‘Save the Depot’ celebration raises hopes and funds
By Mike Lange
Staff Writer
GREENVILLE — It’s a common belief that people of all ages love trains, whether they’re the ones still chugging on the Amtrak rails today or finely-detailed model railroads passed down through the generations.
So it was a pleasant coincidence that a freight train stopped for a brief time during the “Save the Depot” celebration last Saturday in Greenville Junction. Dozens of people rushed to take pictures of the silver-colored locomotive as it arrived around 11 a.m.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
WHISTLE STOP — A freight train made a quick stop and visit to the Junction Depot during Saturday’s festivities, giving visitors a chance to take photos and greet the crew.
“I hope the crew has time to taste our mooseburgers,” said Jane Hall, chairperson of the Friends of the Junction Depot, with a smile.
The mooseburgers, prepared by “Grillmaster General” James Lusardi and his crew from Abbot, were hot sellers for a suggested donation of $5 each. “This is really moose meat?” said one wide-eyed youngster. “It’s delicious!”
Food aside, the purpose of the third annual “Save the Depot” observance was to raise public awareness and some funds to preserve one of Maine’s most endangered public buildings.
It was also the 125th anniversary of the first train’s arrival at the depot. The station was built in 1889 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad and the last regular passenger service ended on Dec. 17, 1994 with the discontinuation of VIA Rail Atlantic service.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
COLLECTOR’S ITEMS — Matt Sawyer, a freshman at Central High School in Corinth, shows off some of his railroad signal insulator collection at the “Save the Depot” open house. He took an interest in the hobby from his grandfather, who collected discarded insulators from rail beds for years.
The Junction Depot Friends have been working to save the structure from further decay since 2010 and the former owners — Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway — agreed to turn the building over to the non-profit organization, provided that they move it.
However, Hall said she has just learned that Central Maine and Quebec Railway, who purchased the assets of Montreal, Maine and Atlantic, may allow the building to stay put “or be moved away from the tracks a little. If this works out, it will be a huge help to us.”
Work on the underpinning and sills has been going on all summer, which, as Hall pointed out “was work that needed to be done, whether we moved it or not.”
One of the highlight’s of Saturday’s event was a $1,000 donation from the Maine Rail Group, a railroad advocacy organization that worked to extend the Downeaster train service to Brunswick six years ago, according to President Russ Barber. “What these folks are doing is so important to preserving railroad history in Maine,” Barber said.
A popular feature for young and old was the return of the velocipede – or hand-cranked rail car – restored by Bob Roberts of Monson, a retired Canadian-Pacific section foreman. “I found the iron back in the Barnard Township woods and rebuilt the wooden part,” Roberts said.
Roberts worked for the railroad for more than 44 years, including 25 years as section foreman at Bodfish Junction near Monson. “But if they needed a crane operator either here or in Canada, they called me,” Roberts said. “I worked from Lac Megantic in the west to Fredericton Junction in the east.”
Observer photo/Mike Lange
HISTORIC GARMENT — Candy Russell, executive director of the Moosehead Historical Society Museum, is shown with a coat once owned by Sadie Pritham, wife of the legendary Dr. Fred Pritham; and a cosmetics case owned by Ellen B. Nickerson. The items were on display in the Junction Depot ladies’ waiting room.
Conrad Chaisson of Greenville worked for the railroad for 21 years in Jackman. “When the trains came from Canada, I had to open all the freight car doors for Customs. They were supposed to be empty. But I found everything from soup to nuts – even one car filled with cases of Budweiser,” Chaisson said with a grin.
Once, he found a young man who stowed away in an unoccupied boxcar “in 30-below weather. We had to thaw him out before we turned him over to the Border Patrol. I think if we hadn’t found him, he would have been dead in 10 more minutes.”
Artist Milt Christensen of Wellington returned to the “Save the Depot” celebration this year with an impressive exhibit of artwork. “I was painting pictures of the depot long before the restoration project started,” he said. “I ran into people all the time who asked ‘Why doesn’t somebody do something about this building?’ Well, they have — and the community should be proud of them,” he said.
Updates on future events will be posted on the “Save the Depot in Greenville Junction, Maine” Facebook page.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
MAINE RAIL GROUP DONATION — Maine Rail Group President Russ Barber presented a $1,000 check to the Friends of the Junction Depot on Aug. 16. Accepting the donation on behalf of the organization was President Jane Hall.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
SHARING MEMORIES — Retired railroad workers Conrad Chaisson (left) and Bob Roberts reminisced about their careers and shared stories with visitors on Save the Depot day.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
WORK OF ART — Maggie Strickland of Harmony admires some of Milt Christensen’s artwork at the “Save the Depot” celebration.