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 Rockland Railroad Station - Rockland, ME Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 06.059 W 069° 06.657
19T E 491119 N 4883094
The Rockland station has operated under a number of operators, including the Federal Government during World War i.
Waymark Code: WMQB0B
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 01/26/2016
Views: 1
Built in 1917 by Maine Central, the station was taken over, as were all the railroads, on January 1, 1918 by the government and operated by it until March 1, 1920, at which time it reverted to the Maine Central Railroad. The Brunswick-Rockland line, known as the Rockland Branch, has been operational intermittently through the years, being taken over by the Maine Eastern Railroad in 2003 and operated by them until December 31, 2015. On January 1, 2016 the line was taken over by the Central Maine & Quebec Railway. Summer train excursions had been run on the line from the Rockland station for several years, but with the change in operator on the line the future of that service is in question. Freight service is being taken over by Central Maine & Quebec Railway while excursions may or may not be continued by the Morristown & Erie Railway.
While the station served the city of Rockland for several years as its town hall, it is presently home to the Trackside Station Restaurant.
Rockland Railroad Station
The Rockland Railroad Station of 1917 is a very fine example of a transportation facility in a small city context of the early 20th century.
The Rockland Railroad Station was built at the end of the age of railway expansion in Maine. It symbolizes not only the successful days of railroads, but also their decline, and finally, the adaptability of historic buildings to productive uses.
The Bangor and Piscataquis began operation in 1835, as the first railroad in Maine. The idea of having a line going to Rockland originated with the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad in 1849, but it was not to become a reality until the formation of the Knox & Lincoln line. Rockland subscribed $100,000 to the project, which started its first train running in 1871. Operating at a deficit, the Knox & Lincoln had to be financed by tax revenue from its member towns. Looking for an alternative to public ownership, the towns found an offer made by Maine Central financially unacceptable, but they did authorize the sale of the line in 1883. A few years later, it was sold to the Penobscot Shore Line Railroad Company. Again under the name Knox & Lincoln, it was leased to the Maine Central system in 1891. It officially merged with Maine Central in 1901.
The Rockland Railroad Station was built just before the government took over the railroads for World War I. The inefficiency and waste of freight backlogs, rail yard jams, and empty cars on the diversified rails of the nation could no longer be tolerated
by the United States at war. The Railroad Administration began, control of the railroads on January 1, 1918, promising to return them in equal or improved condition when the war was over. When the rails were returned on March 1, 1920, however, that promise was not kept. The financial burdens of repair, higher wages, and a new rate system not well designed for New England were not covered by the Standard Return or close to $3 million paid by the Federal government. The Maine Central ceased paying dividends in the fall of 1920, though they were able to eliminate their deficit later in the decade.
Lines such, as the one to Rockland were discontinued in favor of more profitable runs, but the Rockland Railroad Station continues to serve the community. An excellent example of reusing a building and enhancing its historic value, the Rockland Railroad Station is today the City Hall.
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