The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-09-05
THE WATfRvnlE 1 wISCASSII R.R.

Inc WAltkWlt ( MlSCASSE I R. R
we have always been great believe
n.,, .mu Hencnts 70 oe derived to our agri
strn saai communities from easily con
S..uo.eo Iallroads, either electric OF
ride over the Waterville & Wiscasso'
line, to see what improyements "1 h"d
been inaugurated since the nav naan
agement got control. OF conrse a ra;h
road line, even if it is less than Inn
miles long, cannot be Reconstructed in
day, but we were agreeably SURPRISED
to see what strides had been made in
putting this road on its feet once more
The new management is evidently made
| up OF business men, and they believe in
building from the ground up. In this
case Superintendent Sewell commenced
| by securing the services of Mr. Jere
! Crafty, practical railroad man of long
experience, as road master over the en-,
tire line. Mr.. Crafty made a critical
examination of the road, engaged a
| large gravel train crew and went to
work. He has worked hard all summer
! and says he has just made beginning.
Every culvert has been inspected and
| repaired if in immediate need. every
bridge has been Strengthened up and
miles and miles of track have been
raised from six inches to foot and a
half. The horseback gravel pit in Pa
lermo has been utilized in furnishing
the gravel for this entire work. Some
of the best work done was in putting
old iron boilers across under the rails
where formerly small easily clogged
culverts had been used. Superintendent
Sewell secured several car loads of these
old boilers and is using them with good
effect in this way. Where the old trestle
stood at South China is now a solid fill.
with big boiler for the water to pass
through.
Every car belonging to the company
has been newly painted, the station at
North Whitefield has been moved across
The station at Cooper's Mills is to be
moved north up on a rise OF ground,
where it will be much more convenient
for the trains as we'll as for the patrons.
The shops at Wiseasset are being over
hauled from top to bottom and refitted
with new and expensive machinery, to
be driven by steam engine, so that
the road can make its own repairs. But
best of all, two large locomotives now
building will come onto the line in
few weeks. One of them weighs AZ
tons. While this of course is not con-
Sidered very ponderous engine COM
pared with the broad guage roads, when
it is known that the engines now in use
weigh less than half this amount the
increase will be better understood.
Last week Superintendent Sewell had
bridge aXnert with him examining
the different bridges and trestles to
see what additional strengthening they
would require to make it safe for run
ming the new equipment.
While it will take fully another year
to put this road in the pink of condi-
ton, physically, the improvements al
ready made are in the right direction
and are very helpful. AT five o'clock
any afternoon at Weeks Mills one can
see three trains starting in as many di-
rections, passenger trains going to
WinSlow and Albion, and mixed train
starting for Wiscasset. The schedule
now is very satisfactory to the patrons.
In addition to the regular passenger
trains the freight that leaves Wiscasset
about nine o'clock, or on the arrival of
the trains from Portland and Rockland,
comes right throughto Winslew, reach
ing here at one O'Clock, and a branch
runs to Albion, reaching there about
the same hour. The return train leaves
Winslow at four, reaching WiscasSet in
time to take the evening train for Rock
land.
If the business of this little line in