Belfast & Moosehead Lake - 2016

Construction started on the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR in 1868 and the little 33-mile shortline persevered until 9 June 2005, when #54 made the last run out of town. The town wasted no time in eliminating the track in the downtown area - the Armstrong turntable was pulled out within just a few days and the pit filled in. Removal of the yard tracks followed shortly thereafter. The B&ML had found new life, however, in 1988, becoming an excursion line. The line now operates primarily from City Point, about two miles north of downtown Belfast. Accompanied by my long-time RR cohort, The Q, I paid a visit to the B&ML in June of 2016.

We arrived on Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend to find 70-tonner #50 warming up for her first run of the day.

The consist had two cars: this enclosed passenger car.....

and an open car.

Conductor Joey Kelley is busy checking journals before the train departs.

The inside of the coach.

These days trains run several miles west to Waldo, On a siding are two passenger cars.

Back from our ride, we wandered through the little City Point yard, where we found another 70-tonner, #51, no longer in service.

There are a number of cabooses ("cabeese"?) in the yard. #31 is an ex-MEC buggy and was never on the original B&ML.

Not sure of the heritage of this one with "CPC" reporting marks - "Collins Pine Co"?

Here's a re-sided MEC buggy - no number.

MEC #640

MEC # 656

Coach #5680

Here's what was once a great baggage car - now a tool shed. That's better than having been scrapped.

The City Point station.

70-tonner #53 was on its way to Waterville for repairs at the Pan Am shops there, but its progress has been held up at Burnham Junction pending the outcome of the possible sale of Pan Am.

You can find a great history of the B&ML here.