Bob MacDonald

My sister and family lived in Montrose close to Pleasure Island years ago. Between 1958 and 1965 me and my family from Maine visited this park several times.

Nelson Blount had his big collection of steam locomotives that later became Steam Town USA.in Vermont. He also owned Edaville RR in So. Carver.

He first leased Engine 4 to Pleasure Island with a string of cars, which pulled a train in a circle from the former Greenwood depot--a real beauty of a classic station, which unfortunately was later burned down by vandalls.

Engine 3 was built in 1913 by the Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes Barre, Pa.for the Monson RR, in Maine, a six mile slate hauler near Moosehead Lake. It was shipped by salvage Co. Rochester Iron & Metal Co. Rochester, NY to Rochester salvage yard in 1944 after the Monson RR was torn up. Ellis Atwood of the Edaville RR found this engine and a No. 4 there in 1946, bought them and shipped them for use in So; Carver.

When the Edaville RR closed down in 1991, Maine Narrow Gauge bought them from the owner at that time, George Bartholomew.and shipped them to Portland, Me where they are now located.

While still in use by Pleasure Island in the late 50s, Engine 3 was later moved down to Bronx, NY for another "Disneyland" type operation, called "Freedomland" This only lasted a couple years-engine and leased cars were returned to Edaville.

Then another Edaville No. 5 replacement was shipped to Pleasure Island. No. 5 was a 30 inch gauge engine from a Louisiana sugar plantation. Axels were reduced for use on 2 foot gauge. This engine was a Vulcan, like the Monsons. Eventually it would go to the Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Ry. Museum at Alna, Me., where it is now their No. 10. "Old Smokey" ran on the Pleasure Island RR the last few years before it closed down, I think in 1966--not sure of that.

They leased a few cars too. One of which was a coach from the former Bridgton & Harrison Ry. in Maine (from which most of the Edaville equipment came.) They had a couple open cars and I think they had a caboose.

Did you know the "haunted house" of Pleasure Island is up at Clarks Trading Post in North 'Woodstock, N.H.?

The collection of Blount's steam locos are now in Scranton, Pa. Very likely others survive somewhere.

Bob MacDonald
2rail@email.msn.com
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad