News Update 4 – Loaded!
We Bought the Trains down in Africa! Shipping Update: Ballast Cars On April 17-18, 2024, two ballast “wagons” were loaded at Sandstone Estates – Pty Ltd for shipment to the WW&F, with a third going to our friends at Edaville Family Theme Park. See the photos of the loading process. Fundraising Update: Nearing $10,000! Thanks…
News Update 3 – Gathering Momentum
Thanks to Sara “Ironhorse” Kammeraad continuing to help spread the word on all places social media. In less than three weeks, we’ve raised almost $5700 online! We’re gaining momentum on this project. Shipping Update: Ballast Cars The shipping company and Sandstone Estates are currently in the process of making arrangements to load the cars,…
News Update 2 – $5000 in Two Weeks!
Wow! In just two weeks we’ve raised over $5000! While just a drop in the bucket hopper, this is an amazing start to bring these hoppers from South Africa to the WW&F. Thank you to all who have contributed so far. Please help by spreading the word on social media – even just “liking”…
News Update 1 – Spreading the Word!
Thanks to Sara “Ironhorse” Kammeraad for helping spread the word on all places social media. And also to our friends at Railfan & Railroad magazine for announcing this campaign to their readers: https://railfan.com/wwf-to-purchase-narrow-gauge-south-african-ballast-hoppers/ In just a week, we’ve raised almost $2500 online! Can we double that by the end of the month?
Campaign Launched!
Today, March 20, 2024, the WW&F Railway is officially launching the Bring Trains to Maine up from Africa fundraising campaign to purchase and transport two ballast hoppers from Sandstone Estates in So. Africa. Please help us by spreading the word about this unique opportunity to be part of a world-wide narrow gauge movement. We promise…
Museum Milestones for January, February, and March 2021
Top of the Mountain: Cutting crews cleared trees from areas west of the mainline, in order to clear spaces for a planned shingle mill and saw mill. Shop Upgrades: The machine shop has been upgrades throughout the last year, and this continued into the new year. The Museum took ownership of a Lodge & Shipley lathe, and…
Museum Milestones for October, November, and December, 2020
Pavilion: the event pavilion at Alna Center was completed on December 26, which included roofing, reinforcement, and some side boards near the top and on the ends. Public Operations: October saw very popular Pumpkin Trains to Top of Mountain station, where passengers were met with tractor-drawn wagons to take them to SeaLyon Farm for pumpkin picking. Passengers…
Museum Milestones for July, August, and September 2020
Mountain Extension: Ballast trains continued in July, ending up putting down an initial layer of ballast on the new track. The ballast keeps the track in place. Re-opening: The Museum officially reopened to the public on August 7, 2020, with an evening trip to Milepost 8, just before the Trout Brook Bridge (made possible by the ballasting). …
Museum Milestones for April, May, and June 2020
One would think that due to all the closures, that there would be no progress this quarter. One would be wrong. While it is true that all public train operations and events were canceled, some progress was made on a few fronts. Car Barn Extension: The extension construction picked up again at the end of March,…
Museum Milestones for January, February, March 2020
Alna Center Pavilion: A portion of the pavilion was erected and roofed during the quarter. Car Barn Extension: The extension generally was dormant due to life events, but work on it resumed in March. The walls were framed for windows. Grand Reunion Photo Events: Two “Grand Reunion” photo events were held, in January and February, bringing together all…
Museum Milestones for October, November, and December 2019
The Mountain Extension: at the Fall Work Weekend, track laying brought the head of track over the Trout Brook Bridge and within a few hundred feet of Maine Rt 218. #9 steamed across the bridge on Sunday and Monday. There was some ballasting that was done in November. Alna Center Pavilion: a pavilion donated from Maine Maritime…
Museum Milestones for July, August, and September 2019
The Narrow Gauge Collaboration with Maine Narrow Gauge Museum kicked into high gear, with many of the pieces of the collection being delivered to the WW&F: SR&RL coach 19 (in need of restoration and is being temporarily stored here), SR&RL parlor car Rangeley, SR&RL combination 14, B&SR coach 16 Mount Pleasant, B&SR caboose 32, Monson RR locomotive 4…