Quick Details
Board the concert train at Sheepscot station for a steam-powered ride through the wild pine forests, farmlands and hamlets of the Sheepscot Valley to Alna Center where music, food, and fun awaits.
We’ve invited some of the regions best-loved entertainers for afternoons filled with stories and song. Enjoy the onsite food, or pack a snack for a memorable afternoon! After the music concludes the train will return you back to Sheepscot.
Ticket price includes the steam train ride, concert admission (general seating on benches, or bring your own chair) as well as parking at Sheepscot. Note that passengers requiring extra assistance may have difficulty navigating the platforms and stairs at Alna Center. Well-behaved dogs are allowed at the discretion of the Conductor.
Trains for Music on the Railway depart Sheepscot station (97 Cross Road, Alna) promptly at 2pm and return by 4:45pm.
Music on the Railway concerts are held rain or shine under the WW&F’s unique pavilion nestled in the trees at Alna Center.
We look forward to seeing you on the narrow gauge!
Little Wishbone is an old-time string band that combines the forces of local bands (and prior Music on the Railway performers) Green Heron and Old Hat Stringband. Your toes will be tapping before you even know what hit you — and dancing is encouraged!
What began as two seasoned songwriters showing up for weekly creative check-ins evolved into a fresh musical collaboration. Emilia Dahlin and Sorcha Cribben-Merrill join their jazz vocal harmonies with the poetry of folk music, while honoring vintage rhythms and their stylistic origins. Their songs unveil mesmerizing tales, charming vignettes, and raw bluesy grooves as they swap guitars, accordion, drums, and vocal improvisations.
Joining forces on stage, they embody what is possible when two musicians support each other through challenges of “going it alone” in the work of launching new projects, sustaining creative partnerships, and aligning their values with their work. Fueled by their Wednesday morning “creative accountability sessions,” removing barriers to their creative process made space for this special duo.
Emilia has toured through the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Europe. Known for memorable performances, Emilia garnered national awards, from Telluride Troubadour, Winner of the Starbucks Music Makers Competition, Winner of Boston Music Conference Songwriting Competition, and the Great Waters Songwriting Contest.
Sorcha has opened for Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner, folk music icon Tom Rush, and celebrated cellist/multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops). She has won over audiences at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Emerging Artist), Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, ME, and The State Theatre in Portland, ME.
Food Available
We are pleased to be hosting these local vendors to provide delicious, unique offerings during each Music on the Railway concert.
Aug 11: Reggae Eats
Sept. 8: Vintage Dogs & Tap Truck 207…
Tap Truck 207 – Sept 8th ONLY
Tap Truck 207 is the classiest mobile bar in Maine and sure to make the unforgettable. Tap Truck 207 is a vintage ’57 Chevy panel truck, equipped with a state-of-the-art refrigeration system and 6 taps to deliver your preferred beverages in style. Equipped with two nitro taps and four CO2 taps this mobile bar in a classic vintage truck is set up to serve craft beer, craft cocktails, wine, coffee drinks, and other non-alcoholic drinks.
About Music on the Railway Concerts
Each Music on the Railway concert features a unique combination of Maine’s history, trains, and music. Guests depart promptly at 2:00pm from the WW&F Railway Museum (97 Cross Road, Alna, Maine) for a 10-15 minute jaunt on a historic narrow gauge steam train to another station on the line, Alna Center. Alna Center is a secluded spot which is not (generally) accessible by automobile but features a large event pavilion with bench seating under which the concert takes place. (Some passengers elect to bring their own lawn chairs.) The train then disappears into the distance leaving guests with the music and whatever other special surprises may be present (such as a food truck, lawn games in the adjacent field, etc.) Around time for intermission, the steam train chugs back into the station, which allows visitors to get up close to the locomotive if they so wish while the band takes a break to interact with the crowd. Once the concert concludes (usually around 4:30pm) the Conductor cries “All Aboard!” and everyone returns to the main museum campus where the displays, railroad yard and gift shop are typically still open for anyone who chooses to peruse them. Railroad buffs (or just those curious) are welcome to watch the crews as they turn the locomotive on the turntable, put the day’s railroad cars back into their homes, and “dump the fire”.
Caboose Adventure
Ride to the Music on the Railway concert in your very own caboose! Bring your family (or small group) for unique experience on the narrow gauge railroad. Your group (of up to 15 people) gets exclusive access to the “little red caboose” on the WW&F railway during the trip to and from the concert at Alna Center. And yes, you can ride “up top” in the cupola (although adults will need to watch their heads!) Cost is $265 (which includes admission to the concert and being seated completely separately from other passengers during the train ride.)
Weather and Cancellations
Each Music on the Railway Concert will run rain or shine – and is held under our spacious outdoor event pavilion (please dress accordingly.) If extreme weather is predicted, all passengers will be notified via email or phone, and given the option to reschedule or receive a full refund. Out of fairness to the dedicated musicians who make these concerts possible, tickets for this event are not refundable except in cases of extreme weather, or extraordinary extenuating circumstances.
Passes, Vouchers and Discounts
We will be pleased to honor passes redeemed as the base portion of the train fare for this Music on the Railway concert. Upon checkout, please select the appropriate discount for a Lifetime Pass, an Annual Pass, Alna Resident, or similar pass.