Hi Folks,

As some of you may know, the WW&F Railway Museum is hosting their Fall Tracklaying session this weekend. The goal this time is to rebuild the remaining 1300' of mainline track to the site of Alna Center station.

I've received an email from Robert Cavanagh, an active WW&F volunteer. Thirty volunteers built 510 feet of new mainline track on Friday 10/10/2003. If this rate of progress can be maintained, this weekend may just mark the first time that Alna Center has seen train service in over 60 years!

The event will run from Friday 10/10 thru Monday 10/13. Please swing by and lend a hand if you can. If not, please wish them well.

Best Regards,
Glenn


http://www.wwfry.org/
christensenge@yahoo.com

Congrats Glenn and the organization! I enjoy keeping tabs on your progress and annual talk with the people at the Amherst show. Wish I was in Maine to lend a hand!

Joshua

FIXED LINK to GTW 0-8-0
joshua@joshuakblay.com

WW&F volumteer Allan Fisher reports the railhead reached Alna Center at 6:00pm on 10/11/2003.

That works out to roughly 800 feet of track laid in one day. IMPRESSIVE!!!

Congratulations!
Glenn


http://www.wwfry.org
christensenge@yahoo.com

Early this morning, an additional 60' was spiked into place bringing the rails slightly past the site of the former station. We paused briefly for this photo,
(and some coffee!) The rest of the day was spent lining, ballasting, and tamping approximately 500 feet leading up to newly constructed Trask crossing.




SJHussar@aol.com

What they have accomplished up in Maine is very impressive, but I've always wondered if some extra hands couldn't be found, not necessarily in the ranks of rail enthusiasts.

One possibility might be found in schools, perhaps establishing some kind of living history experience with willing teachers and administrators. Lets face it, there are thousands of kids who could benefit from a little hard work, leaving them with them less energy to vandalize things.

Another possibility, that was used by some museums in the '80s (though I haven't heard of it lately), was to use low-level offenders (drunk drivers, etc.) for help.

As my own arthritic fingers can no longer handle a spike maul very well, plus the fact that our population is aging overall, I think we'll have to turn to helpers as described above in the future.

ryarger@rypn.org

Folks,

Laying track on roadbed that has been dormant for 70 years is just amazing! I looked over the website and did not see a figure for how much track has been laid down and what the end goal of track milage. I am very curious about these numbers and I think you folks should have those out there for people to see and be very proud of every foot of track laid. Again, what a super job and mucho kudos for your efforts.

Thanks,

Tom

> Another possibility, that was used by some
> museums in the '80s (though I haven't heard
> of it lately), was to use low-level
> offenders (drunk drivers, etc.) for help.

The Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish, WA, has had a lot of work done by "trustees", ie the above low level offenders. Trustees have been used for many tasks from laying track and pulling weeds to cleaning machinery. Several have been professional carpenters and their skills put to full use. They are happy because they get out of the jail for the day and get one day off their sentence for each day spent working. The jailer is happy because he doesn't have to watch them for the day and we are happy for the work done. The biggest problem is the local jail is filling with more of the hard core types. The town budget can't afford to keep the trustees in jail any longer so much of the time they just get turned loose! Currently trustees are only available about one fourth of the time.

shearerd@charter.net

> One possibility might be found in schools,
> perhaps establishing some kind of living
> history experience with willing teachers and
> administrators. Lets face it, there are
> thousands of kids who could benefit from a
> little hard work, leaving them with them
> less energy to vandalize things.

One word: Liability. Some rugrat stubs his toe, and the parents file a shotgun lawsuit. 'Tain't worth it IMHO.

We tried a group of school kids to help with crowd control and docenting a couple years ago. The first batch we got was fantastic, but then they graduated and the rest were only interested in what they saw as free extra credit. Kids with the right interests are hard to scare up, most want to play sports or Nintendo for some strange reason.

> Another possibility, that was used by some
> museums in the '80s (though I haven't heard
> of it lately), was to use low-level
> offenders (drunk drivers, etc.) for help.

We had some help from prison crews for a while. Politics ended that, and the State won't do it any more -- AFAIK all prisoners can do now is pick up trash on the Interstates. I heard a rumour that one of the State beurocrats had a prison crew doing his lawn and the Governor found out, but I don't know if that's really true or not. I do know that we were told the prison crews couldn't help us any more. Too bad, they did a fantastic job cutting brush.

