After about 20 years, The Maine Central Mountain Division will Finally be used Again!!

This is taken in Westbrook, Maine on a new development. I was so excited when I first heard the news that it would be used again. I really wanted to get this on tape before I forgot. This video shows spikes being put in and just a view of this part of the line. The line will go up to Windham, Maine and hopefully all the way to Fryeburg, Maine. I'm 95% sure they were installing tracks where that big yellow machine with the big robotic arm was. (I think it was grabbing ties). These tracks were ripped up I believe around 2005. Then a snowmobile club got permission to use the rail bed until they needed to rebuild the line. So when they said that they were going to rebuild, the club fought to keep them from building, but the train use won!
Enjoy!!

© dcarpine28

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Mountain
• Division
• Mountain Division
• Maine
• Central
• Maine Central
• MEC
• PanAm
• Railways
• PanAm Railways
• Guilford
• Rail
• System
• Guilford Rail System
• Freight
• Train
• Freight Train
• Railroad
• Crossing
• Railroad Crossing
• Ties
• Spikes
• Tracks
• Track
• Machines
• Westbrook Maine
• Westbrook
• Road
• Rails
• Fryeburg Maine
• Windham Maine
• Fryeburg
• Windham
• Ballast
• Installing

[GrnArrow092]

The tracks from Ellsworth to Calais are gone now, but Baldacci said it was to preserve the corridor until rail traffic is needed again. I hope that will be someday soon because the Calais line in my eyes is a valuable railroad. If Amtrak wanted to, or a local carrier, could run passenger trains from Ellsworth to downeast Maine and back. It could be a dual use freight and passenger line like the Mountain Division will be again.

[GrnArrow092]

I am happy to see that the Mountain Division is being reactivated after nearly 30 years of the line being abandoned. If this is only going to Windham... that's only 11 miles of track that's being rebuilt. I suppose that's better than nothing given the reality of the shrinking use of the railroads that exist here in Maine. I hope one day the Calais main line will be used once again.

[Intransitman]

Rail to trail is bad, though building trails beside rail lines is good!

[GP9railfan]

@GrnArrow092 You said it exactly! The CB is needed more than ever these days, especially with the cost of fuel nowadays alone. If they bring it back that would mean the end of the DSRR, but they'd probably still be able to use the line. The Amtrak Downeaster would benefit from it to with direct access to all the coastal towns along the route, & access to the Canada border. Funny how the old stuff that's been around (like trains) seems to always beat out the new stuff in the long run

[dcarpine28]

@trainlover479 I'll try to make it up there sometime. I'll take a look at your videos! :)

[trainlover479]

@dcarpine28 its fun dude. you can check out my vids, have vids all around new england (except vermont.......)

[dcarpine28]

@trainlover479 Yea I wish I had seen that! I havent been railfanning on the CSRR before. I have ridden it though.

[trainlover479]

@dcarpine28 oh ok, i was lucky to see the Shnable move through the crawford notch, ive never seen anything like that in my life!

[dcarpine28]

@trainlover479 Umm I think they were Just going to Windham ME for now but I thought I heard talk about them going up to Fryburg. I am not 100% sure though. I don't want to say anything that might not be true lol

[trainlover479]

@dcarpine28 o dang, how close to the CSRR though?

[dcarpine28]

@trainlover479 I don't think so.

[trainlover479]

will frieght go to crawford notch or not????