Maine Coast Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Maine Coast Railroad was a railroad company that operated on tracks owned by the Maine Department of Transportation
between 1990 and 2000.
(MCER) to operate the Rockland Branch between Brunswick
and Rockland, Maine
. The MCER chose to create a new railroad to operate the line, named the Maine Coast. During its first year, the railroad handled little traffic, but in 1991 a large cement producer on the line began shipping its product via rail. As a result of this increase in traffic, the Maine Coast acquired additional locomotives. In 1994, using funding from the Maine Department of Transportation
, trackage in Rockland was rebuilt to allow freight to be transferred from the railroad to barges. The railroad closed on December 4, 2000 after losing their lease to the tracks. The lines formerly operated by Maine Coast Railroad are now operated by Maine Eastern Railroad
.
.
Freight traffic largely consisted of cement products outbound from and coal inbound to Dragon Cement and Concrete in Thomaston
. There was also limited perlite
and plastic products that moved along the line.
Maine Department of Transportation
The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT, is the bureaucratic office of the state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads and other public infrastructure in the state of Maine. MaineDOT reports on the adequacy of roads, highways, and bridges in Maine...
between 1990 and 2000.
History
The company started operations in 1990 after a contract was awarded to the Massachusetts Central RailroadMassachusetts Central Railroad
The Massachusetts Central Railroad is a short line railroad in western Massachusetts, USA. It was established in 1979 to provide railroad transportation services between Palmer and South Barre on the old Right of Way of the Ware River Railroad....
(MCER) to operate the Rockland Branch between Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
and Rockland, Maine
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. The MCER chose to create a new railroad to operate the line, named the Maine Coast. During its first year, the railroad handled little traffic, but in 1991 a large cement producer on the line began shipping its product via rail. As a result of this increase in traffic, the Maine Coast acquired additional locomotives. In 1994, using funding from the Maine Department of Transportation
Maine Department of Transportation
The Maine Department of Transportation, also known as MaineDOT, is the bureaucratic office of the state government charged with the regulation and maintenance of roads and other public infrastructure in the state of Maine. MaineDOT reports on the adequacy of roads, highways, and bridges in Maine...
, trackage in Rockland was rebuilt to allow freight to be transferred from the railroad to barges. The railroad closed on December 4, 2000 after losing their lease to the tracks. The lines formerly operated by Maine Coast Railroad are now operated by Maine Eastern Railroad
Maine Eastern Railroad
Maine Eastern Railroad is a railroad that operates in coastal Maine between Brunswick and Rockland on the state-owned Rockland Branch rail line...
.
Traffic
It offered both freight service and passenger service. The passenger trains operated between Wiscasset and Warren, MaineWarren, Maine
Warren is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,794 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of East Warren, Warren and South Warren, the latter home to the Maine State Prison and minimum security Bolduc Correctional Facility....
.
Freight traffic largely consisted of cement products outbound from and coal inbound to Dragon Cement and Concrete in Thomaston
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
. There was also limited perlite
Perlite
Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently...
and plastic products that moved along the line.