Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-29
MODERN COALING PLANT
To Be Built by Bangor & Aroostook
At Northern Maine junction.

Work has been begun at Northern
Maine Junction on the erection of a
large and modern coaling station for
the Bangor Aroostok. When completed
it will be one of the finest coal pockets
in this section of the country and the
only one of the kind east of Vermont.
The plant, which is to be erected by
Fairganks, Morse Co. of Chicago, is
to be located almost Immediately in the
rear of the Maine Central station at
the Junction and will be quite an ex-
tensive affair. There will be two large
buildings-one 190x160 feet, and the 9TH
err about $50 feet square-besides q
smaller one, about so feet square, for
use in coaling locomotives
These buildings are to be situated ad-
jacent to the tracks of the Bangor &,
Aroostook and Maine Central, so that
tire loading and unloading of coal will
be facilitated. The largest building will
be used for the storage of soft coal and
will have a capacity of about 10000
tons, while the smaller one will be used
for the various grades of hard coal
and will have a capacity of about 5000
tons. The buildings are to be built of
wood, steel and cement.
There are to be three diScharginS
pockets for use in loading the tenders
of locomotives. Two are to be situated
in the rear of the Maine Central sta
ton, so that locomotives can run I'M
der the shutes, while the third is to be
on the right side of the Maine Central
tracks. Coal for this latter pocket will
be carried by an overhead bridge and
mechanical apparatus.
About a mile of track will have to be
laid to connect the coaling plant with
the tracks of the Seaport line. The
coal is to be brought from Mack's
Point, at Searsport, and by means of
novel and interesting apparatus will
be unloaded and loaded onto flat cars
of locomotives as the case may be
Coal is to be unloaded and loaded
onto fiat cars by what is known as the
gravity system. A Bangor & Aroos-
took switcher will, once or twice day,
back up train of loaded or unloaded
fiat cars at the coal station. The
track which enters the plant itself is
to be inclined. Loaded cars will BE
sent. on the incline and unloaded by a
set of four ScraperS, operated by a
travelling crane, which is controlled by
an operator riding with it. AS soon
as one car is unloaded, it moves down
the incline and out into the yard again.
A car-puller with a capacity of 90
ears, is provided in moving cars when
assistance Of the kind is needed.
When cars are to be loaded, the tray
cling crane moves from end to end of the
building, hauling scoops which pick up
the coal and take it out to the cars. This
two buildings.
The coal pocket which is to be provid-
ed for Maine Central coaling, is to be
equipped with a weighing apparatus. so
that the B. 4 A. officials can keep track
of the amount of coal that is used by the
Maine Central. The scraping machines.
which are to load and unload the COAL are
to be operated by a 20 Fl. p. gasoline
engine.
The plant will have storage capacity
of $1,000 tons and three men can handle
400 tons of coal day at an estimated
cost of about one cent and half a ton.
At this rate, it is estimated that this
plant will effect a saving of about 20 per
cent. from what it costs to operate by
hand.
T. E. Costin of Chicago is the general
foreman in charge of the construction of
the plant, while Guy A. Hersey of this
city is the engineer in charge. The con-
ftract calls for the completion Of the
plant nv Oct