#7 was chosen to lead the double-header as it is the larger locomotive, not necessarily because it had a pilot truck. That said, double-headers on the WW&F (and the rest of the Maine two-footers) were very rare - if they ever occurred - outside of an extraordinary circumstance (snowfighting, etc.).
There is evidence that the WW&F would occasionally use a pusher northbound out of Wiscasset, which would cut off on the fly at Alna Center.
The WW&F doesn't offer an "engineer for an hour" program to the general public like those offered by our partners in collaboration. Both Maine Narrow Gauge RR Co. & Museum and Maine Locomotive and Machine Works (at Edaville RR in Mass.) do offer such opportunities to operate a two-footer. In this instance, having Earl as a guest engineer was a great treat for us!
Ed Lecuyer
General Passenger Agent, WW&F Railway Museum
Help the WW&F Build Locomotive #11: [
build11.wwfry.org]
Bring Trains to Maine up from Africa: [
www.wwfry.org]