Dear Sun Spots: I wonder if in your spare time you could tell me something about our railroads. I know I can get some information at the library but not all questions can be answered there. I live near a railroad and have for nearly all of my life for they intrigue me.

Do they run at specific times? How do some of the cars get covered with so much painting? Some of it is quite good but hard to read. Is it put on when they make the cars? And, are the cars owned by the railroad? Is the railroad in my area still called the Maine Central? Some people don’t like it when they have to wait a short time for a train to go through but I think is is a sign of a good economy, and I enjoy watching them. I sometimes get a thumbs-up from the engineer! Thanks for any information you can send my way. – Mary Moulton, Livermore Falls.

Answer: According to the Maine Department of Transportation’s Web site, The Maine Central Railroad Co. was organized in October 1862 in Waterville. The main line, which ran from Waterville to Portland via Augusta and Brunswick, known as the Lower Road, was purchased in 1870. In the same year, Maine Central acquired a railroad from Augusta to Skowhegan, now known as the Skowhegan branch. In 1871, Maine Central acquired a rail line from Brunswick to Lewiston and from Leeds Junction to Farmington. In 1883, it acquired the rail line from Bucksport to Bangor, which is now known as the Bucksport branch. The line from Bangor to Mattawamkeag was purchased in 1955.

What is now known as the Calais Branch between Bangor and Calais was built in 1832, and originally had wooden rails and horse-drawn power. This was the first railroad built in Maine. Guilford Transportation Industries acquired Maine Central and the Boston and Maine Railroad in the early 1980s. You will find much more information by visiting the Maine DOT Web site at www.maine.gov/mdot/freight/railroading-history.php.

Also, according to “A History of Railroads in Maine” at http://kenanderson.net/aroostook/railroad.html, the first railroads in Maine were chartered in 1832-1833, and the first tracks completed in 1836 by the Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad. For the next century, little was done to expand the railroad network in Maine, and by 1924 there were just over 2,000 miles of track within the state.

It was not until the 1970s and following, while the era of the railroad was decreasing in the nation at large, its usage was increasing within Maine.

Your public library has computers with Internet access where you can visit these Web sites. Or, by using a search engine such as Google, you can find an abundance of railroad information. Also, you can write a letter of interest with questions to: Maine 470 Railroad Club, P.O. Box 641, Portland, Maine, 04104-0641, or National Railway Historical Society, P.O. Box 58153, Philadelphia, Pa., 19103; they also have a Web site at www.nrhs.com.

Dear Sun Spots: I have a cell-phone contract with T-mobile until May, however, my cell phone got wet and no longer works. If anyone has an old T-mobile phone they no longer use. I would greatly appreciate it. These are some of their models: Samsung R255m,c225 and e105, Nokia 6010, 6800 and 3660, Motorola v180, c650, v300 and v600. I can be reached at 753-1452. Thank you. – Becky Keene, No Town.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to [email protected].