Aroostook Valley

Company History: This Maine shortline opened in 1910. It ran from Presque Isle to Washburn where the line split. One line continued east to Caribou and the other, north to the town of Sweden. Total length was 33 miles. Originally, it was electrified with interurban cars providing the passenger service and steeple cabs handling the freight. By 1945, the passenger business was a faint shadow of its former self so the decision was made to dieselize the line with GE 44-tonners and take down the wire. A big portion of the freight traffic was the seasonal movement of Maine potatoes. Around 1970, the potato traffic saw a steep decline. The fault wasn't with the Aroostook Valley however. Potato loads were forwarded to Bangor & Aroostook, then Maine Central, Boston & Maine, and finally Penn Central. It was Penn Central's atrocious service that chased the potato traffic onto trucks. Aroostook Valley struggled on with their remaining freight traffic until 1996 when they finally closed their doors.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.