The Maine Central Railroad Company main line extended from Portland, Maine, east to the Canada–US border with New Brunswick at the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge. It is the transportation artery linking Maine cities to the national railway network. Sections of the main line had been built by predecessor railroads consolidated as the Maine Central in 1862 and extended to the Canada–US border in 1882. Through the early 20th century, the main line was double track from South Portland to Royal Junction, where it split into a lower road through Brunswick and Augusta and a back road through Lewiston which converged at Waterville into single track to Bangor and points east.[1] Westbound trains typically used the lower road with lighter grades, while eastbound trains of empty cars used the back road.[2] This historical description does not include changes following purchase of the Maine Central Railroad by Guilford Transportation Industries in 1981 and subsequent operation as part of Pan Am Railways.
Portland had been the terminal of several railroads whose independent yard facilities were consolidated as the Portland Terminal Company in 1911. After 1922, most freight trains originated or terminated in South Portland's Rigby yard on what had originally been Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) property.[3]
The Kennebec and Portland Railroad was chartered in 1836, and completed from Portland to Augusta in 1851. It was reorganized as the Portland and Kennebec Railroad in 1862, leased as the Maine Central lower road main line in 1870, and purchased in 1874.[1]
The Somerset and Kennebec Railroad was chartered in 1848 and completed from Augusta to Waterville in 1853. It became the northern end of the lower road main line in 1874 after being leased to the Portland and Kennebec Railroad in 1864, and to the Maine Central in 1870.[1]
The Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad was chartered in 1845 and completed a Portland gauge line from Waterville to Bangor. It was leased as an eastern extension to the Portland gauge Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad in 1856, and merged into Maine Central as the eastern end of the Portland Division main line in 1862.[1]
The European and North American Railway was chartered in 1850, and opened from Bangor to Vanceboro in 1871. It was leased as the Maine Central Eastern Division main line in 1882, and purchased in 1955 for $125 per share or $3,114,500 payable in cash or bonds at the election of the E&NA shareholders.[1]
Canadian Pacific's transcontinental route to Saint John, New Brunswick, included trackage rights over the (former European and North American Railway) Maine Central Eastern Division main line from Mattawamkeag to the Canada–US border. This section of the main line saw some of the heaviest traffic on any portion of the Maine Central during winter months before modern icebreakers were able to keep the Saint Lawrence Seaway open; and most of it was Canadian Pacific trains exercising trackage rights.[5] Canadian Pacific purchased the line from Maine Central on December 17, 1974, for $5.4 million. Maine Central retained trackage rights and subsequently operated this portion of their former main line as the Vanceboro Branch.[1]
Maine Central operated parallel main lines between Royal Junction and Waterville. The northerly inland main line was known as the back road, and the slightly shorter main line up the Kennebec River was the lower road. Maine Central mileposts east of Waterville computed mileage via the lower road.[3] The line between Royal Junction and Danville Junction was built to provide a wholly owned route to Portland in place of the Grand Trunk Railway connection from Danville Junction originally used by the former Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad. This was the only portion of the Maine Central main line built by the Maine Central rather than predecessor companies.
The Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad was chartered in 1845 and completed a Portland gauge railroad from Danville Junction to Waterville in 1849. The line was merged into the Maine Central in 1862 and standard-gauged in 1871 to become the back road main line.[1]