Grand Trunk Railroad Building.

Description:

During the mid-nineteenth century, several ambitious projects constituted a complete rethinking of how Portland's waterfront could support commercial growth. Taking advantage of the port's year round ice-free harbor and the city's strong trade relations with Canada, the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad, later the Grand Trunk Railroad, transformed the eastern end of the waterfront at the base of Munjoy Hill into an all season transportation hub linking Portland to Montreal and central Canada. This large complex of rail facilities [59] was connected to the wharves via tracks running down the center of Commercial Street up until the 1980's when they were over-paved. The passenger station, roundhouse, railroad, and freight sheds are shown in this enlarged detail from the 1876 bird's eye view [60]. The Portland Company built its machine shops alongside this compound to produce rolling stock for the railroad.

( information taken from http://usm.maine.edu/maps/exhibit13/13-07fromgrantrunk.htm)

Atmosphere:

Although the Grand Trunk is no longer a working railway, this building, located on Portlands West End, at the bottom of India Street is still standing. If you notice in the picture, all it says is "GRAND TRUNK" yet at close look, you can notice that there used to be more engraved underneath this, but was removed. It is the only part of the Grand Trunk left in Portland, No more passenger station or grain elevators (which were located behind the building)