Wiscasset, Waterville &

Farmington

Railway Museum SHEEPSCOT STATION, ALNA, MAINE 04535-0242

January/February 2003

#

Locomotive #10 leads a Victorian Christmas train past the Sheepseot Station candy tree

a Son ie itm

Phate by Bob Cavanagh

Hundreds Enjoy a Victorian Christmas On Saturday, December 21st, the WW&F Railway Museum

hosted its second annual Victorian Christmas celebration.

Steam locomotive #10 and a horse-drawn wagon provided transportation appropriate to the period, Other Victorian-era

touches included a Christmas tree bedecked with real candles inold-fashioned holders provided by Vern Shaw. In the interest

of safety, the candles were not lit, but they were accompanied by small transparent bags of candy ‘snowman poop’ and ‘reindeer noses’ and candy canes for the children.

Number 10-ran fourteen trips from Sheepseot Station to

the end of in-service track and back, carrying over 400 visitors

and volunteers. Riders crossing Humason Brook were treated

to a-substantial roar of running water, as the previous days’

rains had filled the brook to near springtime levels. Several daytime visitors disembarked at the north end to view the track work underway.

From 5 pm until the last train slightly before & pm, Santa

Claus was aboard the train and visited on the station platform, much tothe delight of younger riders. Santa's voice was very

similar to that of our neighbor, Mike Trask. Several evening

trips included caroling led by Allan and Ellen Fisher, The last trips of the evening also included a spectacular full moon.

While Saturday was.a very plensant day, there was no snow

on the ground. Thus, Steve and Rebecca Akeley were unable

to bring the sleigh that they had used last year. Instead, they

brought a very comfortable wagon, and operated it between

the Sheepscat Station parking area and the large lot at the comer

of Route 218 and Cross Road. It was.a very popular attraction,

and visitors again marveled at the handsome horses’ immediate

response to Steve's softly spoken commands. Everyone was very thankful to the Akeleys and to sponsor Steve Zuppa for

making this attraction possible, Delicious and abundant food was onee more the hallmark

of this event. Substituting for ailing John Bradbury, Sue Longo provided a delicious ham and pasta lunch for the volunteers.

During the afternoon, she and several others, including

daughters Cyndi and Sheila-Ann, hushand Bob, Brenda Sisson,

Dana Deering, Bob Cavanagh, and Bob Gabriel, assisted with

refreshments in the freight house. They set out refreshments,

frosted cookies, wrapped a big basket full of plastic dinnerware

Visit our web page at: httpc/iwwwowwiryorg

in napkins, and heated the entrees. The Longo family, Leon Weeks, Brenda Sisson, and Zack Wyllie provided a wide variety of delicious homemade cookies, John and Jane Robertson made

mayor contributions to the eats and treats in the course of the day and evening. Sarah's Restaurant in downtown Wiscasset again contributed some of their delicious pepperoni bread. Everyone devoured the additional pastries and candies provided by members and their spouses, and also enjoyed cold cider, mulled cider, hot chocolate, and coffee. Increased seating capacity in the freight house and a slightly reduced number of

participants, combined with coordinated organizational efforts,

made this year’s evening potluck a very smoothly run (and filling) experience for all,

In addition to those volunteers mentioned above, the

following also assisted: Frances Hernandez, Jason Lamontagne,

Ken Maguire, John McNamara, Fred Morse, James Patten,

Stewart Rhine, Dave Rossi, Rick Sisson, Julius Stark, and Zack

Wyllie. Many thanks to all of these contributors and toanyone whose name has been overlooked. All of our volunteers, and

hopefully all of our visitors, are already looking forward to next year’s event.

Notes from Your Membership Secretary

Did you know that your mailing label can tell you a lot

about your membership? The letters and numbers indicate your membership number and membership expiration date, For example, M123 indicates that you are annual member number 123, while 2/03 indicates that your membership-eapires on

the first of February 2003. Renewal letters are sent on the

fifteenth of the month preceding the membership expiration date, and a second reminder is sent two months later,

Tf annual members could use their mailing labels as reminders to send in their annual dues a month ahead of time,

that would save a lot of time and stationery/postage expense,

You will receive an acknowledgement letter for any dues or donation received, regardless of amount.

by Allan Fisher

Volunteer Profile

John Bradbury

The Volunteer Who Feeds the Volunteers

A picture in the second edition of Twe Feet Te Tidewater shows John Bradbury helping to lay the Museum's first rails,

back in August of 1993, Thus, John is truly one of the “old timers” at the Museum. He hails from Quincy, Massachusetts,

where during the week he works for R. E. Lyons & Son Fire

Equipment Company.