The Town and County prisoners are gobbled up by the local governments for other projects. I know we've asked at least once and were turned down.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@msmgmt.com

Hi Tom,

> how much track has been laid down
The museum's main line is approximately 1.5 miles long, with all but the last quarter mile(give or take a few feet) presently in service.

> and what the end goal of track milage.
The museum has short, medium and long term goals in mind. Until this past weekend, Alna Center was the short term goal.

Recently, WW&F volunteer and Board member James Patten reported that the RR has informed the town of Alna of its intention to add another mile to its mainline over the next five years. Given this past week's accomplishments, that would seem a realistic plan.

For longer term, consider the following original mile posts:
Wiscasset to Sheepscot Station - 4.8 miles (future?)
Sheepscot to Alna Center - 1.6 miles (in place today)
Alna Center to Head Tide - 2.7 miles (future?)
Wiscasset to Albion - 43.5 miles (You never know.)

All are potentially doable, given sufficient resources and providential assistance. All I know is I wouldn't bet against the WW&F volunteers.

Best Regards,
Glenn

christensenge@yahoo.com

> For longer term, consider the following
> original mile posts:
> Wiscasset to Sheepscot Station - 4.8 miles
> (future?)

How much of the right of way into Wiscasset does the WW&F Museum own? How close to the waterfront could you get? I was under the impression that much of the WW&F in town had been built upon.b

Until this past weekend, Alna
> Center was the short term goal.
I think this is still the short-term goal, since the track stil needs to be ballasted, raised, lined and surfaced. I'm guessing that will be the project for next spring's April Trackwork Session, and we'll have our hands full accomplishing that.

the RR has
> informed the town of Alna of its intention
> to add another mile to its mainline over the
> next five years.
That mile will take the track to "Top of the Mountain," still over two miles, a missing bridge over a significant stream, and a major highway crossing from Head Tide. At the present rate of construction, it will take four years to get to Top of the Mountain.

> For longer term, consider the following
> original mile posts:
> Wiscasset to Sheepscot Station - 4.8 miles
> (future?) MAJOR HIGHWAY CROSSING and several state and town roads to cross, not to mention the long trestle. Remember, too, crossing a public road automatically places the railroad in the purview of the FRA.
> Sheepscot to Alna Center - 1.6 miles (in
> place today)
> Alna Center to Head Tide - 2.7 miles
> (future?)
> Wiscasset to Albion - 43.5 miles (You never
> know.)

My own view, tempered by 40 years of volunteer railroading as well as 18 years of professional railroading, is that the WW&F is one of the best restorations I've ever seen, but at some point practicality must trump enthusiasm. If the railroad ever gets to the Route 218 south of Head Tide, that's probably far enough. Volunteer maintenance forces would have their hands full keeping that much track passable, and the wear and tear on equipment will make that a major concern as well.

K4s1361@hotmail.com

How about a local Boy Scout troop or two? They have their own insurance, there is a Railroading merit badge that this type work would apply to, and there are usually always a boy or two needing an Eagle Project - check with your BSA Council office, I bet you they can help.


cwatford@alltel.net

> How about a local Boy Scout troop or two?
> They have their own insurance, there is a
> Railroading merit badge that this type work
> would apply to, and there are usually always
> a boy or two needing an Eagle Project -
> check with your BSA Council office, I bet
> you they can help.

Now there's a group we've had good luck with -- although I'd forgotten about them. We've had several Scout troops come and help in various ways. Eagle projects have been popular. One Scout built a fence for us as his Eagle project, and another painted the interior of a caboose. The only complaint I have about Scouts is that there aren't enough troops around to have them every work day! :o)

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@msmgmt.com

> What they have accomplished up in Maine is
> very impressive, but I've always wondered if
> some extra hands couldn't be found, not
> necessarily in the ranks of rail
> enthusiasts.
> One possibility might be found in schools,

Bob,
a group of students painted the enginehouse and machine shop at Sheepscot, as seen in the background of this photo. And they did a pretty nice job.



SJHussar@aol.com

I am mighty impressed and I will keep on writig checks, reading their newsletter and occasionally riding the trains when I get back to Maine.

Great work guys! and remembert that these people have school to attend, jobs to go to and mothers, wifes who have needs to attend to.

Ted Miles

ted_miles@nps.gov