Tom Hoermann gave a clinic titled “Maine Industries in the Two Foot Era (1880 – 1940)” at the 36th National Narrow Gauge Convention held in Augusta, Maine in September 2016. To accompany this clinic, Tom gave out a hard copy document listing some of the resources that he used to develop the clinic, and has given us a copy and permission to publish on the FAQ’s for those persons who were unable to attend the Convention. Thanks Tom!
Picture of the Portland Company building located at 58 Fore Street, Portland added for the FAQ’s.
The purpose of every railroad is to move people, raw materials, and/or finished goods from place to place. This clinic will examine the inter-relationship between various industries and the railroads in Maine during the period 1880 – 1940, using lots of photographs. Topics include: farming and fishing; logging, lumber, wood and paper; mineral extraction and processing; light and heavy manufacturing; recreation and tourism; construction and transportation. Information on interesting and unusual prototypes will provide plenty of ideas for your layout, modules, and mini-scenes!
There are an increasing number of resources to prospect when looking for information on a prototype, its history, and images of it. Here are the major printed references I used for this clinic:
A Day’s Work: A Sampler of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860 – 1920, Parts I & II
Annotated and Compiled by W. H. Bunting, Tilbury House, Publishers, Gardiner, Maine; and Maine Preservation, Portland, Maine
Part I, October 1997, ISBN 0-88448-188-3 Part II, August 2000, ISBN 0-88448-206-5
All Aboard for Yesterday! A Nostalgic History of Railroading in Maine
Malcolm Barter, Editor, Down East Books, Camden, Maine, 1979. ISBN 0-89272-053-0
A Pictorial History of Maine
Thomas M. Griffiths & Arthur M. Griffiths, A Monmouth Press Edition, printed by Twin City Printery, Lewiston, Maine
(date and ISBN unknown)
Books from the Images of America Series
Arcadia Publishing, an imprint of Tempus Publishing, Inc., Charleston, SC
This series continues to expand; check their website ( www.arcadiapublishing.com ) for current titles. Note that since these books are authored by many different individuals and local historical societies, the quality of text and photographs varies from book to book. But they all provide a lot of photographs with captions on their title subject all in one volume.
Logging and Lumbering in Maine
Donald A. Wilson, 2001, ISBN 0-7385-0521-8
Maine Life at the Turn of the Century, through the Photographs of Nettie Cummings Maxim
Diane and Jack Barnes, 1995, ISBN 0-7524-0240-4
Maine’s Steamboating Past
Donald A. Wilson, 2007, ISBN 0-7385-4964-4
The Portland Company, 1846 – 1982
David H. Fletcher, 2002, ISBN 0-7385-1140-4
Togus, Down in Maine: The First National Veterans Home
Timothy L. Smith, 1998, ISBN 0-7254-0998-0
Online Resources
The internet fulfills its promise as a means of accessing and sharing information on historical topics. Search engines enable us to find museums, historical societies, libraries, and other institutions; and then to virtually wander through their archives and collections of photographs. But if you have the opportunity to visit these brick-and-mortar facilities, I encourage you to do so. Virtual reality has its benefits; but in my opinion, nothing compares to standing next to an actual object that has seen years of actual use, be it a hand-made berry basket, a quilt, a painting, a carpenter’s plane, or a Portland Forney.
The following list includes the websites that I used to develop this clinic:
Maine Memory Network; a project of the Maine Historical Society
www.mainememory.net
Maine Historical Society, Portland
www.mainehistory.org
Maine History Online
https://www.mainememory.net/mho/
Vintage Maine Images, Portland
www.vintagemaineimages.com
Maine State Museum, Augusta
www.mainestatemuseum.org
Maine Maritime Museum, Bath
www.mainemaritimemuseum.org
Maine Forest & Logging Museum, Bradley
www.maineforestandloggingmuseum.org
Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport
www.trolleymuseum.org
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum, Portland
www.mainenarrowgauge.org
Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, Alna
www.wwfry.org
Boothbay Railway Village, Boothbay
www.railwayvillage.org
Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railway Museum, Phillips
www.srrl-rr.org
The Stanley Museum, Kingfield
www.stanleymuseum.org
Maine Granite Industry Museum, Mt. Desert
www.mainegraniteindustry.org
Maine Folklife Center, University of Maine, Orono
www.mainefolklife.mainememory.net
Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, Owl’s Head, Portland
www.owlshead.org
Patten Lumbermen’s Museum, Patten
www.lumbermensmuseum.org
Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport
www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org
The American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA (Chace Catalogue)
www.athm.org
Of course, there are many more online resources, including the websites of the many historical societies and libraries throughout Maine, the US, and the world. Also, check out media websites such as YouTube to see videos of operating machines and models.
I hope this clinic has provided some useful information and entertainment. But if you have been inspired to do some research on subjects close to your own home, interests, and hobbies (especially your railroad!), then we have really accomplished something!
If you do incorporate your research into your models, I hope that you will share your work and inspire the rest of us. And most importantly, please consider making a contribution of your time, your expertise, and/or your financial support to your favorite historical society, museum, or library.
The Maine On2 FAQ 
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