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  • Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway (WW&F) Discussion

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

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 #1500905  by troffey
 
We came up this weekend for Steam and Sleighs. It was our first visit to the museum, and I have to say I was very impressed. You put on a great event that we very much enjoyed. The volunteers were very engaging and informative. We look forward to coming up again in the future.
 #1511761  by elecuyer
 
We at the WW&F are looking forward to having Darlin' Corey kicking off our Music on the Railway series this Saturday, June 22nd. It looks like the weather has chosen to cooperate and we can't wait to host them at the railway- they're amazing. The train leaves at 5:00 sharp from Sheepscot Station (97 Cross Road, Alna, Maine).

Tickets, which include train fare, are $20, adults | $10, children 4-12 | free, children 3 & under.

For more information on Darlin' Corey, you can visit their website at https://www.darlincorey.com/. Tickets for the Music on the Railway series can be found at https://wwfrytickets.simpletix.com/.

See you on the narrow gauge!
 #1521142  by RussNelson
 
The Fall Work Weekend is coming up. October 11th through 14th (Fri -> Mon) over the Veteran's Day weekend. More information here: http://wwfry.org/?tribe_events=fall-work-weekend

We're aiming to lay and spike 2000' of rail this year(!). 600' has already been laid, to get the spikers started behind the rail train. We're going to get over the bridge and within spitting distance of 218!!!
 #1522583  by elecuyer
 
The WW&F's rails are now stretched across Trout Brook, and have reached the near edge of Route 218!

Find details and photos at:
https://www.facebook.com/WWFRailway/pos ... 0448401871

And for those who don't do Facebook:
Attachments:
10-13-19-CSR01.jpg
10-13-19-CSR01.jpg (251.65 KiB) Viewed 3719 times
 #1522605  by Bill Reidy
 
Over 2000 feet of track was laid this weekend, bringing the rail head to within 300 feet of Route 218. Photos and discussion as the weekend's work progressed can be found at http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/topic,3510.msg43530.html#msg43530

Our volunteers turned out in force, according to our log book: 87 on Friday; 117 Saturday; 98 Sunday; and 52 Monday. Thank you all.
 #1528054  by elecuyer
 
Image

Due to a cancellation, there are now two tickets available for the February 7-9, 2020 photo charter on the WW&F!

When this photo special was announced, the February dates sold out very quickly. Now is you chance to get in on the fun.

Attendance is limited to 25 participants. While no roads will be closed during our event, no portion of the WW&F right-of-way is accessible from public vantage points, guaranteeing a unique and unforgettable romp through the snow.

Special guests under steam will not only include Monson Locomotive 3, but Bridgeton and Saco River locomotive #7 - its first visit to the photogenic and historic WW&F railway. Static displays will also include B&SR #8 - just arrived on the WW&F rails from its long (and virtually inaccessible) slumber.

Get your tickets NOW at:
https://wwfrytickets.simpletix.com/e/44025
 #1529667  by elecuyer
 
Image

While the February dates (announced above) are now sold out (again), due to a cancellation, there is now one ticket available for the January 17-19, 2020 photo charter on the WW&F!

Attendance is limited to 25 participants. While no roads will be closed during our event, no portion of the WW&F right-of-way is accessible from public vantage points, guaranteeing a unique and unforgettable romp through the snow.

Special guests under steam will not only include Monson Locomotive 3, but Bridgeton and Saco River locomotive #7 - its first visit to the photogenic and historic WW&F railway. Static displays will also include B&SR #8 - just arrived on the WW&F rails from its long (and virtually inaccessible) slumber.

Get your ticket NOW at:
https://wwfrytickets.simpletix.com/e/44025
 #1539518  by elecuyer
 
Image

The Chinese characters for “crisis” consist of “danger” and “opportunity”. While somewhat optimistic, the truth is that in the midst of a dangerous crisis, opportunities can arise. The WW&F is seizing the current crisis to move forward as a stronger organization.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Museum has suspended public train rides, including special events, until a grand-reopening can occur on our “Annual Picnic”, August 8, 2020.

While this is disappointing, we thought it would be most beneficial to our volunteers, partners, and visitors to make this decision now so that plans can be made as the pandemic subsides and our lives return to normal.

