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12/29/2024
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Viewing Album:  Maine Central – Wilton, Me
 
By:David Larrabee
Dates:1/1/1880 - 1/1/1980
Album Info:The Tracks don't pass through Wilton any more, but when these photographs were taken they did. Most of the interest in the Farmington Branch surrounds the interchange with Sandy River & Rangely Lakes, Maine's most famous 2 foot line. Despite ths focus along the way to Farmington there were some interesting sights.... In the MEC lore that shows up on eBay Wilton stands out. Apparently there were a few rail fans in the area or at least visiting on a regular basis. One of them was Ray Higgins. George Melvin, known for his many post WWII books on New England Roading, says Ray was a life long photographer who worked on the BAR & lived in Millinocket until his passing in the 50s. A sample of Ray's work is displayed here. It is too bad that the other photographers who contributed to this small sample didn't anotate their prints. /DL
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1904 Fall Public Time Table Extract
Title:  1904 Fall Public Time Table Extract
Description:  This extract includes the Farmington Branch for westbound trains – south towards Leeds Jct & the main line. Wilton shows 1 morning and 1 afternoon passenger move. The eastbound time table shows two more for 4 passenger moves a day. Freight probably added another pair or more depending on the amount of forest products coming off the SR&RL ! /DL
Photo Date:  10/10/1904  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:31 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Maine Central
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  130   Comments: 0
Track & Station
Title:  Track & Station
Description:  These old post cards are fantastic. The good ones look to be contact prints made from large negatives. The detail is really good. There's more in this photo than a 1000 wide pixle render can provide. Check out the live stock loading ramp the large lanten over the platform, the loading platform and the 2 wire power line on the shorter pole to the right.... Located north of the Wilton station it is pbly called 'East Wilton' because of it place on the MeC TimeTable when it was built! Farmington is just 4.5 or so miles up the line... How much labor do you suppose it took to manage the plant growth along this road bed?! The date is an estimate.... /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1908  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:33 PM
Location:  East Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  191   Comments: 1
RR Station
Title:  RR Station
Description:  Post Cards were very popular in the years prior to WWI. Not too many folks were in the habbit of 'snapping' a quick shot in those years. The date is an estimate. Keep the building in the background with the upstaris poarch in mind as you go thru these scenes... /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1912  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:35 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  165   Comments: 0
MEC 516
Title:  MEC 516
Description:  U gott'a love those wig-wag xing signs. The station is above the box car behind the tender in this scene. The freight house is to the right. The date is an estimate. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1930  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:37 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 516(2-8-0)
Views:  673   Comments: 0
MEC 464
Title:  MEC 464
Description:  The year and location is the only info on the back of this old photo. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1932  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:39 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 464(4-6-2)
Views:  783   Comments: 0
MEC 520
Title:  MEC 520
Description:  Switching! Ray apparently climbed onto the walk way on top of a box car spotted at the freight house for this shot. If my geography is correct the station is behind the camera... Do I stand corrected?? The year is off the back of the print, the summer date is my guess. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1932  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:41 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 520(2-8-0)
Views:  616   Comments: 0
Employee's Summer Time Table Extract
Title:  Employee's Summer Time Table Extract
Description:  If I decode the symbols properly by the mid 30s MeC was down to 1 passenger turn 6 days a week. /DL
Photo Date:  6/22/1936  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:43 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Maine Central
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  89   Comments: 0
MEC 526
Title:  MEC 526
Description:  Facing time table east or north in early afternoon light if I've decoded this series properly. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1936  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:45 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 526(2-8-0)
Views:  539   Comments: 0
MEC 463
Title:  MEC 463
Description:  Seven Miles from Farmington. They sure don't erect mile posts like this any more.... Many of 'em along the main lines are still standing and have been over painted with PAR miles from Mattawamkeag. This reporters mother was just graduating from Farmington 'Normal School' on or about this date. Now did she ever take the Railroad to school?? I suspect probably!? /DL
Photo Date:  6/12/1939  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:47 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 463(4-6-2)
Views:  546   Comments: 0
MEC 456
Title:  MEC 456
Description:  Late afternoon. The station is to the left and just peaking out between it and the locomotive is what looks like a section house, which, I belive is the loan building in the color photograph at the end of this series... /DL
Photo Date:  7/19/1939  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:05:49 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 456(4-6-2)
Views:  486   Comments: 0
MEC 459
Title:  MEC 459
Description:  Afternoon Eastbound mixed by the looks of it. /DL
Photo Date:  5/13/1941  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:10 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 459(4-6-2)
Views:  498   Comments: 0
MEC 514
Title:  MEC 514
Description:  Westbound freight. Month and day are approximate. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1942  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:12 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 514(2-8-0)
Views:  662   Comments: 0
MEC 453 headed west
Title:  MEC 453 headed west
Description:  Right at the end of WWII... The month and year are correct, the day is an estimate. /DL
Photo Date:  8/1/1945  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:14 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 453(4-6-2)
Views:  456   Comments: 0
MEC 518
Title:  MEC 518
Description:  Ray is back on top of another box car for this shot. Looks like this guy is breaking thru the snow drifts after a fresh 6 to 8 inch snow fall. That's is MP F7 at frame center. The month and year are known, the day is an estimate. /DL
Photo Date:  3/1/1946  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:16 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 518(2-8-0)
Views:  439   Comments: 0
MEC 458
Title:  MEC 458
Description:  Another afternoon westbounder. Looks like a freight this time. Be sure to give Ray a tip of the hat next time U are in Millinocket!! ;-) Day of the month is estimated. /DL
Photo Date:  6/1/1946  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:18 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Ray Higgins
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives:  MEC 458(4-6-2)
Views:  496   Comments: 0
Track Chart
Title:  Track Chart
Description:  Engineering twists n turns on the road to Farmington... /DL
Photo Date:  1/1/1963  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:20 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Maine Central
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  113   Comments: 0
Looking west
Title:  Looking west
Description:  Well things have changed in the 50s and 60s. LCL freight is no more. I suspect the station, which was just to the right of the camera is probably gone. The Wig Wag, wag's no more... Day of the month is an estimate. /DL
Photo Date:  5/30/1971  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:24 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  197   Comments: 0
Freight House
Title:  Freight House
Description:  It looks like there's a flat car spotted by the freight house..... It still shows the MEC two tone gray scheme. /DL
Photo Date:  10/13/1973  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:26 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  147   Comments: 0
Looking east
Title:  Looking east
Description:  Almost 7 miles to Farmington... /DL
Photo Date:  10/13/1973  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:29 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  123   Comments: 0
Section House
Title:  Section House
Description:  They don't build 'em like this any more! There was more pride then. I don't think the designer was told to worry about the bottom line.... The passenger station was just to the left. A thumbs up to the photographers who made this series possibe ! /DL
Photo Date:  10/13/1973  Upload Date: 3/4/2011 1:07:31 PM
Location:  Wilton, ME
Author:  Unknown
Categories:  Station,Steam,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  203   Comments: 0

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