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Wiscasset, Waterville &Farmington

Railway MuseumSHEEPSCOT STATION, PO BOX 242, ALNA, ME 04535-0242

May / June 20�3

Visit our web page at: http://www.wwfry.org

James Patten reviews the operating plan for the Easter Eggspress’s large crew.Photo by Stephen Hussar

This year’s Easter Eggspress set a new record for a ticketed event─575 riders. We operated five trips to Alna Center and back, alternating between steam and diesel motive power so that engine servicing would not hold up departures. Although this was a ticketed event, fares for all were at the children’s rate, which made it a fun, wholesome family activity that was affordable.

The high turnout may have been due to a gorgeous, relatively warm day, but we’ve had nice days for the Easter Eggspress in previous years. Further, Easter was almost as early as Easter can get, in March, and March trains don’t always do very well. A better economy and a perfect spring day probably contributed to the day’s success, but publicity and word-of-mouth advertising were doubtless very helpful.

While we did not do any print advertising, we did have press releases in local newspapers and flyers in local businesses. About two weeks before the event, we posted the flyer on our website and mentioned the event on our Facebook page, producing a number of “likes.” People who “liked” us followed our activities and shared that information with their friends, thus spreading information about our event.

The Easter EggspressFrom forum.wwfry.org postings

The press releases, flyers, website posting, and Facebook presence were doubtless major contributors to the event’s success. However, since more and more people show up for events every year, happy return visitors who recommended us to their friends were also major contributors. For this and future events, it has been suggested that if we keep the mothers happy, they will tell their friends; their friends will try a visit, and if pleased will tell their friends.

Effective event growth from word-of-mouth is not limited to adults. We can rest assured that the children will do an outstanding job of telling all of their friends and classmates about the fun time they had at the egg hunt, especially since they all found (plastic) eggs.

Future prospects for this event, along with Victorian Christmas, the Ice Cream Social, and Fall Festival, look good, as we seem to be experiencing increased recognition/support from media. Our events are having a direct impact as the general public begins to recount past visits to our events and begins to make them an annual tradition. We hope that our new restroom project will be a major step toward further growth of public enthusiasm.

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The 2013 Annual MeetingThe 24th Annual Meeting of the WW&F Railway Museum

was held at 2 P.M. on Saturday, May 4th. Director candidates Roger Whitney, David Buczkowski, and Linda Zollers were elected to Board positions for the next three years.

President’s Report (Steve Zuppa)

During the 2012 Spring Work Weekend (April 27th-29th), volunteers completed a lot of little projects in preparation for the upcoming season. On July 4th, the completed Turner Center Dairying Car replica was delivered to the creamery wharf in Wiscasset and dedicated by Wiscasset town officials and officials from the Museum. The inside of the car features a nice display of pictures and other memorabilia from when the railroad had a big presence in Wiscasset. During the spring, volunteers made substantial progress on our other big project, the restroom building, by completing the framing and installing the roof.

Our Annual Picnic on August 11th and 12th was very successful with the usual train rides, antique engine displays, and re-created scenes for photo run-bys. The run-bys, staged at Alna Center, were very accurate in detail complete with authentic costumes, vehicles, and even props. Some of the video shot is on YouTube and looks just like it did in the 1920s.

The Museum tried something new on August 28th in the form of an ice cream social. Passengers rode the train to Alna Center where ice cream was served from the caboose.

We held the second Fall Family Festival Day on September 21st. Unfortunately it rained, but we had over 100 people attending.

The Fall Work Weekend, held on October 5th-8th, saw a lot of progress, including more work on the restroom building. Additionally, track crews consolidated our rail inventory and lined and surfaced the Sheepscot yard tracks. A lot was completed on Locomotive 9 with frame fabrication nearly complete. Our hydraulic tamping machine, used to maintain the roadbed, needed some repairs, which were completed.

Later in the fall, the Board of Directors formally adopted our 2012 Long Range Plan. This plan outlines the Museum’s goals for the next ten years.

On the Saturday before Christmas, our Victorian Christmas ridership exceeded that of the last two record-breaking years with an additional 150 riders. Over a period of six hours, 1150 people rode the train free of charge to Alna Center where there was a bonfire, Santa Claus, a horse-drawn wagon ride and Christmas decoration crafts. It was a huge success. People from all over New England came, and one lady drove up from Boston just to attend the celebration.

In January, Locomotive 9 was nearly ready for lowering onto its drive wheels. This is a big milestone for the project, as it starts to actually look like a locomotive. A crane car was added to our roster; it will help lift our snowplow on and off our diesel locomotive and lift other heavy items such as rail and switch stands. At their Big Railroad Hobby Show at the end of January, the Amherst Railway Society presented the Museum with a check for $3,000 to be used toward restroom construction.

Treasurer’s Report (James Patten)

Membership stayed steady, at just above 1000 people, rising some throughout the year, but falling near the end of the year. Dues and general donations, which we forecasted to decline, were well above budget. Ticket sales continued a slide that began in 2008, although overall ridership was up for the last three years. Generally, unrestricted income was well over budget. However, operational expenses were also well over budget, thanks to higher insurance premiums, greater advertising using different modes, increased electricity usage and heating oil purchase, and painting and repair of Sheepscot Station.

