Shay from West Virginia and Kentucky on display at Biddeford, Maine. Rest of the attraction had a Great Northern theme, which I never understood. Is this place still open?

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo=2004061121254631038.jpg&bydate%3A12
ryarger@rypn.org

bob,

Thr folks who operated the Biddeford Station, I am told were simply Great Northern fans and chose that as the theme for their operation.

I believe that I also read here yjat the Shay and a Diesel were sold when the y closed, but the building is still standing.

It has been a couple of yrars. One good thing, they published some great post cards!

Ted Miles

ted_miles@nps.gov

The last time I was there, the Shay was still on a display pedestal. A Great Northern diner sat low, behind a building. A very nasty guard dog was guarding the few pieces of equipment still on the property, one of which was an industrial diesel.

The SHay looks fair, but her smokebox is rotten, shot, kaput, etc. The corrosion damage is extremely serious. How far that has gotten into her other works is unknown. Somebody should buy her though. I think a place with expertise and a decent shop could make a usable locomotive from her. Maine winters are severe on static railroad displays.


glueck@maine.edu

I discovered a small 2 foot gauge railroad on Google Earth when looking at the Shay located there. Based on old RYPN postings, there is some evidence that the original owner of the property was affliated with Seashore Trolley Museum, but that the project he planned with them never came to fruition. I know the property was transacted and is now an electrical supply company but the most recent imagery (2011) on Google Earth suggests the short rail line and equipment are still onsite.

Does anyone have any information about who owns this now and what its status is?

Thanks
Craig Brinkman

This long gone 2-ft gauge operation was called "Biddeford Station."

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 20Railroad

http://photos.nerail.org/show/?order=by ... 20Railroad

Thanks for the photos.

Unless I am somehow misreading the aerial data in Google Earth, the 2 foot locomotive, cars and track shown in the photo links are still clearly visible at the original site in Google Earth:

43°27'38.11"N, 70°29'24.63"W

I checked the imagery dates and the 2010 aerials show the fenced in area quite clearly...2011 photos are poor resolution but I can still make out the equipment, discretely enclosed, away from the public.

Any additional information would be appreciated.

Craig Brinkman

The tourist railroad was called the "Great Northern Narrow Gauge Railroad" and I think it is still in a defunct state, for the most part. It was listed in the Steam Locomotive Directory or whatever they called that tourist train guidebook in later years. Somehow the guy who invested his fortunes in the operation moved one or two standard gauge Great Northern cars to Maine. I always wondered the reasoning for that - perhaps it was shipped to the wrong Portland and he just set up operation near the Atlantic shore.

One of those little shays is restored and operational on a private RR in PA. I think some engines of the same dimensions were used in Colorado, and another was built to ultra-narrow 500mm gauge.

http://www.shaylocomotives.com/data/lima3354/sn-2530.htm

The gentleman who was involved with this was associated (member?) of Seashore Trolley Museum. If I recall correctly, the location was at or adjacent to the far end of Seashore's unused right-of-way.

The last time I saw the Shay, it look pretty good overall. The underside of the smokebox had been corroded away, and covered with sheet metal.

Here are a couple of photos' a friend of mine took of this engine about 12 years ago.





Phil Randall
Kaufman TX.

I live but a few miles from this Shay. I can take current pics if they are wanted by anyone. I am quite sure that a 2ft diesel critter from this railroad was purchased by the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad. It was operational for a time but is currently parked and not functional.

Bob

Bob

It would be great to get current pictures of the Shay and, if possible, pictures of the collection of 2 foot equipment stored in the fenced area in front of the building. I am most interested in what remains of this operation, as it appears that it is largely intact, with the possible exception of the critter you mentioned.

Craig Brinkman
www.arpcp.org

Craig,
I took some pics of the Shay this morning. It's in pretty tough shape. The cab is plywood. The fenced in area is posted so I did not get photos of that. There appears to be a diesel critter with maybe 4 cars. They appear to be more of the amusement/park size. Much smaller than Maine 2fters. Maybe 2 were open bench seating tram style with roofs.
Really can't see much via drive by.
Can't seem to post pics here....I can email them to you if you contact me.

Bob

Based on my personal inspection, with permission, several years ago, there appears to be left on site the following:
a 4 wheel diesel critter similar to the WW&F #52.
2 Chance (Crown?) 24" coaches
a Fairmont motor car converted to 2' as well as a matching trailer.
The diner went to Ohio as previously noted.

Some videos of the sister shay in steam on the Foster Brook and State Line Railroad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5b1RyTTQlM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgOZAr2bbgQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYc2zAcNZfQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Vkr2VFSz0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mX3wdLlEWE