Kennebec River Ferries

The Maine Central Railroad operated a railroad ferry service across the Kennebec River beginning as far back as 1871 connecting Bath, Maine, with Woolrich. While earlier ferries could only carry passenger and freight cars, The "Ferdinando Gorges", seen below circa 1910, also carried locomotives allowing an entire train to be loaded on board. Ferry service ended in 1927 with the construction of the Carlton Bridge that carried both railroad and automobile traffic.

In this circa 1908 view, we see a switcher locomotive pulling cars from a docked ferry prior to the "Ferdinando Gorges" being put into service and ending  the need for only passenger cars to be carried.