WW&F Grand Reunion, Day 1

As no one seems to to have come forth with a report on the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington RR Museum's 2020 Grand Reunion, I guess I will.

Thanks to a pile of air-miles resulting in essentially free airfare from Phoenix to Portland Maine, I was able to attend the second version of this event on Feb. 7-9. I have never been here (or to Maine either) and am admittedly a bit ignorant of the histories of the Maine Two-footers, so this was a great learning experience. What the WW&F has accomplished here is nothing short of amazing. The weather ranged from pretty crappy, to nice (for Maine in winter) to frigid below zero. It is a good thing I kept my "Alamosa Clothes" when I moved to AZ.

The first day, Friday Feb. 7 was an "optional day" with WW&F 9 returning to her former appearance as Sandy River & Rangely Lakes #6. The weather was pretty horrid. Freezing rain and sleet, temps about freezing. #6 pulled an authentic SR&RL consist of combine # 14, Franklin & Megantic coach #2, and the beautiful SR&RL parlor car "Rangely" on the rear. The combine was the only car with a working stove, so most everyone rode in it.

Here We Go!

The depot at Sheepscot (for you non-downeasters, that's "SHEEPScut").


Yard and water tank.


#6 seemed to allude my camera for a good portrait on 2/7, so this one a couple of days later after she was returned to WW&F #9 will have to do.


engineer Bill puts the final touch on #6's Portland builders plate


The WW&F is an "Air Brake -Free Zone" All the cars are hand braked, and the locomotive are either equipped with vacuum brakes, steam brakes or on B&SR #7, engine air brakes. This is the vacuum brake "pot" (cylinder) on #6. Also visible is a major structural improvement made to the engine when the WW&F gang rebuilt and re-boilered her. Portland's Forneys had a major structural flaw in that the main engine frame bolted to the front of the firebox, and the rear frame bolted to the rear of the firebox, making the boiler a part of frame structure. When the engine was rebuilt a frame extension was built to wrap around the firebox, connecting the main frame to the rear frame. If you look behind the 45-degree elbow, you will see an opening for the corner washout plug. Pretty ingenious stuff....