International Railway of Maine - Interchange Points

Interchange Points

The new CPR line across Maine to Saint John was the last link in creating a transcontinental railway, although the section from Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro was operated under trackage rights. In 1955, the Maine Central purchased the E&NA shares for approximately $3 million USD and in 1974, CPR purchased the Mattawamkeag-Vanceboro portion from the Maine Central, finally securing ownership and operation of its entire transcontinental network.

The CPR operated its new line across Maine as its International of Maine Division (Canadian Pacific Lines in Maine) for many years; the International Railway of Maine existing on paper for operating purposes, however the track and all operations became seamless in the CPR system.

The Quebec Central Railway anticipated that the new CPR main line across Maine to its winter port of Saint John would result in traffic to Quebec City, thus the QCR built a line from the CPR at Megantic north to Tring Junction and thence on to Vallee Junction in the Beauce River valley.

The north-south oriented Bangor and Aroostook Railroad created an interchange with CPR at Brownville Junction, Maine, and had an earlier interchange where Bangor and Aroostook predecessor Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad reached the south end of Moosehead Lake at Greenville Junction. Bangor and Aroostook dismantled the Greenville branch in 1961.

In addition to interchanging with CPR at Vanceboro and Mattawamkeag, the Maine Central had an interchange with the CPR from 1906 to 1933 west of Greenville Junction where the Kineo branch crossed at Somerset Junction en route to Kineo Station connections with steamboats serving the Mount Kineo House.

Two logging railroads also interchanged with the International of Maine Division. There was an interchange at Jackman with Jackman Lumber Company's Bald Mountain Railroad from 1915 to 1926, and with the Ray Lumber Company (later Indian Lake Lumber Company) railroad at Ray Siding near Caribou Stream in Bowerbank Township from 1912 to 1929.