It's Fall at the Downeast Scenic Railroad. What an exciting time Fall 2008 has proved to be for the members of the Downeast Rail Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc. and the curious passersby at Washington Junction and throughout Ellsworth.

In early September tracks crews from the Maine Eastern Railroad began installing 2000 new ties and 125 switch timbers within the 4 mile segment from Washington Junction to Ellsworth Falls. This work on Phase I of the Downeast Scenic Railroad Project brings us that much closer to operating in 2009. Our thanks go to all who participated in our Buy-A-Tie Program and to the Maine Department of Transportation for their assistance with the tie program.

Also in September the Downeast Rail Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc. received its first major grant. $15,000 was awarded to the Trust from The Davis Family Foundation to assist with the development of Phase I of the project. This generous award will enable the Downeast Scenic Railroad to complete much of the Phase I work started this year. We would like to thank The Davis Family Foundation for their kind consideration of the project and acknowledgement of the work our organization has undertaken to preserve the corridor and to enhance economic activity in the region.

Big news for the Downeast Scenic Railroad was the arrival of our first motive power. The #54, a GE 70 Ton locomotive purchased from the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad Preservation Society. The Trust would like to thank the following for helping to make this purchase possible; Mr. & Mrs. Arthur E. Pew III, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Slick, Mr. and Mrs. Alton Davis as well as two significant annonymous donations. All helped by contributing to the purchase as well as the cost to transport #54 and for the purchase of a new battery bank for the locomotive.

Mover Baxter Cook and his crew landed #54 at Washington Junction On September 24th via flat bed truck and by the end of the day had her sitting on her trucks. Within several days Trust volunteers had her traction motors reconnected, stairs attached, along with other reassembly necessary and she looks great in her new home.

Our plan is to store the #54 until next spring when she will first move on the Calais Branch. That will be a big day indeed after a 24 year absence of power on the line.

July and August have been very busy at the Downeast Scenic Railroad. Volunteers have been hard at work sanding, sealing, priming and painting the exterior and interior, and installing new windows in our caboose. We are also making preparations to begin work on restoring MEC day coach #155.

Roadmaster Charlie Freeman and his track crew have been installing ties and aligning track from Washington Junction to Main Street in Ellsworth, approximately 2 miles.

We have at the same time completed the rebuild of the grade crossing at Beal Avenue in Ellsworth, all as part of our goal of opening the first 4 miles of the line by the summer of 2009.

The Trust has entered into an agreement with the Maine Eastern Railroad to provide tie and timber instalation on a larger scale begininng in September. ME General Manager Deny Mohn will be sending their tie crew North for several weeks to complete the contract. This has all been made possible by donations to our Buy-A-Tie program and through the generous donations we have received of both ties and funding to be able to contract this work.

Right of Way restoration continues, volunteers have reset crossbucks and made operable the crossing signals at Washington Junction Road in Hancock as well as begun work restoring the crossing signals at Wyman Road.

We would like to thank Bob Campbell, signal maintainer for the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway for donating his time to restore the signals and boxes at these crossings and Shawn Melvin for assisting him.

We would also like to thank Ron MacQuinn and Harold MacQuinn Contractors for providing gravel and ballast for the Beal Avenue crossing rebuild, as well as the City of Ellsworth, Ellsworth Public Works Department and Rob Chester for providing his civil engineering expertise.

New Ties!

In May, The Trust received a delivery of 1500 new ties to aid in the rehabilitation of the line between Washington Junction and Ellsworth Falls. We would like to thank all those who so generously donated to our Buy-a-Tie program and helped to get this tie program started.

The Railroad also took delivery of three new pieces of rolling stock in May to add to our growing inventory of vintage railroad cars and equipment. Trust Director Arthur Pew of White Bear Lake, Minnesota and Northeast Harbor, Maine has purchased for the DRHPT a 1926 Reading Railroad caboose, a 1965 Thrall 64-foot flat car and a 1914 70-ton hopper ballast car for the Downeast Scenic Railroad. These cars were purchased from the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad and will be given a new life and put in service on the Downeast Scenic Railroad.

The Board and Membership of the Downeast Rail Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc. would like to thank Mr. Pew for his generosity and support of our preservation efforts and of the Downeast Scenic Railroad Project.

Our volunteers have been busy sanding and painting this newly added equipment, while at the same time our track crew has been busy installing ties and making other repairs to the track structure on the the 4 miles of right-of-way from Washington Junction to Ellsworth Falls which is Phase I of the Downeast Scenic Railroad project.

This was an amazing feat. We answered the question of ae we for real. This wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of every one. Lots more to do, but we are doing it.

We are going to need more help this summer that is for sure with all that we have planned.

Photos

1 - Bill Alexander at work with the rail saw

2 - The volunteers gather the tools with the connection having been made

3 - Another layer of dirt for compacting is laid onto the crossing

4 - Leverett Fernald guides the Gradall as the first "official" piece of MOW equipment to cross Wyman Road by rail in almost 20 years!!

5- The rails heading west into the sunset!!

Wyman Road Final Connection

November 11
The four weekends following the initial rebuild of the Wyman Road crossing included the cleanup of ties and rail placed aside of the crossing, removal of dirt piles (much used as new roadbed), additional ditch work to provide proper water flow into the new crossing culvert and open box culvert just east of the crossing, the lining of the ditches with rip-rap to prevent erosion, and the reconnection of the rails on both sides of the crossing, stepping down from 115# to 100# to the existing 85# rail as required. Since the crossing was rebuilt to the existing level of the asphalt, the grade leading up to the crossing from the west needed to be increased. With this now accomplished, along with the opening of Washington Junction Road, maintenance equipment can now move solely via rail to Ellsworth Falls, the stretch of line which will see our initial operations.

Photos

1 - Wyman Road crossing after the initial rebuild
2 - Capy GOOO's loaded with ties for west of the crossing
3 - Leverett Fernald hammering spikes in place for rail placement
4- Bank run gravel being shoveled in and tamped
5 - The rail drill being used to prepare the bolt holes

Tales from the Wyman Road Build p.3

Sunday, October 14

Pavement continued to be removed from the crossing approaches as the actual crossing bed was being leveled and compacted. Geo textile fabric was laid in place, followed by crushed rock which also needed to be compacted. Drainage pipes were laid on the perimeter of the bed as well as signal conduit. At about 2 P.M., the bed was prepared for the track panel which had been constructed prior to the crossing rebuild. The panel included the track with mudrails, as well as three separate wood panels that would be inserted in between the mudrails for automotive traffic and which also can be removed for other crossing projects once asphalt can be put in place. A 50-ton crane was used to lower the panel in place. Additional crushed rock was spread within the track, and then dirt was replaced and compacted on the crossing approaches to make for smooth transitions for vehicular traffic. The crossing had been made passable, and considering it was going to be used as a by-pass while Washington Junction Road crossing was being closed for asphalt removal and resurfacing, our deadline had been met!!



photos:


2 - The panel's final position

1 - Panel being lowered in place by 50-ton crane

4 - Tom Testa, President (right) takes a moment to celebrate the landing of the panel
with volunteers!!