Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-09

(By an Old Timer, in Portland telegram
In 1881. through travel had become so
heavy that two new passenger engines,
Nos. g. and IS, were built to haul the
Bangor trains.
These engines were considerably heav-
Ter than any other VI. C.s, and were bult
with all the latest Improvements to date.
The boys considered them monsters at
that time, but they would look at them
more in the light of toys than engines
capable of handling heavy trains of to-
day.
They were built at the Portland Co. in
1851, having 17x2i inch cylinders, feet,
8 inch drivers, 512. inch boilers and
weighed about g. tons.
Fancy decorations had become a thing
of the past on the NJ. c. K. K. and these
engines were turned out with sheet iron
castings on cylinders and domes, plain let-
tering tank. and were decided cor
trast to the fanciy finished machines of
former days The only bright work about
them was their number plate on front Of
boiler which was brass.
The 81 was put on the Bangor end Of
IL and Ga, with Bill Sampson at the thro.-
the Portland end in charge of AL Kilgore.
(There were no Sunday trains at that
tint except the morning paper train and
that had been running only a year or 500
These engines could run well. and were
heavy enough to handle those heavy
trains (heavy for those days. even when
one or two extra cars We're coupled on
Previous to the Ct and 6s running
through on II and Ga, these trains had
been handled by three engineers and
three different engines.
Engineer Dan Coburn hauled No. 81,
Bangor to Augusta, with Engine No. IS,
John p. Brown. AL kilgore hauled It
from Augusta to Portland with the g.
VIM. g. Davis.
William Sampson hauled No II out Of
livered it TO Cohurn at Augusta. who
then returned to Bangor.
No. 81 was on the summer change. made
four press between Bangor and Bruins
wick, running local from there in a short
local train known as No. 2f, ran ahead
stopping at all stations and delivered its
passengers 70 No. G. at Brunswick No
II ran local. Portland TO brunswick
The local UP river passengers changed
there and got aboard No. 70, which fol
lowed No. Il to Bangor. No. II running
as an express while u did local work
Nos. 81 and fS were on this run about
two wears when the 80 and ~ repla cod
them and they went to the Skowhcgan
run. Later they were in lower road local
passenger and for long while on main
line and branch freights and were
strapped about 1903.
In 1889 the most notable external
changes in locomotive were inaugural
ed. viz. the straight stacks and extern
sion fronts and the Maine Central had
two so equipped built in that year, Nos.
IS and 50
In the meantime after engines 50 and 20
leased the European and North American
Railroad and had REMEMBERED the engines
obtained with that road from Il to 81.
The IS and 50 were Portland Company
products and had cylinders 17x24 and 4
feet II inch drivers. weight of engine IS, $50
pounds. tank. $500 pounds tractive pow
er. 1850 pounds Their boilers were 51a.
in diameter. 43 feet inch wheel base,
carried 2s or more gallons of water in
tank and tons Of coal
These first straight stacked engines
were quite a curiosity to the natives Of
Maine. They were taller than present