Amtrak at Portland, Maine

**Photo by Dan Glidden

While not perhaps historic, a beautiful photo of Amtrak's Downeaster Departing Portland, Maine southbound for Boston on February 3, 2007. However, the train is passing through Mountain Junction, named so because the branch to the left in the photo (from which the Downeaster is entering) is the old Maine Central Mountain Division Line. The Portland Transportation Center, from which the Downeaster begins its journey to Boston, is about a mile down the line from the junction. The Mountain Division Line continues out through Westbrook, ME and on to North Conway, New Hampshire. From there it continues up through Crawford Notch in New Hampshire's White Mountains and on to St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The line ceased to be used beyond Westbrook in the mid 1980's, after Guilford Transportation took ownership. Conway Scenic Railroad now operates passenger trains through Crawford Notch on part of the line. The line began in the 1800's as the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad and became a part of Maine Central in the late 1800's. Passenger service ceased on the line in 1958.