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Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad MuseumCelebrating Two-Foot Railroading History in Maine |
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Starting in the latter part of the 19th century, Maine had a unique system of railroads that ran on rail only two feet apart. From the 1870s until the 1940s, some 200 miles of narrow gauge lines served many of Maine's smaller communities. Eventually there were five of these railways:
- Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes (1879-1935)
- Bridgton and Saco River (1881-1941)
- Monson (1883-1943)
- Kennebec Central (1890-1929)
- Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington (1894-1933)
Transporting both passengers and freight, they were the smallest narrow gauge common carrier railroads in the United States. They connected the less populated rural areas of Maine with the larger cities and thus were an important part of the economic development of the interior of Maine.
hartered in 1993, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company & Museum operates over a mile of 2-foot gauge trackage along a former Canadian National Railroad right-of-way in the harbor of Portland, Maine.
The museum has a large collection of historic equipment from Maine's narrow gauge railways, rostering four narrow gauge steamers, a General Electric industrial switcher, and a variety of 2-foot gauge rolling stock both original and reproduction. The museum has become a popular visitor attraction for the greater Portland area, surpassing over 55,000 visitors annually through a variety of special events and attractions. It is a participant in the Maine Transportation Trail, an association of museums that have antique transportation vehicles among their collection.
MNGRM map / collection
collection
1992 tourist train guide ad / collection
1998 tourist train guide ad / collection
Motive Power
Maine Narrow Gauge Rwy Museum #1
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Maine Narrow Gauge Rwy Museum #1
to Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Jul 2006 / RWH
Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Rolling Stock
Maine Narrow Gauge Rwy Museum #12
wooden coach / Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Sandy River & Rangely Lakes
wooden combine caboose / Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Location
MNGRM overhead / Google Maps
Click to see the museum area plotted on a Google Maps page
Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Ride
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Portland, Me / Jul 2006 / RWH
Publications
collection
2006 tourist train guide ad / collection
collection
postcard / collection
Mention "narrow-gauge steam railroading" to this Louisiana-boy and immediately I'm thinking of sugar plantations and backwoods lumber mills.
But a Southerner like me can sure grow fond of Maine narrow-gauge operations, and thank the heavens there is still plenty of it to sample--in operation, no less!
I fell in love with the Portland museum the moment I ventured out on their line and noticed the former standard-gauge trackage all reworked for new rails, with the full-length ties still in place!
Now that's using what you have, and using it well. Indeed, there's almost room for double-track running!
Steam was not in operation during the season of our visit, but the unusually thin switcher made nice work of the trek along the Portland shoreline.
The caboose-combine and swayback coach were real treats, and the volunteer crew took time to demonstrate the finer points of uncoupling and coupling a gurgling GE industrial goat.
A good day was had by all in the warm summer sun.
Links / Sources
- Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum website
- Wikipedia article for Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
