St. Croix Bridge Sabotage, 100 Years Ago Today

One hundred years ago today, a German saboteur attempted to destroy the St. Croix railway bridge linking Canada and the USA at St. Croix near McAdam, NB.

German agent Werner Horn (and an Irish accomplice) planted explosives on the American end of the bridge. The explosives did go off, putting the bridge out of service for a couple of days, but did not cause lasting damage. Horn was quickly arrested and imprisoned in the US (in Atlanta, GA) for a few years before being extradited to Canada, where he was put on trial in Fredericton and imprisoned in Dorchester, NB. In 1921 he was quite sick (suffering from syphilis) and was deported to Germany.

The white X on the photo shows where the explosives were placed, and the people in the photo are apparently American customs officers. Remember that in 1915 the US was not in World War I and were officially neutral.

Woodstock, The Carleton Sentinel, Page 4 - Friday, February 5, 1915 - GERMAN USED DYNAMITE ON C.P.R. BRIDGE AT ST. CROIX - The steel bridge spanning the St. Croix River on the main line of the C.P.R. was dynamited by a German shortly after one o’clock Tuesday morning.  The damage to the structure is not extensive, but traffic was interfered with to some extent.  The perpetrator of the outrage was arrested in a hotel in Vanceboro, Maine, and is held there now.

This bridge was part of what was originally The European and North American Railway Company For Extension From St. John Westward company, formed on April 13 1864 and mercifully renamed to the Western Extension Railway. The WER was formed to build a line from Saint John to the border with Maine, where it would meet the European and North American Railway [of Maine], coming up from Bangor. The Western Extension was started on the Saint John end in 1867 and the line was built to the St. Croix River (the border) by late 1869. The ENA was started in Bangor on January 1, 1867 but ran a bit late so the two sides were not connected until 1871. American President Ulysses S. Grant drove the last spike in Vanceboro on October 19, 1871.

Both the ENA and the Western Extension were originally built to the Provincial Gauge (5'6" between rails) and were not converted to standard gauge (4' 8.5") until 1877.

The ENA in Maine became part of the Maine Central, which leased and eventually sold a portion of its track to CP. The Western Extension became part of the New Brunswick Railway, which was leased and later sold to CP and now is part of the New Brunswick Southern Railway.

This bridge was not the original bridge on the site. The original was apparently a wooden bridge but I haven't found any photos of it. Apparently there was at least one accident during construction, as evidenced by this news clipping:

Halifax, Evening Express, Page 2 – Friday, October 2, 1868 – DOMESTIC AND OTHER MATTERS – We understand that an engine used in the construction of the Railway Bridge over the St. Croix River, exploded this morning, killing the Engineer and badly injuring three men.

The iron bridge that this post was erected in 1887, according to this news clipping.

Woodstock, The Sentinel, Page 2 – April 2, 1887 – NEW BRIDGE – A new iron bridge is being erected by the New Brunswick and Maine Central Railways, on the St. Croix River between Vanceboro, Maine, and St. Croix, New Brunswick. It takes the place of the old wooden structure, and rests on granite piers. The road bed has been raised three feet above its former level.

The bridge itself was built by the Passaic Rolling Mill Company (as seen in the top photo) of Paterson, New Jersey.

NB Southern train entering Canada, November 25 2006

The iron bridge no longer exists. Between 1972 and 1973 a centre pier for the new bridge was built and the new bridge was constructed beside the old one, and slid into place to replace the old bridge. It opened for service on April 25, 1973.

The current bridge is used by the New Brunswick Southern Railway.

Other references:

• CBC news article
• International of Maine fondly remembered, Omer Lavallee
• Canadian Rail #413, article by Fred Angus about the 100th anniversary of the "Short Line" in 1989
• My 2006 visit to Vanceboro

PS - does anyone know about the other railway bridge that spanned the St. Croix River near this one?

MMA Sold

The auction has been held for the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) railroad and the winner was the "stalking horse" bidder, Fortress Investment Group of New York.

