Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-22

central locomotives, lHuSe With Inc
! wood-burner or diamond stacks, was
so well known all over the Maine Gen.
trail system as the No. IS, writes
Charles S Given in the Portland Sun
day Press.
The reason for this is that for q
great many years, she was spare out
Of Portland, and was usually spoken
Of as Payson fuckers engine.
When she was not hauling him on
one of his frequent trips, she was
| hauling excursions or extra passenger
trains and extra freights. and went all
over the line, where she was most
needed.
She and her mate, the ''66." were
built at the Portland Co.'S in 1879,
and were intended for general purpose
| engines.
They were built with 1ex24 cylin-
| der four foot eight inch drivers and
with so inch boilers, and as near alike
as two different engines could be
made. The 65 was uncommonly smart
! in both speed and as a freighter. The
| 66. was a fair puller. Names having
gone out of fashion these were the
| first Maine Central engines to be des-
ignated by number only.
| 1t was considered necessary to call
particular attention to their numbers,
| fore the numerals, both on cab and
| tank
They were also the first engines
with plain lettering on tank and the
last to be built with brass trimmings.
They were of a very pretty model.
| Hartland Foss was the SIS engineer
on the spare job which she held down
from 1879 until the late SOS. and he
| took great pride in her. Hardy" as
the boys called him, was a noted fast
runner, one of the So called wild boys.
who was happiest when rolling them.
Mr.. Tucker liked to ride pretty fast,
and he had the right combination, a
fast runner and a fast engine.
Had Right Of Way.
On some of those trips with rights
over everything but the most impor-
tant passenger trains; with close
meets on them, Gin fact regulars quite
often were held back for him instead
of his waiting for them, when it was
necessary for either train to wait J
Hardy would put Mr.. Tucker down in
Bangor or wherever he was destined
for, in a surprisingly short time. The
boys when they knew Hardy was COM
ing against them. were sure TO get on
a siding at the time specified, as Har-
dy was liable to be there right to the
second. and going like a streak.
In the excursion season he ran on
all the branches as well as main line
and if an extra smart engine was
needed 10 pull a train out of Bangor
and return, they would send him way
down, just for this particular run.
One such trip in particular the writ
er remembers as il was somewhat of a
record breaker.
AS there was a particularly heavy
excursion TO be hauled out Of Bangor
he left Portland the afternoon pre-
vious. and was ordered to haul what
freight there was in the yard for
down east, IA cars and the 'doghouse'
was what he. pulled out 80 minutes
ahead of No. II, the Bangor express.
! With most engineers No, II would
| have passed this train at Brunswick
but with Hardy there was nothing
doing in the passing line. In fact he
was running away from No. IL, until
he was bothered by gravel and a
west bound extra at Bowdoinham and
when he got clear, he was only II
minutes ahead of her. Just one min
ute to the good. as according to rule
extras should clear all regular trains
ten minutes.
| Hardy remarked when pulling out of
| Bowdoinham that, No. II would not
see his tail lights this side of Bangor.
He was stealing = ce3p5e minutes on
II at Richmond as he couldn't get EN-
rolling up the hill fast enough to hold
his own, but he did not take to the
siding. Between Richmond and South
Gardiner the grade was in his favor
and he could get them spinning fast
enough to gain those stolen minutes.
| Through Dresden lodges the IS was
going good mile a minute, round that
curve this light engine slat and sway
| ed wildly, but at South Gardiner
Hardy" had got back his two minutes
was encroaching on No. lis clearance
and had an extra minute up his sleeve
| to the good. He had water enough to
! 3AiohO aus 0Slos 0A4A 81 dii oGA 0iLSi
and arrived at Augusta 16 minutes
| ahead Of No. II. Asking for orders
against "Jewett' at VassaIboro which
train crossed No II at Riverside, he
got a lap ahead, as if he had to wait
at Riverside for 'Jewett' he would
| have to follow No. II out.
Margin At Bangor.
Crossing "Jewett' he was far enough
ahead Of II to make a run for Water
| vile ahead Of her. He got out OF
| Waterville ahead and being lucky on
crossing other trains without delay
he pulled his freight train into Bangor
| with a good margin to spare.
There were other speed boys on the
road those days, but very few Of
them would have led No. II from
Portland to Bangor with only 80
minutes start. This Is car train was
just enough to steady him, and light
enough for the IS to roll 'em.
| In the late SOS heavier engine was
needed on the Portland end. and old
IS was sent over east, Bangor and
Vanceboro.) hauling the Flying Yam
kee. She made good on this run, and
| remained there several years.