John arrives Friday evenings moslevery weekend, and he usually has all of the fixings for Saturday's lunch, On Saturday

mornings, he helps out around the engine house and yard, or

he travels up the track to help unload ballast or move rail, Then, when it’s tive to start lunch, you'll find him inthe Bay

One kitchen peeling potatoes, cooking bacon, or tossing a

salad for a hungry crew that will arrive back at the station alter a hard morming’s work.

When | started volunteering at Sheepscot Station in 1996,

the lunch and soft. drinks were $3, which one tossed into a jar onthe honor system. Six year's later, the price ts still the same, and from this money John buys the next week's lunch. Since costs have gone up, 'm sure he makes up some shortfalls from his own pocket. He is truly the quiet giant of the

Wiscasset, Waterville & Parmington Railway Museum. bv Fred Morse

John Bradbury at work in the Bay One kitchen

Phote by Bob Cavanaugh

2002 Fund Drive Over The Top! As of January 4th, the Museum's annual fund drive had

reached and exceeded its goal of $30,000. Thanks to the 33%

of our members who have given so far. Donors for the period

November |!" through January 10" are listed below, Now that we have ensured that we have necessary funds

for our 2003 projects (Alna Center Station, 1000 additional feet of track, medium running repairs, a new cab for #10, and

siarting a new drop bottom hopper}, it’s time to think about

another dream. As outlined in the 2002 Annual Fund Appeal from the Board of Directors, all additional funds received will be deposited in the special locomotive #9 savings account

towards our goal of $110,000 to completely rehabilitate this

wonderful 18-ton Portland Company engine that saw service on four different Maine two footers.

To date, there is $34,000 in this special account, and we believe we can purchase #9's new boiler for $50,000 to

375,000. Additional funds will be necessary to replace missing

parts and accessories, refurbish or replace other existing components, and to reassemble the locomotive,

$0. ... If you want to see locomotive #9 under steam in the next few years, this is the time to give and give generously.

If we can raise at least another $15,000 to $20,000 in the next few months, the Board is set to authorize ordering the new

boiler. We hope you are as excited as we are, and look forward to WWF locomotive #9 charging up the 2%-3% “mountain”

grade to deliver many happy passengers back to Sheepscot Station.

by Allon Fisher

Major Overhaul of Number 10 Work has begun on overhauling the frame, running gear,

and driving gear of our heavily-used locomotive #10. No boiler

work is necessary, as this was done two years ago, including

retubing, anew dry pipe, and repairs to the shell. To complete the overhaul, we will be restoring the working parts to proper

specification this spring. The work is being spread out over a three year period so that the locomotive does not miss an operating season, and also to ease the financial burden,

The boiler (with insulation, jacket and plumbing intact),

cab and tank will be removed from the frame to gain easy access tothe frame and running gear, The main drivers will be removed and out-shopped for restoration to the original contour, The

main portions of the work include new bearing boxes and bearings, spring hanger's for the driver springs, center castings for the trailing truck, and a complete set of pins and bushings

for the valve pear. The cylinders will be bored and the valve seats trued.

A new cab will be constructed with an open deck style in keeping with original WW&F practice. The wooden deck will be replaced, and the tank will be moved farther forward as the original tank was placed. We hope to replace the tank with a new riveted tank in the near future, but for now the current welded tank will remain in service. If time permits, the smokestack will finally be replaced this spring, but that is not a pnority given all the other work that needs ta be done,

This work wall give us a strong and reliable locomotive for

decades to come, and we all look forward to “the new Number

LO” this summer. A-“re-builder’s” photo will be included in

our newsletter upon completion! by Jason Lamontagne

2002 Annual Fund Donors since November 11th (as of January 10")

Willam Balch

Owen Beeder

C, Randall Beach

Tim Blanchard

Pern Bourque

David Bucekowski

Gilbert Corey

Jane Coryell

Christopher Coyle Allan Cox

Kennedy Crane Il

George & Julie Cromer

Alton Davis, Jr

Dana Deenng

Robert Derby Charles Dick

Hunt Dowse

James Ehemberger David Eskelund

Allan Fisher

Graydon Fowles

John Golden

Lisa Gorman

John Hall

Cornelius Hauck

Ernest Hawkes

Jerome Hebda

Maurice Hensley

Sherrill Hunnibel

Guy Hunter, Jr

David Johnsen

George Johnson, Jr

Robert Jones

Matthew Kahinowskt

John Keene

Timothy Kelly

Nelson Kennedy

Charles Kine

Howard Kirkpatrick

Duncan Mackiewicz

Hubert Marshall

Christopher McChesney

Patneia Metrai

Theodore Miles

Pamela Missal

James Murphy

William Norton

John Painter

Robert Parker

Clarissa Percival

Donald Perham

Greg Pulis Lee Rainey

C, Stewart Rhine

Clifford Richardson Russell Rudelph

Donald Sanger

Ken Savard

Jeff Schumaker Donald Shapleigh

Skip Small James Stewart

Alden Stickney

Richard Symmes Richard Tilley Charles Vasiliades

Stephen Whitheld

Thomas Werb

Joel West Irma Wilhelm

The Wilson Family

M. Dwight Winkley

Wiscasset Motor Lodge

2-Foot Musing No. 4 Here is a quick quiz for you, What WW&F locomotive

was never equipped with the federally mandated electric

headlight? The answer is ill-fated Number &. Numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 all had electric headlights powered by a small turbo-

