need and the distribution of power midway through the line gave much better service on the Madison end and was of great help in keeping the road open during severe snowstorms.
In 1916, a 100 KW. Westinghouse generator was installed in the Central Maine Power Company's Skowhegan station, to be used as required for auxiliary power for the street railway. Before this time, one of the old generators from the hydroelectricity plant had been an auxiliary power source.
Track, Roadway, and Overhead
According to the U. S. Street Railway Census for 1907, the Somerset Traction operated 12.2 miles of the main track and .48 miles in sidings and turnouts for a total of 12.68 single-track miles. There was .75 mile of track on a private way and the line was constructed with 40 and 58-pound "T" rail. Overhead construction was 12.08 miles side bracket and .12 mile span wire.
Further details on track, roadway, and overhead are contained in the annual inspection reports of the Maine Railroad Commissioners, several of which are quoted in part as follows:
1908 - "The long trestle at Madison has been filled. The trestle near Skowhegan has been partially filled and will be completed another season. 4,000 new ties were put in during the year. Three new substantial culverts made of granite and five culverts made of boiler shells have been built during the year. The roadbed and track are in excellent condition."
1909 - "The physical condition of this road was fully reported last year. This past season the trestle at Cold Brook has been strengthened by new posts and other timbers."
1910 - "This company has built during the year a reinforced concrete bridge with steel girders over Cold Brook and completed filling the approaches, at a cost of about $1,800. Nine miles of old No. 0 trolley wire were replaced with new No. 00 wire.
Little was done in 1911, only ordinary repairs being made. In 1912, three thousand new ties were laid and .75 mile of No. 0 trolley wire was replaced with new No. 00 wire.
During 1913, a large part of the line was re-ballasted and 4,000 new ties were laid. In Madison, for a distance of nearly one-half mile, the track was moved from the side to the center of the highway to facilitate street improvements by the town. In making this change, all new materials were used. At Lakewood, a new siding and loading platform for freight was built, a new passenger and freight station was erected and the wharf was rebuilt.
Activities in 1914 included the installation of 2,500 new wood ties and the installation of a third track at the carhouse.
during the 11 months from Nov. 30, 1914, to Nov. 1m 1915, 2,000 ties were replaced, and about a quarter-mile of the track was relaid with 67(?)-pond rail. A ballast pit one mile west of Madison was acquired. In 1916, 2,500 new wood ties were installed and more than half a mile of track was re-ballasted.
In 1920, the Public Utilities Commission reported on the SomersetTraction as follows:
"The grass, weeds, and bushes on the private right-of-way have not been all cut. During the year, there have been 53 tons of old 40-pound rails relaid, 3,000 new rail joints used, 3,632 new crossties used, 1,200 feet of new switch ties used, 1.5 miles of gravel and sand ballast used and two, 10-inch metal culverts installed."
Inspection reports for 1920 were not available at the time of this writing.
* * *
There were comparatively few accidents on the road. One man lost a leg in the early days. A head-on collision killed one motorman. One young woman was thrown from a sleigh or wagon when the horse shied. She landed between the rails and a car passed over her, cutting off a portion of her hair where it lay on the track. The woman was otherwise uninjured.
A high-tension transmission line crossed the tracks. One clear summer day, this was struck by lightning several miles from Skowhegan. The charge jumped to the trolley wire and entered a car that happened to be passing at the right second. One or both motors were burned out.
No history of the Somerset Traction would be complete without a mention of Herbert L. Sweet. He became associated with the company around 1900 and served as assistant manager, superintendent, and general manager before acquiring control of the road in the early twenties.
Abandonment
After many years of prosperity, the Somerset Traction Company began a gradual decline in the early twenties as improved roads between Skowhegan and Madison resulted in steadily increasing automobile competition. The last trolleys ran in May 1928 and the rails were promptly torn up. Several car bodies were sold to private parties and the rest of the equipment was scrapped.
Lakewood Park, founded by the Somerset Traction, continues to operate to this day and is the site of one of Maine's outstanding summer theatres.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
