CP No More
Another interesting frame from this location during my slow speed chase ofPan Am train NMWA-13 across District One. I hiked east about a half mile from the Palmer Road crossing to capture some details illustrating how far the once great Maine Central Railroad's Portland Division mainline has fallen. Here again is the trio of MEC 510, 316, and 7545 (a GP40-2LW, GP40, and C40-8 respectively) with their 4261 ft long train of 59 loads and 4 empties seen smoking as they slog toward MP 80 on the modern day Freight Main.
The goal post signal with searchlights and piles of ties mark the west end of the of one time 6500 ft long Stetson Siding. The propane tank that once provided fuel to power the switch heaters and the signal bungalow still falsely proclaiming CPF80 have been left in place, abandoned with no purpose. The CTC here was installed by the MEC in 1957 and was controlled by the operator at MD tower in a small cabin west of Northern Maine Junction. To see a photo of it I highly recommend this link to a great story: thetracksidephotographer.com/2016/10/06/maine-central-rem...
But with this once busy railroad reduced to only this train up one day and back the next there are no more meets and little need for sidings and signals. Consequently the siding was removed by Guilford years ago, but this hung on as a control point in the woods designated CPF80 until Pan Am finally discontinued the signal and traffic control system as approved on June 15, 2016 per Docket number FRA-2015-0073.
Newport, Maine
Saturday May 14, 2022
CP No More
Another interesting frame from this location during my slow speed chase ofPan Am train NMWA-13 across District One. I hiked east about a half mile from the Palmer Road crossing to capture some details illustrating how far the once great Maine Central Railroad's Portland Division mainline has fallen. Here again is the trio of MEC 510, 316, and 7545 (a GP40-2LW, GP40, and C40-8 respectively) with their 4261 ft long train of 59 loads and 4 empties seen smoking as they slog toward MP 80 on the modern day Freight Main.
The goal post signal with searchlights and piles of ties mark the west end of the of one time 6500 ft long Stetson Siding. The propane tank that once provided fuel to power the switch heaters and the signal bungalow still falsely proclaiming CPF80 have been left in place, abandoned with no purpose. The CTC here was installed by the MEC in 1957 and was controlled by the operator at MD tower in a small cabin west of Northern Maine Junction. To see a photo of it I highly recommend this link to a great story: thetracksidephotographer.com/2016/10/06/maine-central-rem...
But with this once busy railroad reduced to only this train up one day and back the next there are no more meets and little need for sidings and signals. Consequently the siding was removed by Guilford years ago, but this hung on as a control point in the woods designated CPF80 until Pan Am finally discontinued the signal and traffic control system as approved on June 15, 2016 per Docket number FRA-2015-0073.
Newport, Maine
Saturday May 14, 2022