Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-06
Physical Connection Between.
Steam and Electric Lines

The Public Utilities Commission at
the request of considerable number
OF interested parties will present to the
coming Legislature an act giving the
commission authority to require
physical connection between the tracks
of railroad operated by steam and
one operated by electricity or between
the tracks of two railroads operated by
electricity, when there is a sufficient
demand for it, and it may be accom-
plished under reasonable regulations.
1T is, of course, we'll known that
when electric railroads were first put
in operation. passengers only were
carried" said Hon. Benjamin F.
Cleaves of Biddeford, the chairman of
the public utilities commission, in dis
cussing the matter Tuesday. Later,
express packages were carried in small
numbers in regular cars, the business
growing so fast that very soon special
cars for the carriage of express were,
and now are. regularly run on nearly
all lines.
within the last two years." con-
tinued Judge Cleaves, several electric
roads have been giving careful atten-
ton to the possibility of profitably
carrying on a regular freight trans
portation business, with the result that
several such companies have prepared
and filed full freight tariffs. and are
regularly engaged in the haulage of
freight. The rails, roadbed and
freight motors are such that loaded
freight cars of standard type can be
safely and conveniently hauled from
the tracks of steam railroads and
on the electric roads to the
point of final destination of the con-
tents of such loaded cars. In order to
accomplish such haulage, there must
be physical connection-an actual
union of tracks-between the steam
road and the electric road. Several
such connections already exist, not
ably, between the Atlantic Shore Line
bunk. the Lewiston, Augusta & Wa
terville Street Railway and the Maine
Central at Sabattus and the Bangor
Railway and Electric and the Maine
Central at Bangor.
by means of these connections a
large amount of freight traffic is in
terchanged; but they are now con-
trolled entirely, both as to location and
manner OF use, by an agreement be-
tween the steam and the electric rail-
roads. Nearly every other state has a
law authorizing its public service
commission to compel a steam and
electric railroad to construct a physi-
cal connection between it's tracks and
by means of the same to transport
loaded freight cars from the steam
road out to destination along the line
of the electric road, and also to haul
empty cars to a convenient point for
loading and return to the steam road
for further transportation.
illustrations of the necessity of
such law are limitless in number and
variety. A group of farmers desire to
ship potatoes, the steam railroad sta
ton is seven or eight miles away,
while the electric car line passes the
door. how much more convenient 1t
would be if a sidetrack would be built,
a car set for loading, that car when
loaded hauled and switched (by means
of a physical connection) to the steam
road and along wagon haul (maybe in
the mud) avoided. Lumber, milk
produce, other commodities could be
handled in the same way. And with
reference to incoming freight. it is
plain that coal, grain, farm machinery
fertilizer the stock of goods of the
local trader. all could be landed at a
convenient electric siding. if only
there existed a physical connection
between the steam and the electric
road.
Some Of the steam roads say /,
would be unfair to compel a physica
connection between such road, hav.
ing expensive terminals to maintain
and an electric road which Is under NJ
such expense. This comes down to &
matter Of dollars and cents and woult