Timetable - February 14, 1946 

We ended 1945 with three trains listed as through service from points South to points on the Bangor and Aroostook. The Potatoland Special and Aroostook Flyer are still here in this, the first timetable in this collection for 1946. However, trains 9 and 12 for Greenville are no longer through services. Although both trains do run to Bangor's Union Station - the actual interchange of passengers and baggage is done at Northern Maine Junction and requires one to switch trains on the Northbound side at least. Thus, 9 and 12 have been removed from the Through Train table and placed with the other local trains on the next page. Of greater interest perhaps, the Potatoland Special also seems to be exchanging passengers with the Maine Central at Northern Maine Junction. The station stop at Northern Maine Junction, approaching a half hour, would give one time to either wake sleeping passengers or exchange a sleeper car. What is even more interesting is that the Potatoland Special seems to be combined with Train #9 until reaching Derby when #9 becomes a mixed train. The returning train, #12 is a mixed train until Derby, when it seems it is combined with the Southbound Aroostook Flyer taking passengers to Bangor. Now, were the passengers actually changing trains at Derby or were coaches dedicated to those coming to and from Greenville and removed from the Northbound and added to the Southbound? One cannot tell from the timetable. The buses are really beginning to make themselves felt with Van Buren to Fort Kent showing a Daily bus and a daily-except-Sunday mixed train and bus. The Sherman, Patten, Island Falls route still shows the bus making five trips each way (at least between Sherman and Patten) six days a week. Presque Isle to Mapleton also shows a daily-except-Sunday mixed train and bus, with the addition of two more buses on Saturday. On the Bus page, Patten and Island Falls retain their place but Sherman is never mentioned, yet on the rail page, all three are lumped together. 

Bangor Historical Society collection