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Pictorial Guide Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes passenger cars with special emphasi
Pictorial Guide Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes passenger cars with special emphasis on the cars that survived. Photographs and drawings of equipment. A modelers reference. By Peter S. Barney
Copyright 2006
98 Spiral Bound
98 Pages
PICTORIAL GUIDE TO: SANDY RIVER & RANGELEY LAKES RAILROAD PASSENGER CARS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SANDY RIVER PASSENGER CARS THAT SURVIVED4
EARLY PHOTOS7
MAIL CAR NUMBER 614
MAIL CAR NUMBER 81 7
PARLOR CAR RANGELEY1 8
COMBINATION CAR 1 1 35
COMBINATION CAR 1245
COMBINATION CAR 1446
COMBINATION CAR 1558
COACH 1664
COACH 1766
COACH 1868
COACHES 19 & 2069
COACHES 20 & 21 76
Appurtenances and Supplies list from 1923 Inventory98
THE CARS THAT SURVIVED
This book is a look at the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes passenger cars which operated on the Franklin County Roads and then were preserved or saved from scrapping to still be in existence today.
But first a brief history of Franklin County Passenger equipment is necessary.
*ny discussion of the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes passenger carrying equipment is a survey of the antecedent railroads which made up the completed 120 mile plus Sandy River System.
In the beginning (1879) was the Billerica and Bedford with its one coach, Sylvan, one combination car, Fawn, and one box car, "A" with end platforms and side doors, and two open sided excursion cars "B" and "C". The three latter cars were all 24 feet long.
At the demise of the Billerica and Bedford in 1880, these cars along with the rest of the equipment went to Franklin County, Maine to operate on the Sandy River RR., the boxcar becoming a baggage car after the first small boxcars were built, because with its platforms and side doors, it fit into the passenger roster. The excursion cars were rebuilt and enclosed with horizontal siding and in one case outside braces to function as early cabooses. The cars were adapted with end platforms riding on the sills like Boxcar A. All these were built by Ranlet.
With the advent of the Franklin and Megantic, a combination was built by Laconia, and two coaches for the Sandy River Railroad, these cars being larger then the original Billerica and Bedford cars.
With the need for a baggage car, the Franklin and Megantic built a baggage / smoking car from Portland Co. in 1887 and at first numbered it as No. 2, then as No. 4, and then later as SR&RL first No. 6. This car underwent numerous window changes throughout the years to make the car more suitable for carrying passengers in one end.
By 1891, the Phillips and Rangeley arrived and it , too needed passenger equipment, but envisioning steady passenger service from Farmington to Rangeley, the new railroad ordered a baggage car, one combination cars and three coaches - all from Billmeyer and Small. The cars as delivered reflected three foot gauge design and were too high having two passenger cars steps and not one on each side of the platforms-shortly after arrival the car bodies were lowered and the extra steps removed. The combination and one coach had arched windows, while the other two coaches had rectangular windows. A small question arises as to the early Phillips and Rangeley num. If the Combination Car was No. 1, and the coaches 2, 3, 4, what was the actual number of the longer baggage/mail car? One roster lists the earlier (below) car as Philand Rangeley no. 5, then what of the longer Billmeyer and Small car, No. 6? No. 7?
When in the planning stages, in 1889, the Phillips and Rangeley had ordered a baggage mail car from Portland Company. This car, like the Franklin and Megantic car, survived until the Sandy River merger. Both of these cars were similar in design being relatively plain with low clerestory roofs and did not have the charm of the larger passenger cars built by Laconia; Billmeyer and Small; Jackson and Sharp; or American Car and Foundry.
In 1904, the Phillips and Rangeley No. 3 passenger car burned and was rebuilt into Phillips and Rangeley combination caboose No. 12
In 1901 and 1902, Owner Maxcy of the Sandy River and Franklin and Megantic, ordered four more passenger cars - two coaches, one combination, and the prize-the Parlor Car "Rangeley". As President of both the Sandy River RR and the Franklin and Megantic, he placed two cars on each railroad. The Parlor Car and one coach went to the Sandy River, the combine and one coach to the Franklin and Megantic but since all the Franklin County roads operated on the same gauge, many times the cars were interchanged in service as needed on the three major railroads.
With the ultimate consolidation of the
Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad in 1911
the passenger cars were renumbered once more
into what became their final sequence:
1-5 were still reserved for the cabooses.
6 ex-Franklin and Megantic baggage/mail/smoking car No. 2/4
7 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Baggage Car
8 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Baggage Car No. 5 or No. 6
9 Parlor Car Rangeley
11 ex-Franklin and Megantic Combination No. 1
12 ex-Billerica and Bedford Combination (ex-SR RR No. 4)
13 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Combination No. 1
14 ex-SR RR Combination 1901 (ex-F&M No. 3)
16 ex-Billerica and Bedford Coach (ex-SR RR No. 3)
17 ex-Franklin and Megantic Coach (ex-SR RR No. 5)
18 ex-Franklin and Megantic Coach (ex-SR RR No. 6)
19 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Coach (ex-No. 2)
20 ex-Phillips and Rangeley Coach (ex-No. 4)
21 ex-Franklin and Megantic Coach No. 2 1902
22 ex-SR RR Coach No. 8 1902
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