MEC

Watch in HD
7/31/2013
Trains don't run on this line daily, I'd say about once a month or so. The last time that I caught a train on here was back on 12/26/2012. I really like this branch because it has some neat older crossing signals. The Maine Central Railroad used to run on this line, but it was abandoned in the 80's. Pan Am still uses this line from Portland to Westbrook, Maine, to serve the Sappi Paper Mill. Pan Am refers to this track as the Cumberland Mills RT. The section they still run on is only about 5 miles. The Amtrak Downeaster uses the beginning of the branch at the Portland Transportation Center at CPM 2 for their layover facility and Portland Amtrak station.
The Mountain Division continues from Westbrook to St Johnsbury, VT. The tracks are abandoned from the switch where the track diverges to Sappi, all the way to Conway, NH. In Conway, NH, the Conway Scenic Railroad operates on the Mountain Division from Conway, NH to Crawford Notch in NH.
With some good news, MDOT is fixing the tracks from Westbrook to South Windham, ME, and hopefully they to Fryburg, ME close to the Conway Scenic Railroad. There is still a bridge near Mallison Falls in S. Windham that needs to be fixed before they continue laying rails. They have put down tracks and fixed crossings from Westbrook to S. Windham so far, and hopefully they can continue soon.
In South Windham, there is a paved trail next to the tracks called the Mountain Division trail that starts in South Windham and ends at Johnson's field in Standish, Maine... a couple towns over. I rode my bike on the trail once with my grandmother and sister, and it was a cool trail.
I hope this description didn't confuse anyone, but if it did, or you have a correction that you know is 100% correct, just let me know in the comments and I will be happy to answer, or correct.... that is if I know the answer.
Anyway, I hope you like the video!
Thanks to my grandmother and great grandmother for telling me about this train when they saw it going towards the mill (I forgot to mention above that this train was going back to Rigby from the Sappi Mill).
Enjoy!!

[@drc930]

Excellent catch/video!! I love seeing videos of this line, still really want to catch a train on it at some point. I like how the gateless crossing signals shut off right when the train gets off crossing the street. The consist and crossings and slow speed remind me of chasing trains on the Portsmouth / Hampton branch lines in NH when I was really young. Great work!!

[@DA0470]

Amazing video.

[@dcarpine28]

The Mallison Falls Bridge in South Windham I guess needs to be fixed before they can continue re-installing track. Signs on the side of the road say it will take until 11/15. Then possibly lay rail next year? I'm not sure on the entire plan.

[@DA0470]

Then Maine Central, then Guilford Rail System - Pan Am Railways .... Now CSX Corporation

[@danielellis2151]

in a nut shell yes

[@SignalHillProds]

Awesome stuff, man. It's the uncommon shots like these that I love. I was in Portland a few weeks ago and crossed some tracks that didn't look too active; just a single track with a lot of weeds. There was a gondola sitting in the weeds, and if I'm not mistaken there was a chain link fence and gate flanking tracks on the side of the road opposite the gondola. Would this have been the Mountain Division?

[@skeezix91]

Great to hear they're fixing up the Mountain Division. :-)

[@elirosen1391]

Is all this west of Portland TC? And if so, what time do this usually go on?

[@BERXJoe]

Great video!

[@dcarpine28]

Thanks!

[@mattbrinson9950]

Mec 310 ex conrail 3194