I clearly recall reading an article in Trains back in the 1980s, about a little old lady who had a SR&RL steam engine in a shed on her farm, something her dad had bought decades ago, and how the author and some buddies went out there to winch it into the daylight to re-lay track under it.
What the heck ever became of that engine?

After Alice Ramsdell died (about 12 years ago?), the engine was moved to Maine, to the WW&F. Mr. Hussar (who is an RyPN regular) should have much more detailed info than I do-- hope he see this and fills in the blanks!

I wonder how Alice would react to the "L.O.L." designation-- she was a real old time "Yankee" who ran the farm by herself (like milking the cows by hand, etc.) until her 90s.

The lady in question was the late Alice Ramsdell. Her heir has leased the locomotive (SRRR #5/SR&RL #6/KC #4/WW&F #9) to the WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine. The rebuilding of the locomotive for operation is expected to begin this year.

For more information, check out URL:

http://www.wwfry.org

Best Regards,
Glenn[/url]

WW&F Ry Museum founder, the late Harry Percival, Jr., had been in contact with Alice for many years. He would travel to Connecticut with the intention of working on the equipment, flatcar 118, boxcar 309 and of course WW&F #9. But as Harry put it, he'd end up working around the farm with Alice more than anything else! She eventually let Harry bring the flatcar to Maine for restoration -the other pieces followed after her death in 1994. I think some of the current members of the museum actually travelled to CT with Harry on these expeditions and can provide more details.

My first contact with #9 was around 1970. My father was modeling the Maine 2-footers and had written to Alice asking if he could come and take some photos. She agreed. I can still remember quite clearly being in absolute awe when she swung open the shed doors revealing the locomotive. I'm quite sure the thought never crossed my mind that I might someday have the opportunity to help in some small way with her restoration -nevermind see her run in Maine!

It occurs to me that if there were to be an intermural 'Railway Preservation HALL OF FAME' Ms Ramsdell and her family deserve to be Fellows there of. As I understand it, the primary reason that the equipment was not sent to a museum prior to her death was that she felt an obligation to insure that it was preserved properly and not left to rust and rot by a well meaning group with good intentions and insufficient assets.

GME

Stephen's story is a classic, and one that historians love to acknowledge and repeat; the little old lady who has an old trolley, loco, coach, airplane, locked in a shed. The miracle is, of course, that all this is true. When people resist the idea of a locomotive at the bottom of a quarry, I always go back in my mind to the story of #9. All that being said, tell me what would have happened to the locomotive has Mrs. Ramsdell died before the locomotives fate was secured? Anyone remember Paulsen Spence?
The moral of the story is to check it out, assure recovery and act...NOW!

To add my bit, the engine started life as the Sandy River Railroad #5. With the consolidation of the Maine two footers, became the SR&RL #6. Was sold the the Kennebec Central as their #4 and then sold to the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Rwy, and was renumbered to #9.

Ed

And to add one more little tidbit to the story, #9 was THE last locomotive to operate on the railroad in 1933.

As reported in several other posts the locomotive is the Portland built WW&F #9 and several other names.

The TRAINS article "An Appointment with No. 6" by Peter J. Rickershauser was in the August 1983 issue..

The article discribes the preservation and track work that the author and a friend did on the engine in 1974. With a brief update at the time of publication.

I have long been interested in what happened to the author, if Mr. Rickershauser. If he waqs interested in Maine narrow gauge to drive across two states and actually do some work on the engine; then why no more articles? Or I have never seen his unusual name in connection with any of the museums up in Maine that are preserving the five railroads.


Further the last three pieces of equipment that remains at the Edaville, USA Park are going to be sold to one or more of the museums. The intent is to run only modern equipment and place the rest of the historic equipment in a museum where it belongs.

Combine 21 for example is a very nice car. It will need some tender loving care I am sure.

And an Edaville built excursion car will be running this summer at the WW&F Museum to increase passenger capixity on their trains. It is on lease from the Maine aNarrow Gauge Railroad and museum.

Thanks for asking!

Ted Miles

I am afraid that I have to disagree with you on this one. The last engine to operate on the WW&F was the #8, which broke a rail and went down the bank near South Whitefield on June 15, 1933. that did it for the line.

The engine was taken to pieced where it lay over the next few years.

Moneypenny and Ramsdall bought the engine #9 in 1937 and started the events discussed in this thread at that time.

Ted Miles, Member of the WW&F Railway Museum

Yes, Ted -I am familiar with the saga of #8.

As I understand it (from Jason Lamontagne), there was an inspection trip conducted over a portion of the railway subsequent to the 1933 derailment, said inspection trip being taken for the benefit of a prospective purchaser. Since #8 was over the bank as you and Steve Husssar point out, the motive power used was #9. While it had a defect in the tender frame, it was capable of the modest effort of powering the inspection trip. If this was the case, and I have no reason to believe it's not, #9 was in fact the last locomotive to operate over the WW&F.

John McNamara, WW&F Newsletter Editor

John, thanks.

That is my understanding of events as well.

Stephen