John Bradbury
Honored in 2022
If you are familiar with the “Bay One Café”, you have likely known John (Life Member 18 from 1993) with his classic pork pie hat. When there was only Bay 1, John fed the volunteers breakfast and lunch every weekend on a little 4-burner electric stove, conveyed on paper plates in wicker folders. He then pitched in where needed everywhere else. He befriended Harry and Clarissa’s cat Buttercup when a dog threatened family life in Percival House.
John and Elaine Christopher
Honored in 2020
(Bio in process)
Alan Fisher
Honored in 2021
Allan’s contributions to the WW&F go back to the earliest days with Harry Percival. Until his move to California in 2009, he was involved in every imaginable way, including purchase of rolling stock from Edaville, contributing to publications about the railroad, and generating the selling power behind our Museum store. And these are the tip of the iceberg.
Wayne Laepple
Honored in 2022
Deceased (2023)
Wayne (Life Member since 2000) was an amazing contributor over many years. Even from Pennsylvania, he promoted us with articles throughout the railroad preservation community. He singlehandedly negotiated our acquisition of Wilmar, the tamper from Australia. His projects included the acquisition of No. 53 (our future diesel workhorse), and serving on the Build 11 core team.
Steve Lennox
Honored in 2023
Steve has been a fearless, super-active member of the weekday crew for many years. His stories about his experiences as a Marine, police officer, etc. (and etc.) have been legendary to those of us privileged to hear them. And his exploits — he’ll climb anywhere to do anything — during weekday work sessions are spectacular. Then he took on the role as roadmaster and led a highly organized and productive corps of volunteers that has prioritized critical and ongoing track building and maintenance. His motto should be a beacon for us all: “At the end of the day, when we leave the railroad, we leave it a little better and a little safer.”
Fred Morse
Honored in 2019 as an Inaugural Legacy Honoree
Deceased (2023)
Anyone who spent as much as an hour volunteering met Fred, who no doubt introduced himself before a new volunteer had even shut their car door. Fred was our greatest ambassador. When he was a bit younger, he was the first to fire up a chainsaw, weed whacker or log splitter. As he got older, he grabbed a chair and motivated our crews. In addition to volunteering more than 20,000 hours to the Museum over 28 years, Fred (and his wife Sharron) donated building materials, equipment (his John Deere tractor, Dodge pickup and many, many small tools), and funds. He jumped at loaning money for some of our real estate purchases. His largest donation was funding much of the engine house, which was dedicated to
his and Sharron’s memory. There is no way that Fred’s contributions to the Museum or what he meant to all who knew and volunteered with him can be overstated. Fred will continue to live in all of our hearts.
Bill Reidy
Honored in 2023
Bill has been making the three-hour drive to Sheepscot from Massachusetts for over 20 years. That alone is remarkable! He has done many different on-the-ground and off-site tasks, and has never turned down a request to help the railway. He even picks up a weedwhacker when he sees brush cutting is needed. He crews trains as needed when here, mostly as conductor, but also as brakeman, switchman, or whatever. And then, after all of that for so many years, he took on the immense task of WW&F Newsletter editor. The recent issues are a testament to his creativity and dedication.
John and Jane Robertson
Honored in 2019 as Inaugural Legacy Honorees
Deceased (Jane, 2022)
(Bios in process)
Leon Weeks
Honored in 2021
A quiet and soft-spoken friend with a hidden sense of humor, many of us best know Leon as the one who built our Model T railcar in his garage. His loyal and strong volunteer presence over many years (especially now with the crews during the week) has significantly contributed to many successful WW&F projects and advancements. He also contributes his time and craftmanship to the Maine Forest and Logging Museum.
Dwight Winkley
Honored in 2019 as an Inaugural Legacy Honoree
Deceased (2022)
(Bio in process)
Gordon and Elizabeth Davis
Honored in 2021
A former long-term member of the Board, Gordon and his wife Elizabeth continued to serve a key role as “mail clerk” until just this fall. This sounds trivial but it’s not. It’s a critical back-office role that they perfected and managed for many years. They also provide major support duties to our ongoing fund-raising and development efforts. Their quiet contributions over the years cannot be overestimated.
Dana Deering
Honored in 2022
Dana (Life Member since 1997) is practically synonymous with WW&F track work—a spike maul in hand supervising the track gang. Their spiking during the critical, urgent Mountain Extension track laying is legendary. He is most often seen lying on the roadbed lining new rails with his critical eye. And at work weekend gatherings, who can ever forget “Gagnon—World Champeen Moose Collaire”?
Mike Fox
Honored in 2020
Since joining the Museum in 2005, Mike has been restoring and repairing our excavators and bulldozers, plus creating new inventions such as the ROWMOW1 right-of-way mower. He has served on the museum’s board since 2017. In addition to his roles as Superintendent of Grounds, chief mechanical officer for off-rail vehicles and as membership chairman, he is a qualified brakeman and diesel engineer.
Ed Lecuyer
Honored in 2022
Ed (Life Member since 2002) is visibly best known now as our energetic (and hassled) General Passenger Agent and dispatcher for nearly all train operations. Always willing to do whatever it takes to get it done, he even moved to Maine just to be closer to the railroad. He is a natural comedic, but welcoming, performer when announcing train activities to passengers. Not bad for just a software programmer, a talent that happens to be very useful in his management of the WW&F web site.
John McNamara
Honored in 2019 as an Inaugural Legacy Honoree
(Bio in process)
James Patten
Honored in 2021
A volunteer since way back when, James has been everywhere on the railroad whenever there is need for volunteer assistance. Find any photos of our WW&F, and James is usually in the middle. He is an uber railfan, especially of railroads in Colorado and Pennsylvania. Further, James is the WW&F Treasurer and is responsible for the meticulous financial reporting that enables the Board to make wise and innovative decisions.
Stewart and Cindy Rhine
Honored in 2020
(Bios in process)
Joe Ruzyckij
Honored in 2020
(Bio in process)
Roger Whitney
Honored in 2019 as an Inaugural Legacy Honoree
Roger has served on the museum’s Board of Directors since 1988 and is presently clerk of the corporation. In addition to his leadership to our steam crews, Roger served previously as membership secretary and editor of the newsletter.
Zack Wyllie
Honored in 2019 as an Inaugural Legacy Honoree
(Bio in process)
Steve Zuppa
Honored in 2022
Steve (Life Member from 1994) made significant contributions as president through building strong relationships with Wiscasset (the Turner Centre Dairying Association car exhibit), Alna and other nearby communities. Over the years, his knowledge of carpentry saved us many hours of head-scratching. And of course, he was of great assistance to Santa Claus himself during our Victorian Christmas events!
About the Award
Since our founding in 1989, volunteers have been both the pilots and the engine room crew of the WW&F Railway Museum. 30 years after our humble beginnings, we instituted the The Harry and Clarissa Percival Honoree Award (commonly referred to as the Percival Award) to recognize our most treasured volunteers in a “Hall of Fame” that is named after our late founder, Harry Percival and his wife, Clarissa. Since Harry would have never accepted such recognition, we instead named the award in his family’s honor.
We honor these volunteers for their selfless dedication to the mission and vision set forth by our founder. Their names are not only displayed on our museum campus, they are inscribed in the very fabric of the railway.
Selection Criteria
Honorees are considered for the Percival Award for their:
- Years of service;
- Hours of service;
- Contributions of skills and labor;
- Legacy of contribution;
- Impact on the forward progress of our Museum; and
- Other intangibles.
Volunteers who also serve as paid contractors to the museum are not eligible for the Percival Award while filling that role.