Phillips and Rangeley Railroad
| Locale | Maine |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1891–1908 |
| Successor | Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad |
| Track gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Length | 28 miles (45 km) |
| Headquarters | Phillips |
The Phillips and Rangeley Railroad was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge common carrier railroad in the State of Maine.
It connected the towns of Phillips and Rangeley and was built to serve the forestry and resort industries of Franklin County. This railroad pioneered the use of large 2 ft (610 mm) gauge rolling stock in North America. Earlier freight cars built for the Billerica and Bedford Railroad, the Sandy River Railroad, the Bridgton and Saco River Railroad, the Monson Railroad, the Franklin and Megantic Railroad, and the Kennebec Central Railroad had a maximum length of 26 feet (7.9 m). Phillips and Rangeley Railroad ordered the first 28-foot (8.5 m) cars in 1890 and the subsidiary Eustis Railroad ordered the first 33-foot (10 m) cars in 1903. The Portland Company locomotive built in 1890 was 12.5% heavier than any previous 2 ft (610 mm) gauge locomotive in Maine. The 2-6-0 locomotive purchased from Baldwin Locomotive Works the following year was 28% heavier than the Portland locomotive; and its success encouraged subsequent purchase of similar locomotives by the Laurel River and Hot Springs Railroad of North Carolina in 1892, the Sandy River Railroad in 1893, the Cazadero and San Pablo Railroad in 1897, the South African Cape Government Railways in 1901, the Córdoba and Huatusco Railroad in 1902, and the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway in 1907.
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