After 5+ years of restoration work, Locomotive #9 reached a critical milestone today – a steam test of the boiler and appliances.  While the locomotive is no where near ready – as you can see from the pictures, it’s missing the cab, the tank, and a bunch of other little things – the test was necessary to check for steam leaks.  The boiler had undergone several hydro pressure tests in preceding weeks, which helped to eliminate other leaks.

We anticipate operation in 2015.

For more info see this post on our Facebook page.

Columbus Day Weekend – October 10 – 13 (Friday through Monday) – is the Museum’s annual Fall Work Weekend.  We have many projects lined up for the volunteers.

• Main line track extension – we will be laying track northward on our main line, and constructing a run-around switch.
• Painting – the restrooms need painting.
• Car storage shed – we will lay the foundations of the car storage shed (concrete pillars) and may even be able to start erecting poles.
• Locomotive 9 restoration will continue
• Meals – the Museum provides lunches all four days, and suppers Friday through Sunday evening.

Passenger trains will be operating on Saturday and Sunday, however the schedule will probably be off due to work crew supply needs.   If you would like to ride that weekend, please allow extra time in your schedule.

This will be the last weekend of steam-powered trains until our Victorian Christmas celebration in December.

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

If you’d like to say that you were “workin’ on the railroad” then come on by to help out!  We can use labor of all kinds, skilled or not.  As long as you are reasonably mobile we can use you.  Work starts around 7 AM and ends most days around 5 PM.

Coming on Saturday, September 27 is our annual Fall Festival.

This year, we will have a Bluegrass Pickin’ Party!  Local Bluegrass musicians will provide music for the festivities.

Additionally, we will have a pumpkin patch, children’s games, face painting, and hay rides in an antique truck.  All festivities will happen at our Alna Center station.  Trains depart our Sheepscot Station at our normal times.

Every year we raise funds to further our goal of restoration and preservation via an annual fund drive in the fall. Since the time of the inception of this annual drive more than 20 years ago, we have never failed to reach and surpass our drive goal. In the last several years the goal has been to raise $55,000, usually we raise between $57,000 and $60,000. This year we hope will be no exception.

Our hopes and goals have been outlined on a post on our Facebook Page, located HERE.  We hope you will consider a tax-deductible donation to this worthy set of projects.  A PayPal Donate button is available here on our webpage, as well as on Facebook.

We are pleased to announce that we anticipate operating steam for all open days during the month of September.  This is of course subject to crew and equipment availability.

When the prior post was made, our normal operation in September is mostly diesel-hauled trains.  However because of greater steam crew availability it was decided that we would be able to offer steam during all of our normal operating days in September.

September in Maine is a great month – warm days and cool nights, usually pretty sunny, with some nice foliage showing up later in the month.  The high tourist season is over, so hotel rooms are available and traffic is manageable.  Please come visit!

This weekend, August 30 and 31, 2014 (Labor Day Weekend) is the last full steam weekends of the year.  Come on by and enjoy a full dose of steam, smoke, and old-time railroading.

Trains depart Sheepscot Station at 10 AM, 11, 12:30 PM, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 PM.

There may be steam during many Saturdays in September – however the schedule normally calls for diesel-hauled trains in September.

Join us on Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, 2014 for our Annual Picnic and Yard Sale!

Festivities for the day include Hand Car rides, Steam train rides, Model T railcar rides, antique engine displays, a photo freight, and of course food.

Picnic food hours are 11 AM to 3 PM.   Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, desserts.  Proceeds benefit the Museum.

We are also holding a yard sale both days, in the basement of the Percival House.  Proceeds from the yard sale benefit the Museum Archives.

Trains depart Sheepscot Station on our normal operating schedule, additionally there will be a 5:30 PM Saturday departure for photography at Alna Center Station.

It’s lots of fun, come join us!

Steam-hauled trains resume on the weekend of July 19.  We attempt to run steam trains every weekend in July and August, but because of crew shortage could not run steam last weekend.

Trains run 10, 11, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Normally during our operating days in July we operate with steam.  We regret that this coming weekend (July 12 and 13) we are not able to operate steam.

We ARE open, however!  We’ll be operating with our diesel engine, and our Model T railcar should be available for rides as well.  Please come around for a ride!