Aroostook Valley Railroad
The Aroostook Valley Railroad (AVR) is a former railway company in Maine (United States). It existed as an independent company of 1902 to 1996. 's Headquarters was located in Presque Isle.
History
The Company was incorporated on July 2, 1902 by the entrepreneur Arthur R. Gould and opened their routes until 1912. The main route of the railway led from Presque Isle to Washburn and was accompanied by a link to the Aroostook River Railroad and a short branch to the Perham Road Washburn opened in 1910. The AVR extended the route then by the end of 1912 by Washburn from Caribou. In Carson -chain a 11.8 km long branch line off to Sweden. Bangor and Aroostook connections to the Railroad gave it initially either in Washburn still in Presque Isle. It was not until the early 1920s, a track connection was built in Washburn. A mid -1910s proposed extension of Washburn out to the west across Maine to Lake Frontier in Quebec was not approved because the railway company could not explain sufficiently the benefits of such a route for the public.
The routes were built to standard gauge ( 1435 mm) and electrified from the start. The current, the Company purchased from the Maine and New Brunswick Electrical Power Co., which had its seat in Aroostook Falls (New Brunswick). In fiscal year 1909/10 were transported 17,293 passengers and had 7 people railcars, 17 freight cars and a snow plow.
Since the Canadian Pacific Railway from Presque Isle also ran a route and through freight wanted to perform in the west of the city, they acquired the majority share of the AVR in 1932. Electrical operation in 1946 abandoned in favor of diesel trains, after the railway company on 12 July 1945 had two GE 44- ton switcher diesel locomotives bought. The passenger also ended in 1946. Two weeks before the setting of the electrical operation and movement of persons Arthur R. Gould had died.
The section Carson Sweden 1978, the gradual dismantling of the network began. After 1987, the Canadian Pacific closed down their route to Presque Isle, the AVR acquired the portion of Washburn Junction to Presque Isle from this company. The Bangor & Aroostook built a connecting track to the former Canadian Pacific Station in Presque Isle. As early as 1992 ended this traffic, however, and the AVR built a new link from the Skyway Branch, a 1941 an Air Force base west of Presque Isle built railway connection, directly to the railway line Mapleton - Presque Isle Aroostook & Bangor. From the Main Line since 1987 was only the eight -kilometer section of Skyway Junction to Park Siding in operation, however, was also shut down in 1993 along with the branch to the Canadian Pacific route.
Until April 26, 1996 drove the AVR freight traffic on the remaining port car to Skyway Industry Park, the former airbase. Today is the distance (in total 4.5 km ) in possession of the city of Presque Isle and is still in riparian Freight traffic through the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, the assignee of the Bangor & Aroostook, serviced.