Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

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

• Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

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

• Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad web site