Our 2011-2012 Annual Fund Drive ended up a few thousand over the requested amount of $55,000, and the 2012-2013 Fund Drive reached the goal right at the end of the year! Additionally, we received funds for Locomotive 9, seed money to start the car shed in the North Yard, and we were able to continue funding our employment of Master Mechanic Jason Lamontagne thanks to a generous donor.

This year I had budgeted for increased ticket sales, believing that Locomotive 9 would be running by mid-year; this is no longer the case, so we need to increase our ridership in other ways. Please tell your friends and neighbors about us, and to come take a ride!

We hold a mortgage on the Percival House with one of our members, at 4.25%, and at the end of 2012 we owed $112,000 on the house. The interest is finally below $400/month, and in 2014 the principal will overtake the interest. This is the only loan or mortgage that we had during 2012. Our ratio of debt to our total unrestricted assets is just above 8%, well below the 20% we are allowed by our bylaws.

Our Endowment at year end was $19,032.54. What little interest is received is rolled back into the principal. Once the endowment reaches $25,000 it can be invested with the Maine Community Foundation.

Museum Receives a TractorFred Morse has graciously donated his 1973 (I know, it

is too new) Model 820 John Deere tractor. He bought it new, and it had served him well. He and his wife Sharron decided that it was time for someone else (namely the Museum) to get some good use out of it, and we will. Fred and Sharron have once again proven their generosity, and with this gift we will be able to do work much more easily. Best of all, when Fred came out of the shop and saw me using it, his smile could not have been wider. Thank you, Fred and Sharron!

Text and photo by Mike Fox

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2012 Budget Versus Actual as of December 31, 2012 Income Budget Actual Actual - Budget Comments General Donations $18,800.00 $23,821.90 $5,021.90 Dues $15,690.00 $17,040.00 $1,350.00 Tickets $15,750.00 $15,386.00 -$364.00 From Store $10,000.00 $11,000.00 $1,000.00 All Other $1,740.00 $2,797.60 $1,057.60 Totals $61,980.00 $70,045.50 $8,065.50

Expenses Budget Actual Actual - Budget Comments Insurance $12,757.08 $14,151.05 $1,393.97 Higher premiums Leases $3,136.00 $3,402.60 $266.60 Mortgages $9,065.60 $9,065.60 0 Administrative $2,229.00 $2,771.93 $542.93 Publication/Communication $8,616.00 $9,502.22 $886.22 Publicity $8,949.00 $8,200.35 -$748.65 Special Events $1,930.00 $4,100.24 $2,170.24 Ice Cream Social; MPBN ads Utilities $7,805.00 $10,311.40 $2,506.40 Building Maintenance $950.00 $1,567.08 $617.08 Miscellaneous $2,664.88 $2,517.43 -$147.45 Rail Equipment Maintenance $1,005.00 $1,797.53 $792.53 Tools and Machinery 1,500.00 $2,194.20 $694.20 Track Maintenance $850.00 $828.56 -$21.44 Totals $61,457.56 $70,410.19 $8,952.63

The hydraulic tamper does not completely eliminate the need for manual tamping.Photo by Mike Fox

Spring Work Weekend Tasks

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Brook Crossing is located just north of the first curve on the Museum’s right-of-way. It had been unused for several years due to a collapsed culvert. Last year the culvert was replaced, and substantial logging activity took place. Now that the logging has ceased, volunteers installed water bars to prevent soil from washing onto the tracks.

Photo by Mike Fox

In the early 1900s, the WW&F Railway had a yard near the Wiscasset docks that was used for transferring cargo between ships and trains. There was a second yard, the “upper yard” or “north yard,” located about a half mile north, near the engine house and shop building. It was used for equipment storage and servicing. While the proposed yard tracks shown at left are near the lower/southerly end of the Museum’s operations, volunteers have referred to work here as the upper or north yard project, due to the location’s proximity to the shop and future engine facilities. During the Spring Work Weekend, volunteers installed heavier rail on the track that leads from the main line toward the future car barn, and made preparations for installing switch frogs. These frogs, hopefully installed over the summer, will be needed for a storage track that runs alongside the nearby woods, a third car barn track, and a track that will run through a roundhouse stall to the turntable in a fashion similar to that at Wiscasset’s upper yard.

Original drawing by Frank J. Knight with additions by John McNamara

Brook Crossing is located just north of the first curve on the Museum’s right-of-way. It had been unused for several years due to a collapsed culvert. Last year the culvert was replaced, and substantial logging activity took place. Now that the logging has ceased, volunteers installed water bars to prevent soil from washing onto the tracks.

Photo by Mike Fox

In the early 1900s, the WW&F Railway had a yard near the Wiscasset docks that was used for transferring cargo between ships and trains. There was a second yard, the “upper yard” or “north yard,” located about a half mile north, near the engine house and shop building. It was used for equipment storage and servicing.

