The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad was a narrow gauge railway operating in Northern Maine. A conglomerate of multiple smaller railroads totaling 112 track miles, it was itself a Maine Central subsidiary, and ran a nearly circuitous route. Among these smaller roads, the most significant was the Sandy River Railroad, which ran between Strong and Phillips, ME.

Postcard of the Phillips, ME Station. (Wikipedia Commons)

The two longest branches emanated from Strong, where it met the rest of the Maine Central system. The west line ran north from Strong, ME to S of Eustis, ME; another line would connect Strong to Bigelow, ME.

Image: Wikipedia Commons

It transported lumber as well as mail within the region, although it could not effectively weather the harsh Maine winters. It fell into receivership in 1923 and was finally abandoned in 1935, with the tracks razed a year later.

SR&RL Railroad #24.

In 1970, some local railfans revived and preserved a small part of this line, operating a narrow gauge heritage line near Phillips, ME.

Thanks as always for reading!

Location: Strong, ME 04983, USA

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