Re: WW&F RR #9

The discussion on the WW&F Museum forums sheds considerable light on something that may not be obvious to casual observers who haven't visited the operation in Alna, ME. The rebuild on Number 9 is not simply a rebuild to "as-built" condition, due to some disconcerting flaws in the original design. I believe that the stress on the draw-bar was effectively being transferred to the boiler, because the connection between the fore and aft sections of the frame WAS the boiler. Obviously, in today's environment, that wouldn't be considered a particularly good idea. As a result, the folks at the WW&F have had to do some re-engineering of the original frame, to physically connect the two sections of the frame, and have the resulting structure support the boiler vs. incorporating the boiler.

Little by little, the 9 is starting to look like a steam engine. When I see her in the shops, I'm amazed at how much bigger she is than Locomotive 10, which the museum runs all the time. I'm looking forward to seeing the latest progress when I visit next week, but I can't wait to see her out on the road. The first time the museum runs an all-original WW&F mixed will be a special moment indeed!

Folks who live in the area should make the effort to get up to Alna for the annual Victorian Christmas event. They can see the progress on Number 9 and enjoy free train rides. Who knows?? With the weather forecast for next week, there might even be some SNOW!!

/Kevin