Fallen Flags: Maine Central Railroad - Calais (ghost) Branch. Part 1

Click on "HQ" at the lower right (below the video box) for best results. Thanks Guilford, especially Mr. Mellon for allowing a once thriving, & vital branch line to go to shambles. This line was heavily used for freight operations up to the mid 1980's, & is/was part of the oldest railroad in Maine (dating back to the 1800's). The pictures of most of the engines (565, & 571) were taken during the final 10 years of operation on the line before Guilford ran it into the ground.

This burns me up what Guilford, & the politicians did/let happen that caused this line to go out of business for good. Lack of proper maintenance finally killed it in 1987, when it became too un-safe to run trains on it reliably anymore. I remember when the very engines in the pictures on this video ran the line, & my grandfather, & I would chase/watch them as they went through Moosehorn out the Charlotte Rd.

Farewell old friend....

The only thing left is the Woodland spur, & the DSRR portion in Ellsworth.

More at:


http://quoddytides.com/trails12-12-08.html
http://www.downeastscenicrail.org
http://www.maine.gov/mdot/mainedot-news-release/calaiscorridor06192008.php
http://www.thebluecomet.com
http://www.nerail.org




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[next50years]

Lived in St. Andrews, NB back in 1974, remember the line well plus the interchange at Milltown, nice video brought back some good memories.

[GP9railfan]

@next50years Yes, me too. I remember the trains that ran down those tracks very well. I can still see them in my mind whenever I'm in the Calais area. Seems like yesterday they were in the downtown yard. Here today, gone tomorrow... Sad that Timothy Mellon abandned the line.

[GP9railfan]

A spokesman from NBSR said if the Calais branch rails were completely intact, & still in place between Ellsworth, & Ayers Jct, they would be using it on a regular basis, since it's a direct line from New Brunswick, to Bangor, & the Northern Maine Jct. interchange. NBSR would be able to increase their freight traffic exponentially going that route and save $ in the long-run, on operating costs instead of going all the way up & around through Canada every time just to get to Bangor from Woodland

[rockinrollfan37]

wow. i didn't realize the old mec line was in such a bad state of repair/abandonment ! cool video and the song fits too lots of cool pics of gp7's or 9's i have a hard time distiguishing them,maybe the state would purchase all of this and bring it back to life to?if there was enogh demand for it

[GP9railfan]

@rockinrollfan37 Demand would be there if the track was still around, and useable. Guilford really screwed up when they abandoned it in the mid 80's. Now there's so much potential there since fuel prices are as high as they are now. Trains are more popular than ever now. How the times have changed! Put the rails back, & I guarantee there will be lots of freight traffic moving through there again. There's even opportunity for the Amtrak Downeaster to get access to Canada border.

[GP9railfan]

@rockinrollfan37 LOL! Yeah, it was a great line in it's day. A model railroaders dream for sure. My Dad has an N scale layout that models a portion of this old line. It's actually the oldest line in the state of Maine. Lots of history for sure.

[tartopfan]

That guy was an idiot they could of left the track for a tourist line & also that singer seemed like was singing about this line & what could be done. Altough I live In a little town in Alabama I have that same feeling cause back in 1880 there was a little shortline called The Fort Payne & Eastern that hauled Passenger, coal, & Iron ore to Gasden, AL. & shared tracks with the Southern R.R. Then after 5 years the line went bankrupt & the only thing left of that line is some photos & roadbed.

[irishmanO1]

awesome video nice job

[tartopfan]

@GP9railfan the funny thing too is that Im in ALABAMA!!!!!! & yet I worry about a abandoned rail line that is across the country that I have never heard of until this video has been posted & yet I love this line!

[GP9railfan]

@tartopfan That would be great. There's lots of opportunity for that too. You could interchange with at least 3 different railroads that way. And you'd also have potential access to a deep water port for intermodal and tanker cars in Eastport. There's lots of opportunities there already, it just needs some serious cash to get the ball rolling.

[tartopfan]

I bet you onece when I retire & get my own railroad running in Dixie I will head up there & rebuild every single foot of that line, I will not sell it to Guilford as a matter of fact I would probably buy the trackage they use on this branch. Then I would conscruct all of the buildings that came with this railroad, Find some old Alcos & MEC 519 & 501, restore them to operating condition then buy some open window coaches, use those on the whole branch. Meanwhile 4 C424s & a U18B runaround w/ freit