Large Scale Central

Maine Narrow Gauge Museum

Prototypes
#1

I visited the Maine Narrow Gauge Museum in Portland today to check out the Equipment. The museum is located on the waterfront overlooking the harbor. The tall ships were in and the Coast Guard Training ship Eagle was flying a huge flag from its mast.

The museum is on the grounds of the former Portland Company which was a heavy industry which built Marine engines, Railroad Locomotives and Rail cars. The Locomotive that I am helping to restore was built there in 1891. Today it is valuable real estate which is forcing the museum to move in a couple of years to Gray Maine an hour or so north of Portland.

They run daily trains along the waterfront for $10 a head. you can ride in this SR&RL caboose or one of several open cars today.

inside they have the only two foot gauge parlor car in the US. This is the SR&RL “Rangely”

here is a stove in a nicely restored Bridgeton and Saco Caboose:

and an original Laconia built coach from the same line:

there is some interesting stuff lying around awaiting restoration. Here a Bridgeton and Saco snow plow built nearby and a Sandy River and Rangely Lakes Caboose :

A Volunteer with keys let us into the Engine shed to see what is in there. There are three steamers. currently none are operational though two are complete, in good shape and awaiting restoration. B&SR #8 needs a good bit of work. Monson #4 needs boiler work. the third BSR #7 was damaged in a fire but is well along in its restoration, hoping to be complete by the Christmas Polar Express trains.

It is hard to get a good photo inside the shed.

#2

Thanks for the pictures Eric. I visited the museum about ten years ago, my daughter and I got a ride on their gas powered switcher.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2542870

When I was a kid I got to ride on or pulled from a lot of this equipment when it was owned by the Edaville Railroad in Caver Massachusetts. I miss those days.

http://www.edaville.com/

Thanks

Steve

#3

Wow Eric, That looks like a fantastic place. Glad to hear they are operating trains too. I love that parlor car, how cool! Thanks for sharing.

#4

Nice pics. How about one of Eagle? I know that you took some. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#5

Great stuff, thanks for posting! The parlor car is gorgeous!

#6

I had to look back to see when I went… lets see… 2000 … Wow were did the time go?

Funny one picture reminded me of Ray for some reason…

#7

while all the train guys were looking inland the rest of town was looking out to sea

Jim got a photo of me next to B&SR #7…gives a sense of size. Pretty small by standard gauge prospective but big compared to the two engines at the WW&F Museum

#8

I visited the WW&F Museum on Saturday…the summer picnic…

#9

I’ve never been to the WW&F the time I lived in Maine. It looks amazing. Guess I know what I’m going to see when I eventually come up for a visit.

#10

The Narrow gauge Convention is here in Maine (Augusta) in September 2016…start planning! The WW&F will host as will I and I plan to be at the convention hall.

#11

On our bucket list and may be scratched of shortly. Thanks for the pictures.

#12

Hi Eric

I visited the Maine NG Museum last fall on our trip. Wonderful museum and the ride was great fun. Sorry to hear it will be moving away from Portland, as the proximity to the downtown was very attractive. Do you know if there are any rails where they will be moving so they can still offer rides?

Regards

Jerry

#13

Jerry, they plan to lay track on an abandoned interurban trolley line and run trains in Gray Maine. There has been some talk about continuing service in Portland too.

#14

We plan to be there with friends. Who else is going?