Aka SR&RL 6 in a previous life, a two-foot gauge 0-4-4T.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ge=50&key=
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ge=50&key=

Once upon a time, there were five 2-foot gauge common carrier railroads in Maine. They had all gone out of business by 1945, but thanks to early preservation efforts five locomotives (and miscellaneous rolling stock) were saved and each of the railroads is represented by at least one of the locomotives. Within a few years, four of the surviving locomotives made it to Edaville were they enjoyed long second lives in preservation. The fifth locomotive went a different route - it was purchased not too far ahead of the scrap man and sent to Connecticut as part of a proposed tourist railway that never was to be. The locomotive was stored inside a farm building and was largely forgotten as the years passed. This fifth locomotive was the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington # 9.
The Edaville locomotives were #s 3 and 4 from the Monson Railroad, and #s 7 and 8 from the Bridgton & Harrison. WW&F #9 is the last surviving locomotive that ran on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes and the Kennebec Central, as well as the WW&F. Plus it was built by the Portland Company right in Maine, one of the last two surviving locomotives from that company. Quite a treasure, that number 9! And ironically, the four Edaville locomotives have now returned to Maine and are owned by the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, headquarted at the old Portland Co. works where #9 was born.
Engine #9 is now going through an overhaul which will bring it back to operating condition. If you wish to contribute to this effort, contact the WW&F Railway Museum.

WW&F isn't just getting an overhaul, it's actually getting a brand new boiler. Pretty impressive considering the engine hasn't run since 1933 !!

Regards,
Trevor H.

Another neat thing to consider with regard to No 9's new boiler -- it will be the first locomotive boiler constructed in the state of Maine since the Portland Co stopped building them -- MANY years ago...

Photo: Backhead for No 9's new boiler being hot-formed in the Boothbay steam/mech shop.

There was a bolier built for one of the German 60cm
locomotives that they run at the Boothbay Railway Village back in the 1960s.

I don't recall the name of the company as I don't have my narrow gauge notes right in front of me.

Since the Boothbay Village now has an ASME stamp, they have indeed come full circle.

They are the people who are building the new boiler for the WW&F #9.

The Museum folks by the way, will assist and also build a new frame for the engine based on the last Portland built engine, Bridgton & Saco River 5.

Also from Boothbay Village, they have just bought the B&SR 11 from Edaville, USA. The car was a combine that the Edaville Shop built into a full coach. Its good to have her hope after the long years in Massachusetts.

Ted Miles

Ted, that was built by Hodge Boiler of Boston in 1964.

It is stated in the second photo that the only part of the locomotive that will be reused is the running gear (cylinders, forward frame, drive wheels, and all that goes with it). This is not true, and it unfortunately makes it sound as if we're jacking up the whistle and building a new locomotive under it.

The smokebox, stack, domes, cab, tank, and trailing truck will also be reused. We'll have to replace the boiler, rear frame, and add a frame connection between the forward and rear frames. We'll also remove and reuse as much as possible from the old boiler.