MAINE CENTRAL CHRONOLOGY 1832 Bangor & Old Town Railway Company Chartered and some minor work done. Calais Railway Co. chartered 1833 Bangor & Piscataquis Canal & Railroad Co. chartered 1834 Bangor and Piscataquis work started 1835 Calais Railway, some work done 1836 Kennebec & Portland Railroad Co. chartered Bangor & Piscataquis opened Bangor to Old Town 1837 Calais & Baring Railway Co. chartered 1838 Calais Railroad Co. (former Calais Railway) chartered 1839 Calais & Baring Railroad Co. (former Calais & Baring Railway) chartered Calais Railroad Co. opened Calais to Salmon Falls (2 miles) using horses 1841 Calais Railroad abandoned 1845 Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad chartered Penobscot & Kennebec Railroad Co. chartered 1847 Buckfield Branch Railroad Co. chartered 1848 Androscoggin Railroad Co. chartered Somerset & Kennebec Railroad Co. chartered Androscoggin & Kennebec opened Danville Jct. to Lewiston 1849 Calais & Baring Railroad Co. chartered (former Calais R.R.) Androscoggin & Kennebec opened Lewiston to Waterville Kennebec & Portland opened Yarmouth Junction to Bath 1850 European & North American Railway Co. chartered Buckfield Branch opened Mechanic Falls to Buckfield Kennebec & Portland opened Portland to Falmouth 1851 Kennebec & Portland opened Brunswick to Augusta 1852 Androscoggin opened Leeds Jct. to Livermore Falls Calais & Baring opened Salmon Falls to Baring 1853 Dexter & Newport Railroad Co. chartered Penobscot & Kennebec opened Waterville to Fairfield Somerset & Kennebec opened Augusta to Waterville 1854 Lewy's Island Railroad (Maine) chartered Bangor & Piscataquis Canal opened Old Town to Milford Penobscot & Kennebec opened Fairfield to Pittsfield 1855 Bangor, Old Town & Milford Railroad Co. (former Bangor & Piscataquis Canal) chartered Buckfield Branch opened Buckfield to East Sumner Penobscot & Kennebec opened Pittsfield to Bangor Somerset & Kennebec opened Waterville to Fairfield 1856 Maine Central Railroad Co. chartered Lewy's Island opened Baring to New Brunswick border Penobscot & Kennebec leased to Androscoggin & Kennebec Somerset & Kennebec opened Fairfield to Skowhegan 1857 Portland & Oxford Central Railroad Co. chartered (former Buckfield Branch) Lewy's Island opened New Brunswick border to Princeton 1858 Androscoggin opened Livermore Falls to East Wilton 1859 Androscoggin opened East Wilton to West Farmington 1860 Somerset Railroad Co. chartered 1861 Androscoggin opened Brunswick to Leeds Jct. and Crowley's Jct. to Lewiston 1862 Portland & Kennebec Railroad Co. chartered (former Kennebec & Portland) Maine Central Railroad Co. organized by consolidation of Androscoggin & Kennebec and Penobscot & Kennebec 1864 Essex County Railroad Co. (Vermont) chartered Knox & Lincoln Railroad Co. chartered Portland and Machias Steamboat Co. chartered Portland & Kennebec leased Somerset & Kennebec 1865 Leeds & Farmington Railroad Co., a reorganization of the Androscoggin, operated between Leeds Jct. and West Farmington 1867 Portland, Bangor & Machias Steamboat Co. chartered (former Portland & Machias Steamboat Co.) Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad Co. chartered Portland & Oxford Central opened East Sumner to Hartford 1868 Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Co. chartered and ground broken at Belfast Dexter & Newport opened Newport to Dexter European & North American opened Bangor to Olamon 1869 Maine Central leased Dexter & Newport European & North American opened Olamon to Mattawamkeag European & North American acquired Bangor, Old Town & Milford 1870 St. Croix & Penobscot (former Calais & Baring) chartered and acquired Lewy's Island Railroad Co. Maine Central leased Portland & Kennebec Maine Central leased Somerset & Kennebec Androscoggin opened West Farmington to Farmington Bangor, Old Town & Milford line discontinued Belfast & Moosehead Lake opened Burnham Jct. to Belfast Maine Central opened Royal