I've had some thoughts about the freelance prototype when building a freelance layout as I´m doing ....

When I started the construction of my layout, I envisioned it located in Maine somewhere (a bit vague ...)

The name of the company came after the initials of me and my wife ;-)

"M-K & E RR" = Michael & Kerstins Enskilda Järnvägar

(Michael & Kerstins Private RR)

Something has to give when you get to build the layout in the living room ...

The "real" readout of the name I had back then was:

"The Maine-Kennebunkport & Eastern RR".

It was to be situated and have its route around Portland somewhere (unclear where ...).

Now, I have had the opportunity to study some more maps and so on, and after some thought, and suggestions from some acquaintances in the U.S., I´ve moved my company "a little" south to Connecticut and Rhode Island!

That also goes together a lot better with the kind of car-float operation that I have.

This is the route as it looked in 1943:

The company was first named "The Berlin and Mystic Railway" when it started in 1911.

The owner, Colonel Michaels, who was a cousin of the area's greatness; Woodrow Wilson (The U.S. 28:th President and Professor of Political Economics at Wesleyan University in Middletown).

The Colonel had made his fortune in manufacturing Machine parts to the shipping industry. He sold his factories to "Wilcox, Crittenden and Company" in 1903 and bought the beginning to his railway in 1905.

The first investment was a railway line that went from Berlin Conn. to Saybrook Junction Conn.

After a swift sale of shares, the construction of the stretch to Mystic (just before Stonington) could be initiated in 1908 . It was completed in 1911.

The First World War caused a big demand for rail transportation and the profits increased significantly.

Construction of the eastward route to Providence was finished shortly after New Year 1915.

Thanks to a past history in the shipping industry, Col. Michaels thought that a new locomotive driven by a "Ship engine" could be of interest ...

The railroad was amongst the first to purchase a diesel locomotive.

In 1925 AGEIR delivered a 300 HP 60 tons Boxcab locomotive to the Port of Middletown:

It was supposed to replace Shay # 5, but the increased traffic during the second world war demanded that both were run simultaneously. Which the picture below, dated 1943, shows:

After 1939, they changed the railroads name to "The Middletown-Kingston & Eastern RR", as they would not advertise a German-sounding name as it could cause some bad PR..... And the fact that the Railroad had it´s headquarter in Middletown and that the track was now stretching far beyond the Mystic, had it´s influence on the name change as well....

The Second World War has increased the traffic by the double and the company has been able to make some new investments in new material.

A new SW-7 for the short freight trains between Middletown and Saybrook Jct as an example:

So far the story behind my Railroad

The section of the route I have built is supposed to be situated just south of Middletown.

And it's fun to have a little more "history" behind it all ...