Private company

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

Narrow gauge railroad in Franklin County, Maine

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RL) was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge common carrier railroad that operated approximately 112 miles (180 km) of track in Franklin County, Maine. The former equipment from the SR&RL continues to operate in the present day on a revived, short segment of the railway in Phillips, Maine.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1879Founded1
Railroad Station, Phillips, ME
Photo: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RL) was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge common carrier railroad that operated approximately 112 miles (180 km) of track in Franklin County, Maine. The former equipment from the SR&RL continues to operate in the present day on a revived, short segment of the railway in Phillips, Maine.2

The story

Josiah S. Maxcy, a Gardiner banker who had recently financed construction of the Kennebec Central Railroad, obtained legislative approval for consolidation of the Sandy River Railroad and Phillips and Rangeley Railroad (P&R) on 10 March 1891. Maxcy purchased controlling stock of the Sandy River Railroad in 1892, and then obtained controlling stock of the Franklin and Megantic Railway (F&M) in 1897. Under Maxcy's direction, F&M purchased the Kingfield and Dead River Railway (K&DR) at auction on 2 August 1898; and the F&M, K&DR, and Sandy River railroads operated under common management until formally merged as the SR&RL in January 1908. Under Maxcy's direction, SR&RL purchased the Phillips & Rangeley Railroad (P&R) and the Madrid Railroad at auction on 12 June 1908 and the Eustis Railroad at auction on 24 August 1911.

From Wikipedia’s article on Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Acquisitions

  1. Succeeded Franklin and Megantic Railway1
  2. Succeeded Madrid Railroad1
  3. Succeeded Sandy River Railroad1

Timeline

  1. 1879Founded Founded1