A load of ties and century old rails pulled up from the B&ML's Belfast yard are seen here being hauled away to nearby City Point, ME, on July 12, 2005. In June, 2005, the venerable 135-old short line was evicted after defaulting on its lease on the City owned waterfront property which had been continuously occupied by the railroad's main yard since construction began on the line in 1868. The road's 33-mile grade across Mid-Coast Maine's Waldo County from Belfast to the Maine Central's main line at Burnham Junction was originally tracked during construction (1868-70) with 56lb iron "pear" rail imported by ship from Wales to Belfast harbor. That was eventually upgraded by the MEC (which operated the B&ML under lease as its Belfast Branch from1871 to December 31, 1925) with 67lb rail and finally with the 75lb steel rails being hauled away here all of which are branded as having been rolled by Lackawanna Iron & Steel Co. between 1890 and 1906. The 1870 vintage manpowered "Armstrong" turntable, which was located where the truck in this picture is sitting, was removed in June and the pit filled in with dirt.

Photographed by Bruce C. Cooper (DigitalImageServices.com), July 12, 2005.
Added to the photo archive by Bruce Cooper, July 12, 2005.
Railroad: Belfast & Moosehead Lake.

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