Sluice Hill on the SR&RL, then and now (on a perfect October day)

I acquired this Linwood Moody photo a few years ago that shows the SR&RL on the famous Sluice Hill grade, circa 1930. (Service on the line to Rangeley was discontinued after 1929, but in the summer of 1930 I believe, Moody was able to "charter" one of the Model T railcars for a private tour, on which he is known to have taken a number of photos. The rails were finally lifted in 1932.) It was only when I looked at it again recently that I realized I had a good idea of where it was taken.


Note the mountain the background. The series of oblong bare patches just below the summit identify it as Redington Mountain. This peak only comes into view about halfway up Sluice Hill, somewhere between MP 30 and MP 31.

So before heading home from the WW&F this weekend, I drove up to Franklin County and then spent Monday afternoon hiking up and down the ROW with a photocopy of this picture in hand. What better way could there be to spend a perfect, sunny October day?

After much consideration, I believe this is the spot (or close to it):


I swear the mountain is there! It's just hidden behind the trees!

See, this is the same view from a little farther away, and Redington Mountain with its distinctive scar-like bare patches now comes into view:


Here is the view from the same spot on the ROW but turned 90 degrees to the west to look across the Orbeton Stream Valley toward Saddleback Junior and Saddleback Mountain proper peeking out behind it to the left:


While this spot lower down on Sluice Hill might look like a better match to the Moody photo, it's the wrong mountain -- Saddleback Junior rather than Redington Mountain. This is just a little above Perham Junction, so about MP 29:


-Philip Marshall



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2015 10:38PM by philip.marshall.