Re: WW&F Railway Photo Excursion video

The consist shown in the video is a most interesting one. First and foremost, four of the pieces on that mixed train are original to the WW&F:

[*] Locomotive #9 came to the WW&F near the end of operations in 1933, after a 40 year career on several Maine 2 ft railroads. She's one of just 2 remaining Portland Company Locomotives and the only one that can still run.
[*] Boxcar 309 and Flatcar 118 (the one with the stakes) were both stored with Loco #9 at the Ramsdell Farm in West Thompson, CT for over 50 years!
[*] Wiscasset & Quebec Coach 3 is also original to the line, but was sold to the Bridgton & Saco River in the early 1900s and only ran behind Engine #9 for the first time last December.

In addition, there are some pretty interesting stories behind the other things you see:

[*] The locomotive boiler on Flatcar 126 is the historic boiler for Engine #9. Because of its condition, it was deemed unsuitable to be part of the restoration and will be preserved by the museum. Its inclusion in the consist was an effort to re-create a historic photo that shows a locomotive boiler being transported on the original railroad in this fashion. Perhaps Stewart can find a way to share that image with us. There have been a lot of interesting things put on Flat 126 over the years.
[*] Reefer Car #65 is a replica of an original piece for which historic photos exist. It was built by the museum crew in 2012. The car is actually a rolling display case containing historic photos and other artifacts behind glass panels. It is normally displayed on the Wiscasset waterfront during the summer months.
[*] Caboose 320 was built by the museum in 1998, but is considered to be an original piece, because it was built to plans created by the original railroad in the early 1900s....plans that the railroad never acted on.

What you don't see in this video are all of the pieces of infrastructure that the WW&F currently has, such as the Sheepscot Station, the Shop Building, the replica Head Tide Tankhouse, the Car Barn and the Whitefield Section House. With the addition of a turntable later this year, there are almost endless possibilities for interesting photo sessions, not only of trains on the line, but of yard operations, station stops, etc. And no re-lettering of equipment is required.....

This place is just cool.....

/Kevin Madore



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2016 06:51AM by KevinM.