Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-09-20
OLD MAINE LOCOMOTIVES.
Some Of the Famous Wood-Burners
of Fifty Years Ago.
[From the Boston 0lobs.I


The advancement in railroading made
In this country in the last quarter OF .
century is one OF the wonders OF the age.
Steel rails have taken the place OF iron
rails, steel bridges have replaced wooden
structures, air brakes have been substi-
tuted for the old hand brake, block signals
and other safety devices have been in
stalled.
1t is doubtful il in any branch Of rail-
reading there has been greater improve
ments than in locomotive construction.
As one looks at the giant masses OF steel
to-day, one can scarcely comprehend how
the little wood burners OF other days ever
handled the business Of our railroads.
The earliest locomotives were named a.
well as numbered, and there was Q great
protest, especially among railroad men,
when names were discarded.
The "Livermore" No. 2 OF the andre
scoggin railroad, later No. 43 OF the Maine
Central, was built in 1851 by the Amoskeag
manufacturing company, Manchester, N.
H. Her cylinders were 13x20, and
drivers five feet. She and her mate,
the "Leads," were vastly different in de-
sign from present. day engines. Her steam
dome up forwards, two blowon pipes,
curved iron running board, etc., were all
Of the style of the SOS. With her brass
domes and boilder bands, sunfower
stack, red driving wheels aud fancy paint
ing, she was very snowy engine.
For about twenty-five years she hauled
freight and passenger trains on the Farm
ington and Brunswick run, and many are
the anecdotes told OF some OF her remark
able trips. Engineer James Farnham
handled her for years on passenger in the
'6Os. In the '70s the late Payson Tucker
had her fxed up to haul his private car,
and about 1880 she was sold to the Katah-
din Iron Works railway and later broken
up for old iron.
Other old-time Androscoggin engines
were the 'sDr. Garcelon, SOLVER Moses ~
s'Lyman Nichols" sFarmington, y
s'Bates, !" David Patten" and Lewiston, u
ali Of which were broken up many year,
ago.
Ali mp and down the Kennebec valley
there was no locomotive moro familiar Il
the residents Of that section than the old
~. d. Lang" which for many year,
hauled passenger trains over The old Ken
nebec & Portland railroad Cater Portland
4 Ksnnebsc, operated BY the former COM
pany between 6kowhegan and Portland
The locomotive was built BY the Amos
keag manufacturing company also, and
was resplendent in much brass work and
fancy painting.
On account Of some OF her early
''pranks,". she was heartily disiiked By
sons Of the engineers, who were afraid "a
run her. She was an extremely fast en-
CINE, and her regular engineers liked her,
- she was capable Of making good ON the
light trains Of those days. The old vet
sran, Sam Carter. ran her for years. The
"nigser" boy on hsr pilot was engineer
Cartsr's private property. &c usually had
\ II decorated in red and white-striped
trousers, blue cpat and with brass but
tons. In the summer he ran the sLang,'
and in the winter the aPatten," ! coal
burner. Whensvsr he changed engines
his "niggsr" went with him.
The "Lang" was ons Of the prettiest
wood burners on any Maine road. and the
various CROWS who ran her took cslight in
keeping her brass work bright. Wheu
she got too light for mann line trafic she
was put on the Farmington branch in