Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

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Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
Locale Maine
Dates of operation 1908 – 1935
Track gauge 2 ft (610 mm)
Length 112 miles
Headquarters Phillips

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RLR) was a narrow gauge common carrier railroad that operated approximately 112 miles of 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railroad in Franklin County, Maine.

Formation

The SR&RLR was formed by a series of mergers between 1908 and 1911 of a number of existing narrow gauge lines located around Farmington in Franklin County. The lines that formed the SR&RLR were the Sandy River Railroad, the Franklin and Megantic Railway, the Kingfield and Dead River Railroad, the Phillips and Rangeley Railroad, the Madrid Railroad and the Eustis Railroad.

Closure

In the late 1920s competition from roads began to impact the SR&RLR. By 1934 all lines beyond Perham Junction were removed. The entire network was closed and the remaining lines lifted in 1935.

Revival

In 1970 a group of local railfans at the Phillips Historical Society formed a project to document the SR&RLR. This group eventually formed a separate non-profit organization to preserve remaining equipment from the railroad. The non-profit no operates a short railroad on the trackbed of the original SR&RLR at Phillips.

Locomotives

Number Builder Type Date Works number Notes
1 Hinkley Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1877 1251 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 1
2 Hinkley Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1877 1261 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Railroad No. 4
3 Hinkley Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1884 1664 ex-Franklin and Megantic Railway No. 1
4 Portland Engine Company 0-4-4 1886 8304 ex-Franklin and Megantic Railway No. 2
5 Portland Engine Company 0-4-4 1890 616 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 4
6 Portland Engine Company 0-4-4 1891 622 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 5; sold to the Kennebec Central
7 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1890 615 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Railroad No. 1
8 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-4-4 1907 31826 Ordered for the Sandy River Railroad but delivered to the SR&RLR
9 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-4-4 1909 33550 Built new for the SR&RLR.
10 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-4-4 1916 42231 Built new for the SR&RLR. Used on the Farmington to Rangeley main line only
15 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-0 tender 1891 11706 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Railroad No. 3; rebuilt in 1916 as a 2-6-2
16 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-0 tender 1892 12964 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 6; rebuilt in 1916 as a 2-6-2
17 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1893 13276 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Railroad No. 2
18 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-0 1893 13733 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 2. Rebuilt as a 2-6-2. The last locomotive to run on the SR&RLR. Scrapped 1936
19 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-2 tender 1904 23874 ex-Sandy River Railroad No. 8
20 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1903 23245 ex Eustis Railroad No. 7
21 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1904 23754 ex Eustis Railroad No. 8
22 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-4-4 1904 23755 ex Eustis Railroad No. 9
23 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-2 tender 1913 40733 Built new for the SR&RLR.
24 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-2 tender 1919 51803 Built new for the SR&RLR.

See also

References


  • MacDonald, Robert L. (2003). Maine Narrow Gauge Railroads. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-1179-X. 
  • Crittenden, H. Temple (1976). The Maine Scenic Route. McClain Printing. 

External links


de:Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad