Re: Maine in October

Randall Hess Wrote:
=======================================================
> Could you provide more specific information about
> how to locate the SR&RL depot and car shop in
> town? When we went there a few years ago, we saw
> the stuff assembled across the river, but missed
> the two buildings in town.
>
> I found our visit to Phillips to be really
> depressing. The train run by the SR&RL group was
> powered by a mock locomotive powered by a Mustang
> engine. Yes, they need support and money, but to
> see the odds they were wrestling with, in a part
> of the state where economic activity is limp, was
> a real downer. However, if we hadn't moved 800
> miles away, we might still go back because they
> can use all the encouragement we can provide.


Hi Randall,

The address for the SR&RL Phillips depot is 15 Depot Street:

[[url=https://www.google.com/maps/@44.823041,-70.342072,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sun_8TP9KUTI_CfDssWZtQw!2e0]Google Maps[/url]]

Yes, depressing is the word I would use also. Western Maine's economy is struggling, and it shows. However, there are definitely people with money in Franklin County, both year-round residents and seasonal second-home owners (and I know a few of both), so as with all economic issues it seems to be more a matter of how money and resources are allocated and what investments people are willing to make than the overall supply of funds.

Why are certain preservation groups successful (like the WW&F), bringing in ample donations and volunteers year after year, while others just a 2-hour drive away (like the SR&RL) are lingering on life support? Success tends to be auto-catalytic, leading to further success as excitement grows and more people want to jump on the bandwagon. Geography is a big factor (Wiscasset is a fashionable summer resort area, whereas Phillips is definitely not), but there has to be more to it than that. I wish I knew the answer.

Indeed, my impression on recent visits has actually been that many people in the area find "the narrow gauge railroad" thing to be a bit of a weird embarrassment, and want to de-emphasize it. When you drive into Phillips now on Route 4, there is a big sign celebrating it as the home town of "Fly rod Crosby" (the 19th-century female fishing guide), but there's no mention of the railroad. Likewise, the P&R grade between Reeds and Sanders has now been turned into a hiking trail called "The North Franklin Recreational Trail", but there's no mention of the railroad. The sign in front of the red-brick car shop next to the Phillips depot identifies the building as "The Old Gym" (which is how it was used for many years), but there's no mention of the railroad that built it.

It's painful for me because, while I love all of the Maine NG railroads, the SR&RL is my biggest love.

Here is an SR&RL "then and now" photo comparison I've posted before that I think really brings it home:




-Philip Marshall



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2015 06:25PM by philip.marshall.