The Eastern Maine Railway and the Springfield Terminal Railway Company made a bid for the Maine portion of the MMA but the trustee wanted to sell the entire railroad to one bidder, so Fortress won. There is some speculation that there were other bids but since the auction was "closed door", it may never be made public.

The Eastern Maine Railway, along with sister companies NB Southern Railway and the Maine Northern Railway, are owned by J.D. Irving. The Springfield Terminal Railway Company is a subsidiary of the Pan Am Railway, formerly known as the Guilford Rail System.

Fortress owns the Florida East Coast Railway and used to own RailAmerica before selling it.

The editor of the Atlantic Northeast Rails and Ports newsletter was nearby and reported that John Giles was Fortress' representative at the auction and that the auction apparently took about 40 minutes. Mr. Giles is a veteran railroader and presumably will helm the MMA.

The deal still has to be confirmed in both Canada and the USA. This is supposed to take place on Thursday in both countries.

NB Southern in Northern Maine, and Post #2000

Ron Tilley posted a series of photos he took in Maine in early August 2011. They feature the new Maine Northern operations, with NBSR locomotives, leased HLCX 911 and even leased MMA 2000. There are also shots of the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic (MM&A) on the remnants of their track. I encourage you to go see the album.

In other news, I believe this is post #2,000 for me on this blog. I started this in July 2005 and have been plugging away ever since. Thank you for being along for the ride and we'll see you at #3,000 and beyond.

NB Southern to Operate Aroostook Lines

The NB Southern Railway has been selected to operate the former Montreal, Maine & Atlantic (MM&A) rail lines from Millinocket to Madawaska, Maine and the various branch lines off that. The 233 miles of track were purchased by the State of Maine for $20.1 million late last year, and the federal government kicked in just over $10 million to help upgrade the track.

It's actually the US subsidiary of NB Southern, the Eastern Maine Railway, that will operate the trains over the track. The five-member panel reviewing the applicants for the job unanimously chose EMEC.

Presumably NBSR will have to base one or two locomotives somewhere north of Millinocket to serve the area. They will have no direct connection from the "Aroostook Line" tracks to their own, and will have to use MM&A to interchange. Maybe they will lease locomotives from the MM&A for now.

The state is concerned about rail access to the Twin Rivers plant in Madawaska. This plant (formerly known as Fraser Paper) had a dispute with the MM&A and ended up trucking their product into New Brunswick to transload onto CN. The odd thing is that MM&A still owns the piece of track serving the Twin Rivers plant and intends to keep it, so NBSR/EMEC will have to negotiate rights with the MM&A. Time will tell how this plays out.

There is no mention of this on the NB Southern web site, nor the parent J.D. Irving web site. The Irving-owned newspaper Telegraph Journal does have an article on it. I also found a Business Week article and I understand there is something on Trains.com for subscribers.

MM&A Sells Rail to Maine

I'm pretty late reporting this!

The Bangor Daily News reported on October 19 that the State of Maine purchased 233 miles of track (presumably including the land it is on) for $20.1 million dollars. They also received overhead traffic rights to allow a new operator to run traffic through. For example, an operator could have the MM&A carry traffic between Millinocket and Brownville Junction to interchange to NBSR.

The state is now shopping for an operator to run the line: "As the sale is finalized, MaineDOT will issue a Request for Proposals to solicit a private rail operator to provide service over the lines being purchased. MaineDOT has already received numerous expressions of interest from established railroads and expects lively competition for this franchise." Contenders could include the MM&A, NB Southern Railway, or the Pan Am Railway.

The track purchased runs "from Millinocket to Madawaska" and includes "branch lines to Caribou, Presque Isle, Easton, Houlton and Limestone."

The line has become very run down recently, with many portions down to a 10 MPH speed limit. The State of Maine recently received over $10 million in federal TIGER II funds for track improvements.

The MM&A will retain their southern lines, from St Jean., Quebec to Brownville Junction, ME and down to Northern Maine Junction, as well as the branch lines in Quebec and Vermont, and the Millinocket and Searsport, ME branches.

Governor's press release
MM&A Map

The Maine Eastern

David Morris was on a railfan trip in October, and he took some time on October 7 to shoot the Maine Eastern passenger train in Maine. He shot it with FL9 #488 on the point.

