Our latest Build 11 work session was held on March 25-27. Rick Sisson assisted by Bob Longo and Quentin Bethune fabricated the “fire ring” that we will use to heat the driving wheel tires during installation planned for our Spring Work Weekend. Our design is scaled up from the fire ring we built to install…

Read More…

Our latest Build 11 work session was held on February 18 – 20. Brendan Barry and Jason Lamontagne picked up driving wheels, axles and counterweights from Mountain Machine Works in Auburn, Maine and transported them to Millinocket Fabrication and Machine on Tuesday where they were joined by Quentin Bethune and Rick Sisson. Preliminary inspection of…

Read More…

The WW&F’s latest Build 11 work session was held on January 14 – 16. We’ve completely assembled the lead truck (less springs) and equalizer components, continued to machine small and large components and are closing in on tramming the shoes and wedges. We finally received the clevises which, along with the threaded rod, connect the…

Read More…

We apologize for the delayed “11th of the month” update for you, our most dedicated Build 11 donors. We switched giving platforms to “Zeffy” which required a few extra days of preparation, but will allow us to more effectively conduct fundraising and ticketing, while saving the museum thousands of dollars in processing fees. Thus, your…

Read More…

Here’s a video look-back on the progress made on the locomotive during 2024. The crew has been hard at work over the past 12 months and we are inching closer to making a concept into a reality. In 2025 we have ambitious goals. We’ve been challenged to raise $60,000 by an anonymous donor who will…

Read More…

Here’s a video quick video illustrating the swing motion action of the front pony truck of Locomotive 11. Thank You for Your Support We appreciate all contributions to the Build 11 project – together we are making what was considered an impossible dream a reality. Please consider helping by contributing on our donations page at www.build11.org.…

Read More…

The WW&F Build 11 volunteers have been as busy as Santa constructing our new steam locomotive! Hark, that’s Harold riveting! Gordon Cook has been making 3-D models of the various components for locomotive 11. Here is a full rendering. Now if Santa could only bring us a big enough 3-D printer, we’d be done with…

Read More…

Our latest Build 11 work session was held October 11 -14 coincident with the WW&F Ry Fall Work Weekend. On Saturday, Joe and Jay Monty manned the torches to heat the transverse equalizer so that we could form the “ears” on each end. Rick Sisson, Bill Steussey, Joseph Gilbert, and Joe and Jay drove our…

Read More…

We’ve been cooking up a brand new steam locomotive! Here we are heating the lead truck equalizer during our Aug 13-15th work session. Gordon Cook, Harold Downey and Rick Sisson again used our flanging machine to form the “ears” at the end of the lead truck equalizer. Harold had prepared the end of the equalizer…

Read More…

Today, we are pleased to announce a major donation towards the completion of WW&F Locomotive 11, a new-build reconstruction of WW&F no. 7, which was scrapped in the 1930s. Two lifetime fans of the Maine two-footers, Gordon Fay and George Bartholomew, have pledged $15,000 to get the Build 11 project on track for completion. This…

Read More…

Our latest Build 11 work session was held July 9 -11, 2024. Gordon Cook, Harold Downey and Rick Sisson spent a great deal of time preparing the main equalizer pedestals for installation. These components are located on the forward frame and support the main equalizers which pivot about a 2” pin. We then turned our…

Read More…

Build 11 team members Gordon and Rick were working on the locomotive today, so instead of a detailed written progress report, see for yourself how the project is progressing! Learn more and contribute at: www.build11.org Thanks for your continued support and interest in the WW&F!The Build 11 Team

Read More…

Here is a somewhat tardy report from the Build 11 work session that was held June 8 -11. Quentin Bethune and Gordon Cook heat shrunk the previously machined sleeves onto the second axle on Saturday. Quentin then machined both sleeves on the axle. Both rear truck axles are now ready to receive wheels. On Sunday…

Read More…

The team building locomotive 11 have been hard at work over the last several days, so a formal work update will be coming soon. Here’s a sneak preview of the accomplishments this month – one of the tender truck wheels being fitted to its axle! Learn more and contribute at: www.build11.org Thanks for your continued…

Read More…

Our last Build 11 work session was held April 25 – 28 during our Spring Work Weekend. Between sessions Harold Downey has continued working on the rear truck frame – the arch bars and journal boxes have been bolted in. We plan to prime all the components before final assembly. Quentin Bethune brought back the…

Read More…

A springtime snowstorm did not slow down our progress this month; an abbreviated Build 11 team was back for our April 3-5 work session. Between sessions Harold Downey continued assembly of the rear truck frame. Gordon Cook spent part of the day Wednesday working on locomotive 9’s injector with Roger Whitney and Jason Lamontagne. Later…

Read More…

The Build 11 team was back for our March 5-7 work session. We had a number of team members working on projects during the March 5-7 work session: Harold Downey and Rick Sisson used our flanger to complete all the bending operations described in the captions. Harold also machined the 180 degree bends to finished dimensions.…

Read More…

The Build 11 team was back for our February 4-6 work session. Harold Downey, Joe Monty and Rick Sisson completed hot bending the lead truck pedestals using our flanging machine. The shorter bends were performed during the January work session. These components will be machined to ready them for assembly. Meanwhile, Harold finished machining the…

Read More…

The Build 11 team, after enjoying a holiday break, was back at it again during our January 2-4 work session. Quentin Bethune completed polishing the first rear truck axle journal bearing surfaces using a tool post grinder generously donated by Noah MacAdam. Meanwhile, Gordon Cook, Rick Sisson and Jason Lamontagne completed installation of the lead…

Read More…

December 2023 Update We have more progress to report during our November 13-15 work session. We accomplished quite a lot during this work session and we’re taking a break in December to enjoy the holidays. But we’ll be back at it in January. Stay tuned for our next update. But first…. WE DID IT!! Our…

Read More…

December 31, 2022: 2022 Goal Exceeded! Thank You. Thank you to our friends, followers, and supporters of the Build 11 Campaign. On January 11, 2022, we set out the most ambitious fundraising goal of the campaign – $70,000. Through your efforts, that goal was exceeded – raising nearly $85,000 (including a $25,000 match from the…

Read More…

December 2021 Update On Nov. 30 and December 1, a four-man crew including Jason Lamontagne, Gordon Cook, Rick Sisson and new volunteer Eric Snyder completed flanging the throat sheet for No. 10. This work included forming the knuckle by hand, using wooden mallets to form the final curve over a die. The flanging machine was…

Read More…

December 2020 Update There is some great news about the Build No. 11 Project this month. First and foremost, our FundRazr has reached and surpassed its goal of $17,000, thanks many donations from members and friends far and near. Nevertheless, if you want to contribute, you still have about three weeks to do so. We’ll…

Read More…