GENERAL MUSEUM INFOMATION

The WW&F Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, dedicated to the display and preservation of the two-foot gauge Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway; and its predecessor roads, the WW&F Railroad and the Wiscasset and Quebec Railroad. To that end, we attempt to replicate history as best we can, through the use of steam locomotives, hand signals, and the methods used by people on the original railroad, as much as possible. We are entirely volunteer-run.

The Museum is governed by Bylaws, which specify a 9-person Board of Directors. Board meetings are held every month, usually on the second Saturday of the month beginning at 4:00 PM, and held on Museum grounds. All members are invited to attend the meetings. Board elections are held every year, for 3 of the 9 seats. Officers are elected by the board. The bylaws specify that the first Saturday of May shall be the organization’s Annual Meeting.

We are funded primarily through donations (about 80%) from our members and friends, with the remainder coming in via grants from private foundations, ticket sales, and gift shop sales. We receive no government funding.

Membership is only $35 per year for an annual membership, or $350 for a lifetime membership. Your membership gives you an excellent glossy 8-page bi-monthly newsletter, which allows you to keep track of activities of the volunteers, and an annual fundraising letter. The annual fundraiser helps us every year with Museum expansion. You may either send a check made out to WW&F Railway Museum to our mailing address; or you can do it on-line via the PayPal button at the top of this page (be sure to contact the Membership Secretary to tell him what you’ve done).

We are also currently running the Build 11 campaign, a “social media” fundraiser for the construction of locomotive 11.

Our mission statement is largely the same one that we were founded with in 1989.

The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, Inc., is a non-profit organization established in 1989 to acquire, preserve, and restore the operation of narrow gauge railroads and equipment which operated in the Sheepscot Valley and on other roads and to establish a Museum for the display of artifacts for enlightenment and education of the general public concerning the social and economic impact of railroads on the communities served.

The following Vision statement was generated by the Vision and Strategy Committee and adopted by the Board of Directors in  August 2019. It is meant to present a context by which the organization’s Mission and Values can be achieved.

By offering transportation that employs historically significant equipment and practices, the reconstructed WW&F Railway provides context needed to understand how this railroad has supported the culture, economy, and communities of the Sheepscot Valley in the past, and how it can continue to do so in an authentic manner.

Further, the WW&F Railway Museum maintains an archival library to serve as a public access hub of conservation for the museum and for partnering organizations.

The following Values statement was generated after a survey was sent to the membership in 2015.  After all the results came back, they were reviewed and compiled into the following statements.  You can review the Survey Results Report if you wish to (requires a PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat).

The WW&F Railway Museum values Maine’s History and the role the WW&F played in that history. The remnants, stories, and memories of the original railway and those who had the foresight to preserve them have inspired us to recreate the railway as a tribute to that history.

We value authenticity, so we strive to recreate the original railway’s form and function as closely as possible.

We value knowledge so we offer opportunities to learn new skills and encourage volunteers and visitors to share information with others.

We value the responsibility our members, supporters, and friends have entrusted to us; therefore we endeavor to follow through and complete all established projects.

We value enthusiasm, cooperation, honesty, and openness among our members;  we enjoy the level of camaraderie and community for which we are known.