Jct. to Danville Jct. Portland & Ogdensburg opened Portland to West Baldwin Portland & Oxford Central opened Hartford to Canton 1871 Maine Central leased Androscoggin and Leeds & Farmington Maine Central leased Belfast & Moosehead Lake European & North American opened Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro Knox & Lincoln opened Woolwich to Rockland Engine House and first used Bath - Woolwich Ferry Maine Central opened Danville Jct. to Cumberland Jct. Portland & Ogdensburg opened West Baldwin to North Conway,N.H. 1872 Essex County opened St. Johnsbury, VT to West Concord, VT 1873 Bucksport & Bangor Railroad Co. chartered Portland & Ogdensburg opened North Conway to upper Bartlett 1874 Rumford Falls & Buckfield Railroad Co. chartered (former Portland & Oxford Central) Maine Central acquired Leeds & Farmington Maine Central acquired Portland & Kennebec Maine Central acquired Somerset & Kennebec Bucksport & Bangor opened Bangor to Bucksport Portland & Ogdensburg opened Bartlett to Bemis Somerset opened Oakland to Madison 1875 Essex County opened West Concord, VT to Lunenburg, VT Maine Central General Office Building opened on Commercial Street in Portland Portland & Ogdensburg opened Crawford Notch to Lunenburg, VT and ran to St. Johnsbury, VT Somerset opened Madison to North Anson 1876 Knox & Lincoln opened Rockland engine house to depot 1879 Rumford Falls & Buckfield opened Canton to Gilbertville 1881 Maine Shore Line Railroad Co. chartered 1882 Coos Valley Railroad (Vermont) chartered Eastern Maine Railway Co. chartered (former Bucksport & Bangor) Portland, Bangor, Mt. Desert & Machias Steamboat Co. chartered (former Portland, Bangor & Machias Steamboat Co.) Maine Central leased European & North American Maine Central became a major stockholder in the Portland, Bangor, Mt. Desert & Machias Steamboat Co. 1883 Somerset Railway chartered (former Somerset Railroad Co.) Upper Coos Railroad (N.H.) chartered Maine Central leased Eastern Maine 1884 Maine Central leased Maine Shore Line Railroad which opened Brewer Jct. to Mt. Desert Ferry Maine Central began Bar Harbor Ferry operations 1886 Portland, Mt. Desert & Machias Steamboat Co. chartered (former Portland, Bangor, Mt. Desert & Machias Steamboat Co.) Portland & Ogdensburg Railway (former Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad) chartered Sebasticook & Moosehead Railroad Co. chartered and opened Pittsfield to Hartland 1887 Dominion Lime Co. (Canada) chartered and opened Dudswell Jct., P.Q. to Lime Ridge, P.Q. Portland Union Railway Station Co. chartered Upper Coos (NH) opened North Stratford to West Stewartstown 1888 Dexter & Piscataquis Railroad Co. chartered Hereford Railway Co. (Canada) chartered Upper Coos Railroad (VT) chartered and opened NH - VT border to VT - Canada border Maine Central acquired Maine Shore Line Maine Central leased Dexter & Piscataquis Maine Central leased Portland & Ogdensburg European & North American opened Enfield to Montague Somerset opened North Anson to Embden Portland Union Station opened 1889 Dexter & Piscataquis opened Dexter to Foxcroft Dominion Lime Co. line sold to Hereford Hereford opened VT - Canada border to Dudswell Jct., P.Q. Portland & Ogdensburg opened Fabyan's to Scott's Jct. Maine Central Office Building opened on St. John Street, Portland Somerset opened Embden to Solon 1890 Portland & Rumford Falls Railway chartered Maine Central leased Hereford - opened Cookshire Jct., P.Q. to Dudswell Jct., P.Q. Maine Central leased Upper Coos from North Stratford to Beecher Falls, VT Maine Central and Canadian Pacific entered agreement for joint use of tracks between Mattawamkeag and Vanceboro. Portland & Rumford Falls leased Rumford Falls & Buckfield Somerset opened Solon to Bingham 1891 Maine Central leased Knox & Lincoln Coos Valley opened Guildhall, VT to Brunswick, VT and leased to Upper Coos (N.H.) European & North American opened Montague to Howland Upper Coos (N.H.) opened Quebec Jct. to North Stratford 1892 Portland & Rumford Falls opened Gilbertville to Rumford Falls 1893 Washington County Railroad Co. chartered 1894 Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes Railroad Co. chartered Portland & Rumford Falls opened Auburn to Mechanic Falls 1895 Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes opened Rumford Falls to Houghton to Letter "E" 1896 Portland & Rumford Falls opened Canton to Peterson Rips Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes opened Houghton to Bemis 1897 Maine Central leased Dexter & Newport (again) Portland & Rumford Falls opened Peterson Rips to Chisholm and acquired Rumford Falls & Buckfield 1898 Washington County acquired Calais & Baring Washington County opened Ayers Jct. to St. Croix Jct., Washington Jct. to Ayers Jct., and Ayers Jct. to Eastport and operated by contractors 1899 Portland & Rumford Falls opened Canton to Livermore Falls Washington County acquired St. Croix & Penobscot and Lewy's Island 1901 Knox & Lincoln merged with Maine Central Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes opened Rangeley Station to Haines Landing Sebasticook & Moosehead opened Hartland to Mainstream 1902 Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes opened Bemis to Oquossoc 1903 Washington County Railway Co. chartered (former Washington County Railroad) 1904 Maine Central acquired majority stock of and operated Washington County Railway Somerset Railway Co. chartered 1905 Maine Central acquired Portland, Mt. Desert & Machias Steamboat Co. Somerset opened Bingham to Deadwater 1906 Somerset opened Deadwater to Landers Washington County opened Woodland Jct. to Woodland 1907 Portland & Rumford Falls Railroad chartered and leased Portland & Rumford Falls Railway and Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes Railroad Maine Central leased Portland & Rumford Falls Railroad which had been chartered and acquired Portland & Rumford Falls Railway and Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes Maine Central acquired control of Somerset 1909 Rangeley Lakes & Megantic Railroad Co. chartered 1910 Maine Central leased Sebasticook & Moosehead 1911 Portland Terminal Co. chartered (formerly Portland Union Railway Station) Maine Central acquired Androscoggin Maine Central acquired Mount Kineo House Maine Central acquired narrow gauge Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad Sebasticook & Moosehead merged with Maine Central Somerset Railway merged with Maine Central Washington County merged with Maine Central 1912 Maine Central acquired Ricker Hotel Company which owned SamOset Hotel Maine Central acquired narrow gauge Bridgton & Saco River Maine Central acquired Essex County line Maine Central opened line Mainstream to Harmony Maine Central leased St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad extending from Lunenburg to St. Johnsbury, VT. Rangeley Lakes & Megantic opened West Kamenkeag to Kennebago 1914 Maine Central acquired Rangeley Lakes & Megantic Control of Maine Central returned to Maine interests after period of control by Boston & Maine and Eastern and Maine Railways Company formed 1917 Government took control of all U.S. railroads 1920 Government control of railroads released 1923 Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes went into receivership 1925 Maine Central operation over Belfast & Moosehead Lake discontinued Hereford lease to Maine Central terminated; line abandoned The SamOset Co. formed to run hotels, buses and trucks 1926 Maine Central turned over Belfast & Moosehead Lake to City of Belfast 1927 Bridgton & Saco River went into receivership and chartered as Bridgton & Harrison Railway Co. Carlton Bridge across Kennebec completed and Maine Central ceased ferry operation 1931 Maine Central acquired Coos Valley Maine Central acquired Upper Coos (N.H.) Maine Central acquired Upper Coos (VT) Maine Central discontinued its coastal