Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-01


The full board of railroad commits
sioners were in session. Monday, and
prepared the certificates describing the
physical condition of the different
roads in the State. which We're mailed
to the various companies. Tuesday. AS
a rule the reports given by the commits
sioners are first class. but they find
some roads in bad shape, and sadly in
need of improvement.
Maine Central-The road bed and
track are in good condition throughout
Part of the light but well-preserved
rail between Bangor and Mt. Desert
ferry has been replaced with the
standard 75-pound rail. Excepting the
trestle bridge at Gardiner which is a
substantial hard pine structure, all the
large bridge openings between Portland
and Vanceboro, and nearly all the small
ones, are spanned by first-class iron,
or steel structures.
Canadian Pacific Railway-The i'm
provements on the main line from Mat
tawamkeag to the boundary have been
continued. Four hundred tons of 73
pound rails: 100000 cubic yards of bal
last and 3512 ties have been used in the
track. One bridge has been renewed
and Al repaired. Eight trestles have
been filled with earth, and two are now
being filled.
Grand Trunk Railway-The bridges
are maintained in good condition. some
being rather light for modern equip
ment, but safe for the loads carried.
Portland & Rumford Falls Railway
The commissioners speak in high terms
of this road The road bed is extreme
ly we'll ditched. and the track is in ex-
cellent line and surface. Three hun
dred and thirty tons of 70-pound rails
with continuous joints, $4,000 cubic
yards of ballast and 21.216 ties have
been put into the track. At Canton
seven -eishths of a mile of track has
been reconstructed One and one-half
miles of side tracks have been built
Three Mogul freight locomotives. %
box cars and saloon cars have been
added to the equipment. The buildings
are in good condition.
Rumford Falls Il Rangeley-The
alignment north of the summit has
been much improved. eliminating two
O-degree curves and reducing the cur
vat,1re of 10 others. fine compound
locomotive has been added to the
equipment
Portland & Rochester-The system
of improvement inaugurated several
years ago. is still going on. Five nun
dred tons of 75-pound rails and more
than 15.OOO ties have been laid, and
ballasting done to a considerable por-
ton. The track rides well. The stone
arch at Sprinsvale has been completed
and is a most excellent structure. as Is
the new steel bridge at East Rochester.
Bangor & Aroostook-They say that
the roadbed and track from Old Town
to Caribou are in good line and surface
condition. The Bangor & PiscataqulS
division. has been very much improved
by laying 70-pound steel rails. ana 4
large number of ties with ballast. 1t
is now in good line and surface ana
we'll ditched. The katahdln iron
Works branch has been improved ~!
the LAYING of selected rails, released by
| the improvements made on the Bangor
e, Piscatauuis 1t is now well tled'
lined and surfaced. In the mater OIL
bridges, good deal has been done on
the Bangor & Piscataquis IN repiat-
ing wooden structures with stone arches
and in general repairs on all s'ruc-
lures. Many culverts have been re-
placed by steel pipes and vast mum
Der of improvements made. improve,
ments have been made on nearly al
the station buildings. so that tney are
now neat. comfortable and convenient
Nearly all the freight cars are equip
ned with automatic coupiers anu
large percentage with air brakes
Boston & Maine-The ROAD peo any
tracks of the Eastern division nav
been very much improved espeo,"r :,
between Wells and Days sidins' ~
miles. where now 7O-pound a-ihcn pa
tern rails have been laid, ties wner 1
needed. and ballast in abundance po.
son that with other improvements :,
is as nearly perfect 10 miles Oh ,ra as
as can be found anywhere All ch'
nnes are in good condition. Th'
;. bridges are all right. A great linpfose
n,ent on the Northern division ma