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Maine Central Jftlemortal Rail toad Magazine no Robert praun Vol. X—No. 3 CONTENTS Fore River Bridge Opens 4 George P. MeCallum Robert Braun, a director of the Maine Central Railroad since Editor-in-Chief More Train Radio 8 April 18, 1934, died in Portland Friday, November 13, 1953, in his eighty-second year. New Colors 11 William A. Wheeler Associate Editor Emeritus Merrow Named AFTM 13 He was a leading industrialist of the State, being director of utility, manufacturing and banking enterprises. It was in no small part due to his initiative and vision that Maine's largest textile industry was pre• served, and grown to prosperity and pre-eminence in its field. FROM THE EDITOR In this small space each year at Christmas time, Mr. Braun brought to the deliberations of the Board not merely a there's always a warm glow for the important part sound business judgment, but a rare foresight and ability to chart railroad people play in making the nation's holiday courses calculated to produce success in the immediate as well as in season happier. Rushing freight, mail and express to destination, bringing families together for the most the more distant future. significant holiday of the year. Like the little quota• tions our printer sent us that said: "Don't worry about In public life his contributions were legion, but his charity was the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of chil• not limited to organizations—it extended to scores of worthy men and dren they are all twenty-five feet tall." women of this state who came to him for help and advice and called Then on the lighter side, there was the Los Angeles him friend. Those who were fortunate enough to know his true charac• store whose Christmas special advertised: "Colonial COVER ter respected him not only for his unusual talents and brilliance of mind, TV stools, $1.98." Or the fellow who said that Santa Claus is about the only male who shows any interest but also for unparalleled courage in advancing those causes in which It'll be a tight squeeze for old S. Claus to get in an empty stocking. he was willing to fight without fear. down the chimney of this The editorial staff and reporters want to wish our Maine Central caboose, readers and friends everywhere the very best for the but just as he has wrought The members of the Board sorrowing deeply at the ending of his the miracle for generations Holiday Season. active, able and distinguished career desire to place in the permanent of children, we of the Magazine hope he brings records of the corporation which he served so loyally this expressc- of you just what you want their tender and respectful remembrance and esteem. this year Published Monthly by THE MAINE CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY The above was presented and spread upon the records of the Conipsmf 222 St. John Street Portland, Main* 3 land Union Station west yard and the Mountain Subdivision track. A slot was cut through Union Station gravel pit and track laid connecting the west yard and the old Mountain Subdivision mainline. Then the wye connection to the trestle was re• moved. EXTENSIVE FILL The railroad portion of the new bridge was constructed six to seven feet higher than the old trestle, which A VIEW of the new railroad bridge as it although desirable in reducing grades, neared completion from the old trestle. In also made it necessary for extensive the foreground is the old Mountain Sub• fill to grade the new approaches. The division track and Tower Four at right location north of the old tracks on both sides were graded starting in the Fall of '52 and continued until Mid- Summer of 1953. On the Portland side, the fill was obtained almost ex• clusively from the so-called Union Station gravel pit between Yard Nine and the Union Station West Yard. Coincident with the grading, new yard construction as well as new mainline track installation was being undertaken by Terminal crews, under PRESIDENT E. Spencer Miller, center, cuts the ribbons officially opening the railroad the efficient and time-tested impetus section of the new bridge. Left to right: H. Greenleaf, State Highway Commission, Chief of Track Supervisor Elijah Ryder Engineer J. W. Wiggins, Miller, Assistant GM M. A. Thomas, Superintendent H. L. Strout with Thompson's and Pooler's crews. As soon as the track work was at the point where signal cables, switch machines, etc., could be installed, signal crews were brought in under THE BRIDGE OPENS Foremen Rand and Caret. The sig• A pair of shears snipped a pale It all began in 1949 when the State nal installation was under the su• blue ribbon at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. legislature authorized a new com• pervision of Arno Ellis, set up to SIDE BY SIDE construction of new combina• 15. The Maine Central's president bination bridge across the river to signal inspector for the project. tion rail-highway bridge is shown graph• turned and boarded 100-car freight replace the outmoded and obsolescent The initial cutover to use the new ically in this photo above. At left is old B-12 throbbing heavily in the back• Vaughn highway bridge and the Ter• bridge was followed by seven major trestle, with B&M train 107, center, the new ground. The train moved forward minal Company's old wood pile tres• steps at three-day intervals to put railroad bridge nearly completed, and right, and over the completed railroad sec• tle. Plans were drawn, contracts let into operation all of the mainline and foundations for the new highway section. tion of the new $7,000,000 combina• and work got under way in the Fall other trackage to and from Union tion rail-highway bridge across Fore of 1952. Station as well as the east and west River at Portland. freight mainlines. BELOW, the tracks underpass the highway NEW LOCATION section on the east end of the bridge, with HOW TO TELL IT? MODERN PROJECT OPENED Briefly, the railroad portion of the track to Yard 8 on right With that simple ceremony, the new combination bridge is 103 feet Somehow mere words seem to fail most ambitious and modern engi• upstream from the pile trestle. Al• to describe the tremendous amount neering, track and signaling project though not immediately apparent, of planning, work, individual sacri• undertaken in more than 25 years the railroad portion of the new bridge fice and ingenuity attendant to bring• by the Portland Terminal Company is integral in its foundation v-~:h the ing the rebuilding of the approaches and Maine Central was officially highway portion. and yard to the point described and opened. It was followed by weeks Building the bridge r.'.eir.: new fall short of describing the subse• of feverish activity as crews sought connections between the existing quent heroic efforts of crews and to complete extensive signal and track facilities and the new railroad sec• supervisors in its completion. installations to bring the entire proj• tion. First task was construction of It meant a completely new, 12- ect to its culmination. a connecting track between the Port• track yard, with modern interlocked PROGRESSIVE VIEWS of work on the Union Station West Yard may be seen by progressed about mid-way. At left, the new Tower "X" is under construction, comparison of the picture at left, when work was first started in the Fall of 1952, freight tracks in background had been put into service. At right, as track crews grading just beginning for the new Mountain Subdivision track in the background had nearly completed their work cutting over the 12-track yard and old high ball signal in center. The center photo shows how work had signals and switches controlled from the cutover and also those made When the cutovers began, it was the full knowledge that our manage• a new Tower "X" just west of the operative in the previous cutover. necessary to increase the number of ment wanted the job completed in General Office building. In the sig• Since eight bulletins were issued and track crews working, therefore Per- 1953. nalling layout there are three major kin's Crew was brought in from Ban• From the first cutover then, on interlocking systems: Union Station, gor. The three crews, Pooler, Per• Nov. 15, to Dec. 6, Maintenance of Fore River and Oil Plant interlock• A historic landmark passed, but was pre• kins and Thompson, however, had Way and Bridge and Building crews ing in South Portland, all under con• served for posterity, with the moderniza• their hands full to handle the work plunged into a seven-day week and trol of newly-built Tower X. Within tion of the Union Station West Yard. One until Nov. 28 when the balance of the worked the Thanksgiving holiday. them are 28 power switches and three of the last remaining high ball signals in old yard was turned over to the The latter, Chief Engineer J. W. electric-lock, hand-thrown switches. New England governing trains entering and Engineering Department for recon• Wiggins commented on emphatically Color light signals include eight 3- leaving the yard was removed during the struction. On that date Week's Crew and sincerely. "The willingness of our light; five 2-light; and 34 1-light, project. and Hamilton's Crew moved in to men to work on Thanksgiving is an controlled by 24 levers in the new Robert M. Van Sant, director of public assist. eloquent tribute to their individual tower.

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