The Adventure of the "Chicken Log"

The adventure of the “Chicken Log”

Brad asked me to impart this classic tail of the HAPT as witnessed by myself, Paul Apollo and Brad Conant back on a cold cold day in Northern Maine. I am not even sure of the dates although I suspect that it was during winter break of either 2002 or 2003 but at any rate it was a memorable trip for HAPT.

Well it was a cold day, say maybe in the single digits for a high, partly cloudy and off we went to Northern Maine. Brad and Paul stopped to pick me in the “Jackie Chan” mobile. This was an interesting piece of oriental engineering that Paul was driving at the time. It drove like a typical rice-burner with the souped up way that Paul drives, especially on Railfan adventures, thus giving him the name of the “Wheelman!”

Well the reason why we called it the “Jackie Chan” mobile was that there was only one way into the driver’s seat, and not thru an open door, more like an open window!!! And then starting it was an electrical nightmare. You turned the key, then pressed the ELECTRIC WINDOW SWITCH and it started! Shades of James Bond! The only thing missing were the rear wing mirror hidden machine guns.

Off we went in the “Jackie Chan” special towards Millinocket. Using Paul’s hyper sensitive ability to find trains (a handy trait in RR sparse Northern Maine) we found our senses being honed in towards Millinocket.

After moving up I-95 at nearly warp speed we got off at Medway and headed west for E. Millinocket. Lo and behold we hit pay dirt!

A WRECK!

The legendary abilities of the wheelman have once again been proven beyond compare!

Apparently the B+A (that’s Bangor and Aroostook – NOT Boston and Albany – You sons of donkey wipers Massh*&$s!) E. Millinocket local was on its way west towards Millinocket when it had a collision with an errant Quebec log truck.

What had happened was that the crossing signals had engaged and 3 cars had stopped at the crossing to await the plodding progress of this ex ATSF CF-7 with its load of steaming pulp box cars to make its way across. Well behind the cars and around a slight bend was this speeding red long bed log truck loaded with 4’ pulp logs no doubt heading for the E. Millinocket but today was only heading towards destiny!

The log truck driver saw the 3 cars in front of him and didn’t have the where with all (or perhaps brains) to stop in time. I’ll leave comments on the nature and intelligence of Canadian log truck drivers to others but try living in Skowhegan, ME for 9 years and you’ll get the idea of how they drive! He realizes that he cannot stop without hitting the cars in front of him therefore he veers around them, into the opposite lane, and in a vane attempt tries to beat the train at the crossing.

It was a tie and this case the train lost!

What we saw when we came across this mishap, about 2 hours after it happened, was a empty trailer at a skewed angle off to the side of the road, it’s main support beam had a few holes punch in it that looked vaguely like the front end of a train coupler or like a giant awl had punched a hole in it.

Scattered all over the far side of the crossing between the tracks, the road and a lake, were about 200 logs (good thing we weren’t over watching this train go by!).

The CF-7 after having struck the log truck had veered over and pitched on to its right side and plowed up about 25 yards of ballast, dirt and any trash that was besides the right of way. The first 3 cars derailed, 2 split open and thus we discovered the steaming pulp rolls inside while the rest of the train remained upright on the other side of the crossing.

We were watching several “white hats” working on how to clean up this mess. They were starting to put down those “bounty quicker picker uppers” absorbent sheets to soak up the spilled diesel fuel. Oddly enough the engine was in fairly good shape except being on its side. It reminded me of my early days of laying HO track and some of the mishaps that followed.

Well this was too good to ignore so we snapped away with our cameras (no video at this time yet) and for the life of me I cannot find the pix but either Brad, Paul or I (maybe) will find them and post them here later. We kept a respectable distance and recorded the event well.

Apparently the engineer suffered minor injuries and the log truck driver’s cab was missed by the train but the driver himself suffered financial injury in the form of some pretty stiff fines. The injury to the CF-7 proved to be fatal as it was easier for the B+A to cut it ups on the spot rather then upright it.

We still haven’t gotten to the chicken log yet!

This was quite an adventure so we soon longed for some sustenance which in E. Millinocket is not exactly plentiful! No Mickey D’s here by gory, chummy, no suh!

However there was Jim’s restaurant, (and general store, and gas station – you can get plenty of that and also fill up your car) proudly displaying the banner

HOME OF THE CHICKEN LOG!

Well Paul, being the sucker for a good adventure of the culinary kind, decided to partake of this delicacy of E. Millinocket. Guaranteed to satisfy the hunger of Paul Bunyan, ( and probably tastes like it came out the back end of his ox, Babe!). Anyway Brad and I we decided on something else, of which I cannot remember, which was good!

Paul has his chicken log and like “green cawn thru the new maid” begins to feel that this is probably not the best idea that he has ever had.

Well after lunch we head for Oakfield, and possible chance at seeing the station museum there. Hah, in the winter, in Maine. Signs say open in April. Oh, well. It’s getting late and we are nearly 3 hours from Pittsfield, my place and another hour and a half from theirs in Hebron. Paul is starting to turn about as green at the station building we were visiting so I take over driving privileges in the “Jackie Chan mobile”. Now for those of you not familiar with me (and watch how you say that) I’m nearly 6’5” so folding like a pretzel to get in this vehicle was an adventure in itself. We head for points south, getting to my home, and then Paul has recovered enough to drive the rest of the way home. Or perhaps Brad took over and my memory cells cannot recall at this point.

Turns out that this bout with intestinal miasma is not entirely due to the culinary effects of the “Chicken Log” but instead to a bout of stomach flu that was making its way thru the Apollo family at the time! We must not blame Tom’s restaurant entirely but the “chicken log” has lost its luster to our thinking anyway.

Hopefully faithfully reported by

Charles C. Kadyk
HAPT Southern Correspondent – former Northern Correspondent – and sometimes despondent that he left Maine in the first place!

Stay tuned for “Hot Action on Big Sandy”

Now there’s some fun for you there!