While the proposed yard tracks shown at left are near the lower/southerly end of the Museum’s operations, volunteers have referred to work here as the upper or north yard project, due to the location’s proximity to the shop and future engine facilities.

During the Spring Work Weekend, volunteers installed heavier rail on the track that leads from the main line toward the future car barn, and made preparations for installing switch frogs. These frogs, hopefully installed over the summer, will be needed for a storage track that runs alongside the nearby woods, a third car barn track, and a track that will run through a roundhouse stall to the turntable in a fashion similar to that at Wiscasset’s upper yard.

Original drawing by Frank J. Knight with additions by John McNamara

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After enduring almost two decades of Maine weather, the Sheepscot Station building had accumulated substantial rot along the bottom of the front.

Photo by Stephen Hussar

During the Spring Work Weekend, volunteers replaced all of the front clapboards and rebuilt the door frame for a period-correct 36-inch 4-panel door.

Photo by Brendan Barry

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During the Spring Work Weekend, the crane car was very useful for lifting switch frogs and other heavy items.

Photo by Paul Crabb

During the Spring Work Weekend, Sue Longo awarded the “Order of the Kitchen Spike” (a potato peeler) to Joan Geisler, Jane Robertson, and Barbara Mackiewicz, three volunteers who supplemented our normal kitchen crew of Linda Zollers, Cindy Sanger Rhine, and Bridget Gibson-Griffin.

Photo by Stephen Hussar

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To join the W.W.&F. Ry. Museum or to send a contribution (tax deductible) please use the form below.

WW&F Railway Museum Summer 2013 Calendar August 10 - 11: Annual Picnic July 12 – August 30: Summer Work Fridays

Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway MuseumSheepscot Station, PO Box 242, Alna, Maine 04535-0242

Please sign me up as follows: Additional Contributions:

Life Membership .................. $300 #9 Fund _________________________Annual Membership ............. ..$30 #�0 Fund ________________________ Rail Fund ________________________ Endowment ______________________ Unrestricted ______________________

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_______________________________________ ZIP/POSTAL CODE _______________ Please make all checks payable to “W.W.&F. Railway Museum.”A receipt will be sent for all contributions received.

2-Foot Musing No. 66 In this Musing we will investigate the arrangements be-tween the Kennebec Central (KC) and the government for hauling coal to Togus. Bob Jones, in his fine book Two Feet to Togus, states that in 1905 the government entered into a con-tract with the KC to haul coal from Randolph to Togus. The coal came up from southern coal ports in barges to Randolph. A new coal handling facility was built on the river adjacent to the KC where the coal was transferred to the KC’s coal cars. Prior to this time, the coal had come from Gardiner, and was teamed over the bridge to the KC. This arrangement worked well for the KC until 1928 when the government put the coal hauling contract up for bid. Ac-cording to Jones, an Augusta trucking firm underbid the rail-road by $.30 per ton, and thereafter trucks hauled coal from barges on the Kennebec River from Gardiner and Bath to To-gus. I don’t doubt the truth of that statement, but it leaves a few loose ends to be tied up. First of all, how did the trucking company get the coal out of the barges and into the trucks? The government had built a nice coal dock in Randolph. Did they build another in Gardiner for the trucks? If so, was the cost factored into the contract? Another question arises about handling the coal at Bath. It is about 20 miles from Bath to Randolph over Route 27 and another 5 miles to Togus. Did the trucker get the same rate for hauling coal from Bath as from Gardiner? Given the extra distance, the size of trucks, and the condition of the roads in

Yard Sale to Benefit the Number 9 Restoration Project

During the Annual Picnic on August 10th and 11th, the Museum will be holding a yard sale for the benefit of the Number 9 restoration project. Items donated for sale should be the usual yard sale items, but excluding electronics, appliances, or computers. Clothes should be clean and without holes or spots. There is adequate storage for the Museum to accept items at any time before (or during) the picnic, but it is best to call the Museum at 207-882-4193 before coming to ensure that someone is available to accept and store the items. If you get the answering machine, please leave a message. Thank you!

the late 1920s, it doesn’t seem reasonable. The only reason that I can think of for trucking coal from Bath was that Bath is an all-weather port, so coal could be handled all year long, even when the Kennebec was frozen over. As with other Musings, I have raised more questions than answers, and the answers I have given are kind of spongy. In answer to the question about coal handling facilities, I be-lieve that the “trucking company” was actually one of the local coal companies in Augusta. They would have had the truck fleet and the coal unloading dock to service the coal barges. At this late date, it is probably impossible to get the correct answer, but it is one more thing to scratch your head about relative to the Maine two-footers.

Ellis Walker

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Wiscasset, Waterville & FarmingtonRailway MuseumSheepscot StationPO Box 242Alna, ME 04535-0242

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Four year old Bella Collomore, WW&F founder Harry Percival’s great great niece, was one of the many children who enjoyed the Easter Eggspress aboard car 103.

Photo by Stephen Hussar

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