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  • What can we see up in Maine?

  • 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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 #155251  by NellsChoo
 
Hi all

I will be going up to the Booth Bay area of Maine next week with my boyfriend's family. Other than the WW&F and Boothbay Rail Museum, what is there to see choo-wise? The Maine Eastern takes too long to make their return trips, so I don't think we'll get to ride them, but it would be nice to at least see them out and about.

What about freight? Are there any active freight lines up in that area?

In other words, what's there to see???

Jonelle
 #155327  by henry6
 
Look at the scenery, enjoy the place, find one spot to take a picture and savor it. Follow ME up from Brunswick in the morning then go exploring and enjoy!
 #155431  by jcpatten
 
About an hour from the Wiscasset area is Portland, home of Maine Narrow Gauge. They have a 3-mile round trip ride plus some historic equipment under cover in the museum (including the Rangely, the only two-foot gauge parlor car).

Although quite a haul from Wiscasset, the Sandy River Railroad in Phillips will be having steam return during Old Home Days, which I believe is August 19 - 21. Monson #3 will be running up there. That's at least a two hour trip.

Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR is closed for the forseeable future.

The only other railroad-related things I can think of is the Maine State Museum in Augusta (home of Maine's first steam engine, the Lion), and Coles Transportation Museum in Bangor.

FYI I discovered if you take the afternoon bus from Wiscasset to Rockland you can catch the Maine Eastern train back from Rockland to Wiscasset. Be aware, though, that the bus station in Wiscasset is several miles from the train station.

 #155441  by NellsChoo
 
We've been to the MNG a few times, and it's a bit far from where we will be staying. I think Todd will be taking me to Coles, which he says is also a treck.

I figured there had to be some freight up there. How about Waterville? Any freight at all on the Maine Eastern line?

 #155443  by kwf
 
Coles is a nice visit, but a long haul from where you'll be...They have a nice RR display, but it is mostly trucks, vans and autos...they have a nice web site http://www.colemuseum.com/pict_collection.cfm?CatID=21
 #155703  by wolfmom69
 
You are only 5-10 minutes from Northern Maine Jct.,when your at Coles, its south of Coles on Rt. 2 in Hermon. Sign for the MMA offices on Rt. 2,and you might ge lucky & see Guilford doing some work there, Cold Brook Rd. runs from Rt. 2 & can provide access to the MMA part of the yard.
Depending on time you have,side trips to Bucksport(GRS) and Searsport(MMA) from Bangor. Usually some GRS action,at the paper mill/yard in Old Town,north of Bangor on Rt. 2,tracks nearly parallel RT.2 from Bangor to Old Town,

Bud
 #155847  by Sandy Burton
 
The Maine Eastern does run freight. There is a shuttle between the cement plant in Thomaston and the barge dock in Rockland that runs daily, seven days a week I believe. However, guessing just when they will be out of the cement plant is another thing. If you stop in the MERR office in Rockland, they may be able to give you some time estimates. I caught them on a Monday about mid-day in July. They also run freight on the western part of the line on an as needed basis. Right now the cement shuttle is powered by M&E C-424 #4228 and any freight out of the decommission Maine Yankee plant or other interchange traffic with Guilford at Brunswick is handled by a leased GP15-1 in Conrail blue. There also is a former CN M-420 at Rockland for back-up power, but I have heard conflicting reports as to whether it operates or not.

Sandy