The combination carhouse and terminal at Middle Street,
Lewiston, when it first opened to public operations in
June/July 1914. This is a single photo, from one page,
within the 88 pages of the incredible
Portland-Lewiston Interurban
(PLI) Employees Scrapbook. The Scrapbook
includes contents from the four reunions held
in Gray, Maine, at the Newbegin Hall,
in 1938, '39, 40, and '41.
This is one of several posts that will include materials and related stories connected to the contents of the PLI employees' reunion scrapbook. This post includes materials related to the preparation and opening of the electric railroad from 1911 to 1914.
Below is the video taken on April 8, 2014, as I first looked through the scrapbook. If needed, you may Click Here to access the YouTube video
a video, I took using my phone.
Great Thanks to the staff at Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover, MA, for the amazing work they did in cleaning, repairing, and photographing the contents of the scrapbook during the conservation process in 2022.
Lewiston Terminal/Carhouse/Dispatcher
Car No. 12 was named Gladiolus. W. Scott Libbey, the builder of
Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad was encouraged by his two daughters,
Gertrude and Alla, to name the original six high-speed, luxury interurban coaches
after his favorite flowers. PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
Car No. 10, Arbutus, exiting the Lewiston carhouse at Middle Street.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
The doorway on the left of the above photo is the entrance
to the ticket counter. PLI reunion scrapbook in
the O. R. Cummings Collection
A photo of the only known surviving porcelain
signage promoting ticket sales. This particular signage was
at the ticket counter at the Lewiston terminal.
O. R. Cummings Collection
The ticket window at the Lewiston terminal.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
The dispatcher's office was upstairs over the ticket counter area.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
The dispatcher communicated with the operators of the electric railroad equipment utilizing a private phone line with portable phones in each vehicle, a phone at each substation, and a phone booth at each end of the 30-mile right-of-way entrance/exit.
Click Here - to view the post on the portable "cell phone" of the PLI.
Here are excerpts of phone use and descriptions of phone use from Portland to Lewiston on the Arbutus during the summer of 1921, from O. R. Cummings's 1967 book, Maine's Fast Electric Railroad, speaking to the use of the telephones.
pg. 41
"When necessary, train crews were given orders at the substations, the operators of which displayed flags to notify the conductors to call the dispatcher. These operators also noted the time of train arrivals and departures and forwarded the information to the dispatcher for entry on the train sheet. For emergencies, each car was equipped with a Western Electric portable telephone set and a jointed contact rod so conductors could tap the telephone wire running alongside the track and call the dispatcher."
Albert C. Clement uses the portable telephone to call orders as
No. 34 augments the snow-fighting force along Hotel Road,
Auburn, in March 1920.
Photo from O. R. Cummings' 1967 publication;
Maine's Fast Electric Railroad: Portland-Lewiston Interurban
Inside the Lewiston terminal carhouse. On the far left is
No. 90, the electric locomotive. We then see the number two
end of the Wason-built interurban, No. 20, Magnolia. Its
number one end is facing the open doorway to Middle Street.
Then the next open doorway entrance is another of
the early interurbans (unknown #). On the right, we see
one of the Laconia-built interurbans. It might be No. 16
Clematis, with its number one end also facing Middle Street.
If not No. 16, it could be No.10, Arbutus, No. 12, Gladiolus,
or No. 14, Narcissus.
2009_2_27_125 from the O. R. Cummings Collection -
Seashore Trolley Museum
No. 90, the electric locomotive that is inside
the Lewiston carhouse in the above photo.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
The passenger windows are one way you can tell which builder constructed any of the PLI high-speed luxury coaches, and also, which end of the interurban coach you are looking at.
If the leaded stained glass design, above each of the passenger windows, is a series of vertical plumes, Wason is the builder. Wason is the builder of No. 20, Magnolia, in the image below.
If the first passenger window on the end of the passenger compartment is a single-sash, this is the Number two end. In the image below, No. 20, Magnolia, a single-sash passenger window is on the far left, making that the number two end of the luxury, high-speed coach.
Wason built No. 20, Magnolia, in 1912, for
Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad.
Shortly after opening in 1914, the name would
be changed to the Portland-Lewiston Interurban
Railroad.
If the design of the stained glass over each of the passenger windows has a center circle with a couple of extending "stems" with "leaves," the builder is Laconia. In the image below of a Laconia-built interurban, you see the stained glass windows with a design that resembles a flower blossom with stems and leaves.
If the first passenger window in the passenger compartment is part of a pair with a large stained glass "eyebrow" over the double sash windows (which indicates where the smoking compartment is located) this also indicates it is the number one end. These interurbans tended to travel forward with the motorman at the controls in the vestibule of the number one end.
The image below of a Laconia-built interurban has the first windows in the passenger compartment at the far end on the left. It is a double-sash pair with a large stained glass window eyebrow over the pair. This is the number one end.
To the far right is the first passenger window on the number two end, which is a single sash with a small stained glass window above the single window.
The name/number of this Laconia-built, interurban
is a challenge to read, but it looks like
it might be No. 16.
No. 16, Clematis at the Laconia Car Company (Laconia, NH)
being prepared for shipping to Maine in 1912.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
The above photos have a closeup of the stained glass "eyebrow" windows over pairs of passenger windows on a PLI Wason-built interurban on the left (vertical blooms) and Laconia-built interurban on the right (center circle with branches extending out from the circle)
The former PLI carhouse/terminal entrance
on Middle Street in Lewiston. 2017 PWM
The former PLI carhouse/terminal building on Middle Street
in Lewiston. 2017 PWM
The substations erected at Danville, Gray, and West Falmouth were neat red brick buildings, the first two being approximately 25' by 40.' All three buildings still exist today (2022), though Gray and West Falmouth have been converted to private residences with various additions/changes made over the years.
