50 States of Wonder
7 Places to Glimpse Maine's Rich Railroad History

Stumbling across any evidence of civilization in the thick of nature can be quite confusing. But such is the case in the upcountry backwoods of Maine, where there remains a long-abandoned railroad and locomotive engines, rusted iron hulks of mechanical giants. This railway and its long-extinct machinery are remnants of a system that helped build the state into what it is today. To access the abandoned rail deep in the woods, intrepid adventurers must first cross a lake by boat. (Read more.)

From the sidewalk, Finn’s Irish Pub is indistinguishable from all the other shops and restaurants on Main Street in Ellsworth. But a surprise of historic significance sits within this traditional Irish pub, and it isn’t shepherd’s pie or Scotch eggs.

The star of the show at Finn’s is the bar, an original 1930s-era Jerry O'Mahony dining car that belonged to a diner in Northport before being brought to Ellsworth in 1982. The iconic Jerry O'Mahony dining cars were originally meant to be portable buildings designed to resemble rail cars. These novel metallic structures were manufactured at the O'Mahony factory in New Jersey, then transported to permanent locations all over the country. Only a dozen or so of these originals exist today. (Read more.)

The Seashore Trolley Museum is the largest electric railway museum in the world. It was conceived when a group of rail enthusiasts noticed a growing trend of railroads and trolley companies purchasing motor buses. The popular buses were slowly but surely replacing the trolleys that the rail-fans loved. Enthusiasts began to purchase the trolleys for posterity, storing them on plots of land outside of the city. Just before WWII, the largest museum of its kind was born to show off the marvels of rail travel. (Read more.)

In Jonesport, 83-year-old Helen Beal continues to operate the 900-square-foot model railroad that she and her husband, Buz, built over the course of 20 years. 

Piece by piece, they constructed houses, train depots, and miniatures of buildings they admired from collected photographs. Modern high-rises mingle with long-gone train depots, and attentive visitors can even find a model of Stephen King’s house, based on pictures provided by the author himself. Other features include tiny rafters enjoying a ride down a river, miniature cars parked in driveways, and Helen’s favorite spot—a secluded house on the hill in the far corner. Visitors from all 50 states and many other countries have stopped by over the years. (Read more.)

The Old Pond Railway Trail is a walking path along what was once the rail bed for the forgotten Maine Shoreline Railroad Company. As a vein of the Maine Central Railroad, this short length of rail connected the main trunk line to a ferry, which whisked tourists and summer residents away to the popular Victorian destination of Eden, renamed Bar Harbor in 1918. 

Situated on Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor emerged as a popular destination for wealthy Americans, attracting the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Astors, Morgans, and many other families who prospered during the Gilded Age. The Maine Shoreline Railroad carried all of these families along this route, as well as President Benjamin Harrison, who visited Bar Harbor in 1889. Eventually, when automobiles became more prevalent and the island allowed them onto their shores, the railroad fell out of favor. 

Even today, there is clear evidence of the path’s past life as an active railway. Several spots feature rails ready for a phantom train to roll across the tracks. (Read more.)

Around 100 years ago, the Palace Diner would have been on the move, arriving outside the then-functioning textile mills in Biddeford, Maine, when each shift let out. The barrel-roofed, stainless-steel car would have bulged with exhausted, soot-covered workers eager to stifle the day’s hunger with toast, eggs, and bacon atop one of the diner’s 15 stools. Today, the mill is a converted workspace, but people still line up to eat at the diner every day, queuing for blanched, smashed, and fried breakfast potatoes or a tuna melt served on griddle-warmed challah bread and topped with house-made bread-and-butter pickles.

Built in 1927, the diner—a Pollard Company car—is one of only two Pollards left in existence, and is also Maine’s oldest diner. It retains the original mint-green floor tiles, steel backsplashes, and worn countertop. “Ladies Invited” is still painted onto the exterior, harkening back to days when dining cars were primarily patronized by men. (Read more.)

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum in Portland chronicles the history of the state’s five narrow gauge railroads, including the “two-footer” railcars named for their extremely narrow wheel width, and restores old engines and cars with the help of volunteers. The museum still runs some of the two-footers along Portland's Eastern Promenade trail, allowing visitors rides to the old Back Cove Swing Bridge, stuck in its current position after an act of arson. (Read more.)