This decision has an immediate effect on the following events and activities, some of which have been planned for several months:
1. The Spring Work Weekend has been cancelled. It will be replaced with several additional work sessions to be held once “social distancing” restrictions have been lifted.
2. The Annual Meeting will be held via teleconference. Interested members should visit our web site for details on how to participate.
3. ALL public trains, special events, and private charters that were to take place before 8/8/2020 are cancelled. Some may be rescheduled, if possible. These include “Alna Day” (7/11) and two “Music on the Railway” concerts (6/27 and 7/25.) We will be contacting affected organizations, partners, and ticket holders in the coming weeks.

Those who received vouchers for free train rides in 2020 should be aware that these tickets are no longer redeemable until after August 8, 2020. Instead, we will honor them as best as we can during the remainder of the 2020 operating season.

Moreover, the operating schedule for Fall 2020 will not include scheduled train service on most Sundays. Instead, we are hoping that we can offer a full slate of train rides and special events, including concerts, presentations, festivals, pumpkin trains, Christmas Tree trains, and (of course, the ever-popular) Victorian Christmas. These details are still being developed and will be announced when finalized.

The opportunity here is that while the rails lay dormant, our volunteers are free to work (as appropriate) on the backlog of maintenance tasks that were scheduled for this Spring, but curtailed due to the pandemic. This also will allow (we hope) new faces to join our volunteer corps on scheduled work days (weekends and week days) through to our grand re-opening on 8/8/2020. Again, these dates and tasks will be announced as soon as they are developed (and social distancing rules are relaxed.)

The danger in this decision comes in the loss of ticket sales that was anticipated from April through July. We are mitigating this in a number of ways, including: federal assistance, a $10,000 loan from one of our anonymous members, and increased giving by those who are able to do so. We’ll be publishing more ways everyone can help out (including some that cost nothing) in the coming weeks.

Thanks again for your support of the WW&F. We will steam again. The narrow gauge will echo through the Sheepscot Valley once more. And the railroad of Big Dreams and Little Wheels will soldier on. Until then, be safe.
 #1545116  by elecuyer
 
The WW&F is looking for volunteers to help "Rock the Mountain" over the next several Saturdays. Note that residents of New Hampshire and Vermont are no longer required to quarantine for 14-days upon entering the state of Maine.

Details on "Rock the Mountain" can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2445493742220522/

Public train service on the WW&F is scheduled to resume on August 8, 2020.
 #1545144  by b&m 1566
 
Bill Reidy wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:06 pm Over 2000 feet of track was laid this weekend, bringing the rail head to within 300 feet of Route 218. Photos and discussion as the weekend's work progressed can be found at http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php/topic,3510.msg43530.html#msg43530

Our volunteers turned out in force, according to our log book: 87 on Friday; 117 Saturday; 98 Sunday; and 52 Monday. Thank you all.
Any plans to go further or is this the end of the line?
 #1548181  by elecuyer
 
There are a fair number of details that are inaccurate in that article, but the spirit and intent is clear - the WW&F is successfully weathering the pandemic. Work is continuing on the railroad and train rides and activities resume on August 7th.

Of special note to railfans:
1. August 7th and August 8th will feature a "first mileage" excursion to Mile Post 8, just shy of (but not over) the bridge at Trout Brook. This will be the first public passenger train in this location since 1933. Tickets for this special fundraiser are $50 and include a photo runby and light refreshments. A limit of 40 tickets are being sold per train.

2. August 22nd, Sept 5th and Sept 19th will include "Handcar Hops" - your chance to run a reconstructed WW&F Handcar over the entire mainline. $125 for 2-4 adults (and 90 minutes on the railroad - with a certified WW&F Conductor or Brakeman.)

Tickets for ALL trains and events are pre-sale only, and can be purchased via our website: www.wwfry.org

See you soon aboard the Sheepscot Valley Narrow Gauge!
 #1549490  by Jeff Smith
 
https://lcnme.com/eventsactivities/wwf- ... or-season/

Brief, fair-use:
On Aug. 7 the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway at 97 Cross Road, Alna will reopen to the public for the 2020 season with a special excursion at 5 p.m. to Milepost 8 over the railway’s newly constructed Mountain Extension.

On Saturday, Aug. 8 the railway will host its annual picnic, with picnic lunches, train rides at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m., a farm stand by SeaLyon Farm, and antique auto rides from Sheepscot Station. Another excursion to Milepost 8 will run at 5 p.m.

The railroad will also be operating on Aug. 22, Sept. 5 and 19. On each of these days, the railway will offer “handcar hops,” “ice cream eggspresses,” evening picnic specials, and campfire trains.
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