steamer ferry service 1932 Maine Central Transportation Co. created to operate bus service (formerly The SamOset Co.) 1933 Maine Central managed by Boston & Maine Railroad Maine Central and Boston & Maine inaugurated regular air service between Boston and Bangor under the name of Boston - Maine Airways, Inc. Bingham to Kineo line discontinued Oquossoc to Kennebago line discontinued Woodland Jct. to Princeton line discontinued 1935 Maine Central acquired Eastern Maine 1936 Maine Central acquired Maine Shore Line Rumford to Oquossoc line discontinued 1938 Crowley's Jct. to Leeds Jct. line discontinued Waukeag to Mt. Desert Ferry line discontinued Mount Kineo House razed by Maine Central 1939 Maine Central acquired Dexter & Newport Maine Central acquired Dexter & Piscataquis 1940 Boston - Maine Airways acquired by Atlas Corp. and renamed Northeast Airlines 1941 SamOset sold by Maine Central 1943 Maine Central acquired Portland & Ogdensburg Maine Central substantially reduced its ownership in Northeast Airlines 1946 Maine Central acquired Portland & Rumford Falls Railroad which included Portland and Rumford Falls Railway, Rumford Falls & Buckfield, Portland & Oxford Central, and Buckfield Branch. 1948 Coos Jct. to North Stratford line discontinued; Maine Central began operation over Boston & Maine and Canadian National 1954 The 470, the last Maine Central passenger steam locomotive, made its final run 1955 Maine Central acquired European & North American Maine Central acquired St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain Railroad Maine Central management completely separated from Boston & Maine 1956 Maine Central sold its interests in bus service to Greyhound Corporation 1960 Maine Central passenger service discontinued per order of Maine Supreme Court 1966 Hartland to Harmony line discontinued 1969 Maine Central Train YR-1 with GP38 #256 on the Mtn Sub-Division is hit by a snowslide and is stuck in snow up to the cab windows, the second time in the history of the line that a train has become stuck in snow on the line. 1971 Shawmut to Skowhegan line discontinued 1972 Mount Willey House section house on the Mtn Sub-Division is burned down by the Maine Central due to safety hazard and vandalism since being closed in 1966. 1975 Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro line sold to Canadian Pacific Maine Central U18B's make first run over Mountain Sub-division 1977 Quebec Junction to Beecher Falls line discontinued North Stratford to Beecher Falls line sold to State of New Hampshire for $310,000 and in turn was leased to the North Stratford Railroad Corporation 1978 Ayers Junction to Eastport line discontinued 1979 North Anson to Bingham line discontinued 1980 Maine Central is bought by U.S. Filter Corporation, ending 118 years of independent ownership 1981 Ashland Oil Co. acquires U.S. Filter Corp. and sells the Maine Central to Guilford Transportation Industries, Inc. owned by Timothy Mellon. Maine Central inspection train with Timothy Mellon on board derails on the Mtn Sub-Division, GP38 #258 & GP7 #573 roll over, passenger cars remain upright. 1983 Maine Central runs last freight over entire length of the Mtn Sub-Division from St. Johnsbury, VT to Portland, ME. Maine Central runs a special Operation Lifesaver Express over Mtn Sub-Division stopping at North Conway, NH enroute to Berlin,NH Steam returns to the Mtn Sub-Division on November 19, 1983 when Former Maine Central 2-8-0 #501 is hauled dead in tow to Conway Scenic Railroad by Maine Central #590 posing for photos along the way. 1984 Maine Central operates a ballast train over the Mtn Sub-Division consisting of 3 engines and 18 ballast cars to the B&M at Whitefield to repair the track from a derailment at Littleton,NH. 1990 Conway Scenic Railroad operates a special train with B&M 4266 (F7A) relettered MEC 687 leading a old time freight train to Bartlett, NH to celebrate Bartletts 200th anniversary .