Re: Revisiting the SR&RL
| July 22, 2014 12:14AM |
|
I wanted to do some exploration of the ROW of the SR&RL north of Phillips -- the old P&R. My plan was start at Madrid Station and then drive around the Devil's Elbow to Reeds, and then on to Sanders and Perham Junction. This section is shown by both the Delorme Maine Atlas and Google Maps as a gravel road. I would leave my car at Perham Junction and continue up the SR&RL's ruling grade, Sluice Hill, on foot.
Here is the shoreline of Toothaker Pond at Madrid Station as it once was (photo borrowed from Two Feet Between the Rails by Jones):
And here is the same view now. The road at the right is on the ROW.
My car's odometer clocked the distance from the location of the photo above to the Reed's Mills Road crossing at 1.9 miles, a satisfyingly close approximation of the official distance of 2.05 miles between Madrid Station (MP 23.17) and Reeds (MP 25.22).
But alas, I found the ROW just past Reeds was posted against vehicular access (a big plywood sign saying "NO cars or jeeps"). Not wanting to get in trouble, I was forced to backtrack. So I headed north on East Madrid Road and then worked my way down to Perham Junction via the Barnjum Branch -- coming in the back door, so to speak. (Of course this was the very route Bob Troup had suggested to me just the other day, but I didn't listen.)
This is Perham Junction (MP 28.34) in the good old days, with 20 and 19 -- and I think we've seen that number plate before! (Photo again borrowed from Two Feet Between the Rails by Jones.)
And this is Perham Junction now. Left is the Barnjum Branch, and right is the mainline south to Phillips. This is maybe 100 yards south of the location of the photo above.
As can be seen by comparing the two images, Perham Junction was on a sort of a hump, with short mainline grades on either side of it. But even before the rear of northbound train was over the top of this little rise and rolling down the other side, the engine would already be working into Sluice Hill, which begins shortly thereafter.
-Philip Marshall
Here is the shoreline of Toothaker Pond at Madrid Station as it once was (photo borrowed from Two Feet Between the Rails by Jones):
And here is the same view now. The road at the right is on the ROW.
My car's odometer clocked the distance from the location of the photo above to the Reed's Mills Road crossing at 1.9 miles, a satisfyingly close approximation of the official distance of 2.05 miles between Madrid Station (MP 23.17) and Reeds (MP 25.22).
But alas, I found the ROW just past Reeds was posted against vehicular access (a big plywood sign saying "NO cars or jeeps"). Not wanting to get in trouble, I was forced to backtrack. So I headed north on East Madrid Road and then worked my way down to Perham Junction via the Barnjum Branch -- coming in the back door, so to speak. (Of course this was the very route Bob Troup had suggested to me just the other day, but I didn't listen.)
This is Perham Junction (MP 28.34) in the good old days, with 20 and 19 -- and I think we've seen that number plate before! (Photo again borrowed from Two Feet Between the Rails by Jones.)
And this is Perham Junction now. Left is the Barnjum Branch, and right is the mainline south to Phillips. This is maybe 100 yards south of the location of the photo above.
As can be seen by comparing the two images, Perham Junction was on a sort of a hump, with short mainline grades on either side of it. But even before the rear of northbound train was over the top of this little rise and rolling down the other side, the engine would already be working into Sluice Hill, which begins shortly thereafter.
-Philip Marshall
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.