The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-01
MAINE RAILROADS.
Commissioners Make Their Report on
Their Physical Condition.

Commissioners Make Their Report on
Their Physical Condition.
Augusta, November 30.-The railroad
commissioners on Tuesday forwarded
certificates to the various railroads in the
state describing and certifying to the
physical conditions of the roads, which in
most instances is first class.
or the Bangor and Aroostook they say
that the roadbed and track are in good
line and surface, and generally main
tanned In excellent condition. In the
matter of bridges a good deal has been
done ON the Bangor and Piscataquis in
replacing wooden structures with stone
arches and in general repairs on all
structures. Many culverts have been re-
placed by steel pipes and a vast number
of improvements made. Improvements
have been made on nearly all the station
buildings. Nearly all the freight cars are
equipped with automatic couplers and a
large percentage with airbrakes.
Boston and Maine-The road bed and
track of the Eastern division have been
very MUCH improved, especially between
Wells and Days siding, ten miles, where
now seventy pound f1ye-inch pattern rails
have been laid, ties where needed, and
ballast in abundance put, so that with
other improvements it is as nearly a per-
feet ten miles of track as can be found
anywhere. All the lines are in good con-
dition. The bridges are all right. A
great Improvement on the Northern
divieion has been the replacing of the
wooden bridge at Salmon Falls with a
steel deck bridge set on good masonry.
notable improvement spoken of is in the
sanitary condition of the Biddeford
eastern station.
Maine Central-The road bed and track
are in good condition throughout. Part
of the light but we'll preserved rail be-
tween Bangor and Mt. Desert ferry has
been replaced with the standard seventy
1ive-pound rail-. Excepting the trestle
bridge at Gardiner which is substantial
hard, pine structure, all the large bridge
openings between Portland and Vance
boro and nearly all the small ones are
SPAWNED by first cl ass iron, or steel struc-
lures.
Canadian Pacific Railway-The i'm
proyements on the main line from Mat
tawamkeag to the boundary have been
continued. One bridge has been renewed
and forty-one repaired. Eight trestles
have been filled with earth. and two are
now being filed.
Grand Trunk Railway-The bridges are
maintained in good condition, some being
rather light for modern equipment, but
safe for the loads carried.
Portland and Rumford Falls Railway
The commissioners speak in high terms
ofsthts road. The road bed is extremely
well ditched, and the track is in excellent
line and surface. Three hundred and
thirty tons of seventy pound rails, with
continuous joints, 26, 900 cubic yards of
ballast and 81, 216 ties have been put into
the track. At Canton seven-e ighths Of a
mile of track has been reconstructed. One
and one half miles of side tracks have
been built. Three Mogul freight loco
motives, rs box cars and two saloon cars
have been added to the equipment. The
buildings are in good condition.
Ruynford Falls and Rangeley-The
alignment north of the summit has been
much improved, eliminating two ten de-
gree curves and reducing the curvature of
ten others. A fine compound locomotive
has been added to the equipment.
Portland and Rochester-The system of
improvements inaugurated several years
ago, is still going on. Five hundred tons
of seventy -five-pound rails and more than
$1,000 ties have been laid, and ballasting
done to considerable portion. The track
rides well. The stone aroh at Springvale
has been completed and Is most excel
lent structure, as Is the new steel bridge
at East Rochester.
Somerset Railway-Eleyen hundred tons
of new sixty pound steel 5000 ties and 800
tons of selected secondhand iron has been
laid. Two bridges have been renewed,
three repaired and three good substantial
culYerts built. All are kept in condition
craditabIe to the manager of the railway,
lii. W. NJ. Dunn.
sandy River Railroad-Great improve
meat has been made in alignment and
gradients.
Phillips and Rangeley-The bridges
sc been strengthened and repaired.