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NOTICE: Due to adverse weather conditions, train service on the Mountain Extension will not be offered on Mon. 10/13.
Also, a diesel (rather than steam) locomotive may pull some trips to Top of Mountain station (and SeaLyon Farm.)

Coach 9: Oct 9, 2025 Update

Last month, we reported on the installation of the windows for coach 9. This required replicating the hardware used to operate the windows, hardware that is no longer commercially available. The new hardware was made by the investment casting, or lost wax, process. Examine the photos for details on this process.

First, original hardware was removed from one window in coach 3. This included a handle to lift the window, a latch to hold the window, and a finger pull to open the clerestory screens. Ron Ginger took the parts to his home shop and cleaned off the old varnish and crud.
Silicone molds were made of each item.
The rubber molds were injected with molten wax from a small, pressurized wax pot. Fifty waxes were made of each part, enough for all the windows, as well as for the restoration of the windows in coach 3, plus a few spares.

The waxes were taken to the Hildebran foundry in Brownfield, Maine. Once cast, the foundry bead blasted the parts to clean them.
New Parts! Latches and related hardware has been crafted for Coach 9 being built at the WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine.
Ron received about 350 castings from the foundry based on the wax parts. A few parts were lost due to minor defects in the wax that the foundry caught. Ron gave the parts a final polishing to get a better shine using scotchbrite wheels in a Dremel rotary tool.
Each window latch required a small spring to operate. A jig to bend the spring was made to simplify construction. You can see the spring in the latch at the bottom of the photo.
Parts that needed to be replicated only once or twice were cut and milled in Ron’s shop, a time consuming process. Here we see the latches to the transom doors, with an original latch at the top of the photo.

We are well underway in our efforts to unlock a matching grant of $16,000 furnished by the Narrow Gauge Preservation Foundation. Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar, so any help you can provide will be doubled in effectiveness.

Remember, we need a total of $120,000 to Finish Coach 9 to the Nines! These expenses include paying for the $30,000 paint, varnish, and gold leaf finish, chandeliers (at $3500 each), seats ($850 each), Miller Safety Platform and coupling system, Wood’s Safety Gates, passenger trucks with vacuum brakes, hat racks, and many other final details. If support is not received, this project is in danger of stalling – so please help if you are able to do so.

Thanks for your continued support and interest in the WW&F!
The Coach 9 Team

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New Parts! Latches and related hardware has been crafted for Coach 9 being built at the WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine.

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