Pictures of museum volunteers clearing the right of way of trees for the WW&FRy's Mountain Extension. The Mountain Extension will extend the main line north approximately 3/4's of a mile and include the installation of the rebuilt Boston and Maine RR covered pony truss bridge over Trout Brook. Additional tree clearing is being done at the bridge site and on the grade coming into the bridge site from RT. 218 to allow access into the bridge site to drive piles and put in the approach spans. Alan Downey and Jason Lamontagne supplied some of the photos..

Here's a map Ed Lecuyer made of the Mountain Extension and a quote from Ed on the current work schedule for the southern end of Mountain Extension.



Track ends at Location 1; the tree that was blocking the ROW just south of Location 1 was removed on 1/20/18, then skidded out using #9.

Trees have been (or are being) cleared from Locations 1 to 4 and Location 8. We are waiting to remove trees at Location 6 (Section 3) due to permitting. Trees have also been cleared at Locations 13-17.

Goal for spring/summer: Repair ROW up to Location 9.
Goal for Fall Work Weekend: Lay track up to Location 9 (1300 feet from Location 1)."

The following pictures are of the blow down tree being removed by hand saw and no. 9 in the cut just south of location # 1.









Tree clearing pictures from the last Saturday.

Looking south towards the current end of track through section 3 where we are waiting on a permit to work on the right of way.





The following pictures are right around section 8 on the map.











This is location 4 where the small landside has to be fixed. You can see the missing road bed behind the fire.



The slide in the road bed is in the foreground looking south.



Turned around looking north from the previous picture.



Right around location 2 looking north.



A little north of location 3. The people in the background are at location 4 the slide.



Looking north down the right of way around the curve between locations 8 and 9.



Lunch time about a 100' north of the current of track.



Train coming into Top of the Mountain to pick up the cutting crew Saturday evening





A couple more of the Saturday crew at work.







Saturday's engine crew putting away coach 8.



The weekday crew at work.













Work train for the weekday crew parked at the current end of track.

I remember when not too long ago the goal was to reach Top of Mountain. Now you are accelerating down the other side!

Why does Maine have to be so far away from Ohio? Oh well, maybe I'll get up there sometime this year.

You folks amaze me! All so well done too. Onward and upward.

What you are doing there is incredible to me. The dedication and perseverance should be a model for all groups.

Keep up the great work!

Steve

Are the permits technical or will they require contentious public hearings?

Just an enviromental permit for working within 250' of Trout Brook. Trout Brook has a bend that swings in close to the right of way at that point.

To expand on what Brendan said, a local public meeting with the Alna town planning board was required for the placement of the bridge. The planning board reviewed the plans thoroughly and with the support voiced from the abutter (Midcoast Conservancy - a regional land trust/conservationist group) voted unanimously in favor of the project.

Great work! This railroad/group never ceases to amaze me. I hope to make it up there one day.

Was #9 steamed up just for the purpose of transporting the crew and/or tools?

Pretty much, yes. One of the days we also were testing the still-under-development automatic vacuum brake system on the coach and the corresponding control stand in #9. We do not want to operate trains along the 3% grade of the "Mountain Extension" for the general public without automatic brakes on the train.