About Us
History
MRG, Inc. (Maine Rail Group) was founded in 1988 to help save the former Maine Central "Lower Road" main line between Brunswick and Augusta from abandonment. That effort was successful and the State of Maine leases sections.
Soon after the group's formation, it was given three passenger rail cars formerly owned by the Norfolk & Western Railroad. After retirement from N&W passenger service in the early 1970's those cars became part of an off-line restaurant in Sabbatus, Maine. The two coaches were restored for rail excursions and were used for a time by the former Maine Coast Railroad, later sold to Finger Lakes Railway in Geneva, NY for a new career in excursion service. The third car, a 1948 Pullman-Standard diner long used on N&W's "Powhatan Arrow", was sold to Conway Scenic Railroad and moved by rail from Newcastle, Maine to North Conway, NH in November, 2008. CSRR extensively remodelled it as a full service diner and it entered service in 2010 on their Crawford Notch Line as the "Hattie Evans", honoring an historical railroad family of the region.
Today the Maine Rail Group continues in its mission to protect and preserve rail service in the State of Maine.
Maine Rail Group Board
Peter Cole, President
Peter grew up in the greater Philadelphia area and learned what a wonderful thing it was to be able to travel without driving, but rather relaxing and riding the commuter trains and subways. Somehow, he ended up in Los Angeles for college, and realized that a car-centric region is a dysfunctional region. He majored in Urban and Regional Economics, and while not using that in his professional career, he maintained his love of mass transit, and stayed active in rail groups while Los Angeles slowly obtained rail transit. Retiring to Maine to return to his family home, he saw the beauty of Maine and did not want to see it destroyed by the sprawl that defines Los Angeles.
Russell Barber, Vice-President
Russell grew up in Massachusetts getting interested in transit with a father who was an MBTA Planner. After attending Unity College, Russ has served on Lebanon, NH. and Belfast Maine Planning Boards and currently works as an Able Seaman at Maine State Ferry Service (North Haven Island ferry).
Rail-rambling and Photography Is a major Theme for Russ, He has travelled to China on seven trips and two trips to Cuba to document the last years of steam engines as locomotives. Often at home he travels by Train and Car to different regions of the US and Canada following rail lines as a theme to see what can be discovered. Russ is also a charter volunteer member of the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, (Brooks Preservation Society)
Russ has been a board member of Maine Rail Group since 2006 and president for the last 4 years.
Robert Holland, Secretary
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a MBS from Virginia Tech. Bob spent 37 years at N&W/NS in various areas of intermodal terminal and systems design (Bob developed the first computerized tracking of trailers and containers in the Nation), cost systems design, pro forma profitability and various other finance/economic models dealing with all facets of railroading. Bob resides in Rockland, ME with his wife Martha. Bob has been past VP, & President of Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, now serving as Treasurer in his present board term. Bob is also treasurer and board member of the Boothbay Railway Village and past treasurer of the Brooks Preservation Society (B&ML rr).
Ed Hanscom, Treasurer, Director
Jack Sutton, Past President, Newsletter editor
A graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stevens University. Jack worked for Aluminum Company of America and Keyes Fibre Company (now Huhtamaki), Waterville, ME. Jack is now retired as VP Technical Services.
Jack served in the Town of Belgrade, Main as a selectman, a chair of the planning board, a member of the long-range planning committee and the recycling committee. Currently he is a member of Budget and Road Committees. Jack has also served as the Chair of Associated Industries of Maine (1981-1983), a board member of the Kennebec Valley Community College Foundation, the Belgrade Regional Health Center and the Maine Better Transportation Association.
Mike Byron, Director
Mike started his career as a Commercial Banker before moving into business consulting. Along the way he served as a town manager and in various boards and then as an Augusta City Council member. Upon retirement he substituted and now serves as an active board member of MRG.
Richard Rudolph, Ph.D.
Richard has a lifelong interest in passenger rail issues, but it was not until he retired in 1996 from being the academic dean at the University of Massachusetts, Boston that he has been able to focus his attention on railroads. He was a founding member of Amtrak's Customer Advisory Committee at the national level serving as Vice-Chair and Chair, 1997-2001, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Rail Users' Network. He is also a board member of the Maine Rail Group and serves on the board of directors of PTSI Transportation and is a Senior Advisor for Railway Customer Service. He also writes a column for Passenger Train Journal and is the producer / host of a half-hour public affairs program "Community Voices for Change"at WMPG, University of Southern Maine's community radio station. Richard earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Connecticut.
Stanley Koski, Director
Jack Madden, Director