The Gray substation doubled as a passenger station, with wood-framed waiting stations initially being provided at Danville and West Falmouth. In 1924, Danville and West Falmouth brick substations had modifications to include the passenger waiting rooms (there were also passenger shelters with frame construction at Upper Gloucester, New Gloucester, South Gray, West Cumberland, and at other more important stops along the line).
Three-phase 60-cycle alternating current from the Deer Rips hydroelectric station (supplemented in 1915 by a steam turbine plant in Lewiston) was transmitted at 10,000 volts, at Danville, where it boosted up to 33,000 volts for the stations at Gray and West Falmouth. The high-tension line poles were separate from those used for the trolley overhead and were 40 feet high. No. 1 copper was used between Deer Rips and Danville, and No. 2 copper wire the rest of the way. The poles also carried the wire for the private phone system.
The Portland, Gray, and Lewiston right-of-way through
Chandler's Woods, New Gloucester, shows evidence of
the early electric railroad construction. Poles on the right
carried 600 volts of direct current to power the
railroad's equipment, and the poles on the left carried
high-tension lines. 2009_2_27_068 A Gerald
Cunningham photo in the O. R. Cummings Collection
In 1920, CMP bought Androscoggin Electric Company, which included the ownership of
the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. In about 1925, CMP extended the transmission line from West Falmouth to Portland.
Each of the substations initially had one General Electric 300 K rotary converter, with an output of 600-650 volts direct current, and three 100 K step-down transformers. The Danville station also had three 200 KVA 10,000/33,000-volt step-up transformers.
The operators at the substations doubled as company agents, and there were two men at each station, one working from early morning until mid-afternoon and the other being on duty from mid-afternoon until the last car completed the runs at night.
Danville
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heading south
over Moose Brook and then becomes what is now,
Oras Lane, where the interurban would stop at the
Danville sub-station/passenger station (corner of
Oras Lane and Poland Spring Road) before
crossing Poland Spring Road to then run parallel
with Eastman Lane.
The rotary converter and transformer equipment, located inside,
on the left of the substation's double doors.
PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The rotary converter and transformer equipment, located inside,
on the left of the substation's double doors
PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Danville substation is on the right.
M. Clyde Grover worked the early shift at the
Danville substation for several years.
PLI reunion scrapbook in O. R. Cummings Collection
The large rotary converter wheel is on the left, with other
electrical transformer-related equipment on the right in this
photo of the inside of the substation in Danville. The double
doors to the outside are to the left of the rotary converter.
PLI reunion scrapbook in O. R. Cummings Collection
No. 22, Maine, departing the Danville substation and
heading north to Auburn/Lewiston along what is now
Oras Lane. PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Leroy Libby worked the second shift
at the Danville substation in the later
years of PLI operations.
PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The large rotary converter wheel is on the left, with other
electrical transformer-related equipment on the right in this
photo of the inside of the substation in Danville. The double
doors to the outside are to the left of the rotary converter.
PLI reunion scrapbook in the O. R. Cummings Collection
Oras Lane, when looking north towards Auburn/Lewiston with
the former Danville substation on the right. PWM 2017
PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The former Danville substation at the corner of Oras Lane
and Poland Spring Road in 2017 PWM
Double doors that once opened
to access the rotary converter and
other electrical equipment at
Danville substation.
2017 PWM
Doorway to where passengers
could buy a ticket inside the
Danville substation. 2017 PWM
Gray Sub-station
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI heads south
from Colley Hill Road, through what are
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.
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
August 18, 1914 - Theodore Roosevelt aboard the Narcissus, waving to
the gathered townspeople in Gray, Maine. The Narcissus has been listed
on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. It is currently under
restoration at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Image courtesy of Gray Historical Society
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The former substation building in Gray is a private
residence. T. Blake image 2020
West Falmouth Sub-station
Maine Lidar map shows the PLI right-of-way
as it exits the West Falmouth
sub-station/passenger station and heads
a little southwest between Gray Road and
I-95 towards Portland.
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
No. 16, Clematis, at the West Falmouth substation.
Former POTUS, Theodore Roosevelt, was a passenger
on the Clematis from Portland to Lewiston on
August 31, 1916.
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The former substation in Wets Falmouth is a private
residence. T. Blake photo 2020
The former substation in West Falmouth is a private
residence. T. Blake photo 2020
Portland Terminal
The Portland terminal was an irregularly shaped two-story structure. Because of the descending grade between Cumberland Avenue and Portland Street, only one story was at street level on Cumberland, while both stories were above ground on Portland Street. The track entrance was on Portland Street, along which the Portland Railroad had a double iron running in an east-west direction.
Original plans called for all interurban cars leaving Portland to start from the terminal, and the upper floor, with its entrance on Cumberland Avenue, was to contain a waiting room and toilet facilities. However, instead, cars were routed through Monument Square, and the Interurban used the Portland Railroad's waiting room at Congress and Elm Streets. Consequently, the upper floor of the terminal was leased to various business concerns over the years.
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
The former Portland terminal on Portland Street.
Donald Curry photo
The former Portland terminal on Cumberland Avenue.
Donald Curry photo
The former Portland terminal on Cumberland Avenue.
PWM
Photo from the PLI reunion scrapbook in
O. R. Cummings Collection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