He shot some nice fall colours!






Thanks for passing those along, David!

First Train to Calais

On Friday October 9 the first train went (back) to Calais, Maine to service the Domtar plant in Woodland. NBSR 2612 was left there to do the switching.

I suggested that NBSR 3703 would be going down to switch the plant. That rumour is true; however 3703 is not ready yet. She had her cab taken apart two and a half years ago, and then lay dormant in Island Yard in Saint John. It should be painted this weekend and be restored to service in a week or two after that.

This was the first train in Calais since the last train left on May 1, 2009. It's good to see rail service return to the town.

NBSR 3703 to Woodland?

I have heard a strong rumour that NBSR 3703 will be sent to Woodland, Maine to switch the newly restarted Domtar plant there.

You may recall that the last train from Calais departed on May 1, 2009 after the closure of the mill there.

New Rail Line in Maine?

CBC news is reporting that the city of Eastport, Maine is applying for federal funding to rebuild a railway line from Eastport to the Canadian border at Calais.

The Maine Central Railway abandoned the Eastport branch line in 1978. I understand the state railbanked a portion of the old Calais branch, but the portion from Ayers Junction to Eastport was totally removed.

There is an engineering study posted on the Eastport Port Authority web site. Zipping to the bottom line, we find the costs estimated to be between $26 million and $44 million, depending on what level of track is deemed to be required.

All I can say is "good luck".

The Slug in Maine

A friend shot NB Southern's new slug 008 in Mattawamkeag, Maine on Saturday. He very kindly allowed me to post a few photos here. He got a really good shot of 008!

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Back?

Chop Hardenbergh reported in his newsletter that the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad (BML) may soon be running again. The article in the Bangor Daily News says the Brooks Preservation Society has signed a four-year lease with the state of Maine for the rail corridor between Waldo and Burnham Junction. The article says the Brooks Preservation Society "recently purchased B&ML diesel locomotives Nos. 50 and 53, along with two coaches and an open air car". They also have plans to operate velocipede runs, and possibly freight traffic.

Northern Maine Junction

I did my first Maine railfanning today (if you don't count my very brief time in Vanceboro in May last year) at Northern Maine Junction in Hermon, Maine just outside Bangor.

This post has moved to the new site.

Vanceboro

Here are a few photos of Vanceboro from my little excursion there yesterday.

My first impression of Vanceboro was "small". It has the main line and two other tracks there, and that's it. In the above photograph you can see all the trackage, together with a storage shed and truck trailer to the right.


There is a little office building at Vanceboro. Shortly before the westbound NB Southern freight arrived, a woman drove up to the building and went in. I assume she was getting the customs papers ready for the train. When the train stopped, the conductor got the papers from her.


The big surprise at Vanceboro was this little "museum" from the Vanceboro Historical Society. I encourage you to go look at their web site, as there are a few photos of the railroad showing that it was a happening place in its time.

Peering in the windows of the building, I saw a rack of tourist paperwork and the rest appears to be under refurbishment.

There are some good photos in the excellent Canadian Pacific To The East by Omer Lavallee. There was a two-story wooden station in Vanceboro, built in 1906 and dismantled around 1960. The baggage room was retained and served as the station until it burned around 1990.

There is a George Melvin photo of Vanceboro from 1972 in the book, showing CP train 42 (soon to be the Atlantic) showing a turntable and some track behind the station. It appears the current office shack is on or near the site of the former station. Another photo in the book shows a four-stall roundhouse in Vanceboro. I should have looked for the foundation but I didn't think of it.

The chart on page 212 of Canadian Pacific To The East shows quite a substantial yard in 1926, featuring scales, freight and coal sheds, a station, an engine house, a 54,380 gallon water tank, and a U.S. Customs building.

The Maine Central railroad used to have a switcher in Vanceboro, but I don't know when that was ended. Perhaps it stopped when the Mattawamkeag-Vanceboro line was purchased from the Maine Central by Canadian Pacific in December 1974.

