Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington Railway: 2020 Annual Picnic: 8/7 & 8/2020

[@mainecoastrailfan]

9:52 encapsulates how awesome this railroad is

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

Truly is a special place in New England Railroading, you just can’t find another place that throws you back in time like the WWF does!

[@WWFRailway]

Minor typo - the S curve is known as "Cockeye Curve" which is a holdover from the railroad's historic operations. It is the site of one of the wrecks on the historic line, resulting in the permanent speed restriction (southbound) that is adhered to today.

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

Thanks for the correction! Will fix! If I’m not mistaken, this is where 8 wrecked, resulting in the closure of the railroad yes?

[@WWFRailway]

@@merrimacksacoproductions4497 No - that was in Whitefield, just south of the iron bridge.

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

WW&F Railway Museum good to know, I’ve heard some sources say it was Cockeye, glad to get that cleared up!

[@WWFRailway]

@@merrimacksacoproductions4497 A recently-published book on the History of Maine Railroads confused and combined the Mason's wreck (which occurred at the Trout Brook bridge) and the wreck of locomotive 8 in Whitefield that ended the railroad - so no worries!

[@jacobramsey7624]

@@WWFRailway does the ww&f railway musam have the ability to pick up a reck or a derailment if one occurs?

[@railjunction]

Another great job! Steve

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

railjunction thank you Steve! Got another video coming out soon, I’m hoping later tonight if all goes to plan!

[@jacobramsey7624]

Great video! Does anyone know how ww&f No. 10 is comming along? Also how far beyond the poney truss bridge the tracks go?

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

Jacob Ramsey thank you! And as far as I know, it’s still awaiting a boiler, I’m sure someone at the WWFRy is more knowledgeable on the subject, and from what I could see, the tracks curve to the left looking north, not too far past the bridge. Following that it’s a short distance to Route 218, whether they’ll cross the road or install a runaround there before where the crossing would be I’m unsure of.

[@jacobramsey7624]

@@merrimacksacoproductions4497 ok thanks for the information. I saw a map of there track plan by the road and it shows a station, runaround track and a turn table on the same side of the road there currently on. Crossing the road could be a problem from what i hear.

[@WWFRailway]

Great video! Thanks M&SP for sharing it. We riveted the smokebox for #10 last week. Work is starting up again, and it is our intention to build the boilers for #10 and #11 side-by side over the coming months. The rails end a few thousand feet past the bridge, within sight of Route 218. A passing siding and turntable are planned, along with a station to serve Midcoast Conservancy's Trout Brook Preserve, which the railroad runs through. The turntable will be designed to be removed in the future, should there be an effort to cross Route 218 in the future; however, there are no plans to do so at this time. The only "problem" with crossing the road is really cost. It would also place the WW&F under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration, whose oversight would add another level of complexity and bureaucracy to the operation.

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

From what I’ve heard, if they cross 218, or any public road for that matter, they’ll be under the jurisdiction of the FRA, that and from what I hear, there’s a nature conservancy, which will also make it difficult to get trackage rights past the 218 crossing.

[@WWFRailway]

@@merrimacksacoproductions4497 FRA - yes. We own the right of way across the street. With the Mountain Extension, we worked closely with Midcoast Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Town of Alna to ensure that the railroad was constructed in full compliance of all applicable regulations and with the support of all concerned parties. The right-of-way across 218 would be subject to the same sort of environmental considerations - but certainly something that is achievable - IF there is an effort to extend the railroad further to the north.

[@charonsferryold]

Man, they can get that little thing going pretty fast!

[@merrimacksacoproductions4497]

She’s rumored to have been capable of 60 mph, now of course the current WWFRY have no plans to ever put that to truth, but historically, I’ve heard stories of 9 hauling 30 car trains when she was on the Sandy River RR and Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, as well as 40 mph running speed, I’d imagine this was with lighter trains to be running at such speed. Cockeye Curve has had a speed limit of 25 mph for wrecks caused by over speeding on the original RR. I’ve heard there was plenty of friendly competition to see who could do the mail run the quickest and so on, either way you look at it though, for a locomotive from 1891, she still has plenty of spirit.