Of course, Vanceboro is most famous in railway circles for the failed World War I sabotage attempt on the bridge over the St. Croix river. German Oberleutenant Werner Horn was sent to destroy the bridge, but botched the job and only caused minor damage that was repaired within a few days.

More reading:

• Previous entry
• 100 year anniversary of bridge sabotage

NB Southern in the Rain

Despite the rain, I decided to head to McAdam to see the NB Southern Railway eastbound freight. My oldest son and I rolled through McAdam at about 11:30 and decided to cross the border to Vanceboro to catch the freight there. I had never been to Vanceboro so it was a new experience for both of us. After a quick stop at Customs, we were in the yard in Vanceboro. I'll post more about the yard later (see here). Suffice it to say there was not much there.

We heard the rumble of the engines long before the freight showed up. Shortly after noon Atlantic / 11 Eastern NBSR 2317 East rolled to a stop by the shack.

The freight had NBSR 2317, 2612, 2318 and 9801 for power, with 26 cars.

After about five minutes, they got underway and so did we. I got to the west end of McAdam yard well before they did, so I got this shot.


They pulled up to the station, then cut off the first 11 cars and pushed them back into the yard.


After a quick crew change, they were off. I decided to catch them at Harvey Lake, and I made it there about five minutes before they did.


The day was miserable enough that I decided not to chase any more, and headed home.

In case you're wondering, I was using my son's HP Photosmart 120 rather than my usual Canon S3 IS, because my wife has the good cameras this weekend.

More photos of Vanceboro

NBSR to the Rescue

I'm told NB Southern is lending 3 engines to the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MM&A) to help them in Northern Maine. Friday night's westbound is said to have 6 engines and be 9000' long. This must be an NB Southern record, as that is well over 100 cars!

The last time I can recall NBSR loaning units to the MM&A was in the spring of 2005 when NBSR 2319 was loaned. I posted two of Travis Bragg's videos a while ago. Here's one of them.


Keep in mind NBSR recently loaned their Jordan spreader to the MM&A too.

Photos of NB Southern Spreader in Maine

I mentioned on Saturday that NB Southern's Jordan spreader was in Maine to help the MM&A clear some snow. Michael Peverett picked up on that and took some photos of the spreader in a few parts of Maine, and was gracious enough to send me photos and allow me to use them here.

Here it is Saturday (March 15) clearing the yard in Brownville Junction with 5016 and 5017.

Brownville Junction, Maine on 3/15/08 with MMA 5016 and 5017.

On Sunday Michael chased it from Millinocket up to Houlton.

Island Falls, Maine on 3/16/08 with MMA 5016.


Ludlow, Maine on 3/16/08 with MMA 100 and 2004. This is on the Houlton Branch.

Thanks for sharing, Mike!

NB Southern Spreader in Maine

NB Southern Railway has lent their Jordan spreader to the MM&A railway in Maine to help with snow removal. It was in the Brownville Junction yard on Saturday and will be headed north on Sunday. Thanks to Shaun McGinnis for the update.

Photo by Bob Boudreau

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Equipment For Sale

The home page of RailMerchants.net has a bunch of B&ML equipment for sale. For example, their steam engine is listed for $175,000, the RDC is listed for $165,000 and the passenger cars are listed for $10,000 to $55,000. (PDF)

There's a story about it at the Waldo County Citizen.

A real shame.

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Closing Down

Press release

Regretfully, the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad aka the Unity Train Museum in Maine is shutting its doors. The current management took over the operation in 2005 and had two losing years before deciding to give up.

I am glad I visited it last August. Too bad for them.

The Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad

I had a brief visit to the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad in Unity, Maine this past Sunday, August 26. I wasn't able to see anything moving, but I walked around the grounds and had a good chat with one of the volunteers there.


The station above has a ticket office to the left, and a little museum in the rest of the building. The volunteer told me that the items in the museum are on loan. It's a work in progress.


The steam engine is out of service, so they are using a 70-ton diesel to pull the train. Here's the steam engine by the turntable.


There are more photos in my tourist railroad photo gallery.

There is a great article on the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad here that goes into the BML's history in great detail.