generator mounted on top of the boiler. Numbers land 35 were scrapped before electric headlights were required.

What Number 8 did have was an acetylene headlight. Acetylene gas is produced by combining calcium carbide with

water. It burns with an intense flame that is much brighter than

an oil lamp. Acetylene was popular fora short time around the turn of the 20" century before hich intensity electric lights had been perfected. The Boston & Maine, among others, equipped a number of their locomotives with acetylene headlights.

The pas generating apparatus was usually mounted under

the headlight. One of the ways to identify an acetylene headlight is that it appears to be mounted ona high pedestal. The system consists Of a water reservoir with an outlet that drips water into a container of calcium carbide. The rate of flow of the

water determines the size of the flame. Shutting off the flow of

water shuts off the light, A tube ran from the gas generating chamber up to the headlight. Some railroads, like the Boston & Maine, generated acetylene at a central facility. Each

locomotive had a small storage tank usually mounted on the

pilot beam, This was charged up with gas at the beginning of each run.

Although the carbide lamp, as it was called, was a big improvement over an oil headlight, it became obsolete when

the high-intensity mcandescent lamp was perfected. Sometime before 1920, a federal law was passed requiring electric headlights on all locomotives, The law covered the 2-footers as well as the standard gauge railroads. Gradually, as

locomotives went through the shop, electric headlight systems

were applied, One of the last holdouts was the Monson Railroad

who finally, after much prodding by the federal inspector, equipped their locomotives with a battery-powered automotive- type headlight,

Now the question is why didn’t Number 8 receive an electric headlight? The short answer is that it came that way from the

Kennebec Central, which in tur recerved it from the Bridgton

and Saco River, When the KC bought B&SR Number 3 in 1920, it was before the BASR had gotten around to applying

an electric headlight. When the Kennebec Central acquired Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Number 6 (which became KC Number 4) four years later, it came cquipped with an electric

headlicht. Perhaps because they had one locomotive with an electric headlight, the federal inspector didn’t press too hard

on the KC to convert Number 3, if they promised not to min it after dark,

When KC Number 3 came to Wiscassel, the shop force

equipped it with driver brakes, rearranged the vacuum brake exhaust and applied a paint job, but didn’t touch the headlight,

[t seems to me that an electric headlight from one of the out-

of-service locomotives could have been applied to Number 8 without a lot of extra effort.

Itis somewhat of a mystery why Number & was kept out

of service for sa long. Number 9 went into service almost

immediately after arriving in Wiscasset, but according to Earl Keef's time book Number § didn’t go into regular service until

the day before the fatal wreck. Was it because it didn’t have a proper headlight? If so. why didnt one get applied? This is

just another ina series of unanswered questions regarding the

WWE that I have talked about in past Musings.

Tune in next time and I will tell you a little bit about the

Great Narrow Gauge Conspiracy that scared the pants off the

Maine Central management.

by Ellts Walker

St ae ote ay f= eet

WWeéeP Number §, with its acetylene headlight, at the last wreck (The piping behind the steam dome is not a turbine but rather a part of the brake system.)

Phote by Linwood Maady

Section Crew Report

Late fall has been a rather sleepy time for the section crew

this vear, Volunteers laid some new track in a snow-less

December. Adding to the 303 feet of new track laid in October,

another 150 feet was completely spiked down, while 150 feet more was partially spiked into place. Track is now in place next to the “1-1/4 mile” sign,

In mid-November the crew did a project that many of us

have wanted to do fora long time. We replaced the rail in front

of the station, which was very worn 56-pound rail that originally

came from Seashore Trolley Museum in the early “90s, and

was our very first mainline rail. This-rail had some horizontal

and vertical bends that made the track uneven,

The project ended up being a lot smoother and quicker

than anticipated, With just five or six volunteers, the project was finished by mid-afternoon. The rail was unspiked and unbolted from the 33-pound rail north of it and pushed off in

one long string. The replacement rail (33-pound) had been bolted together and was pushed on in one long string. The

only complication was a vertical kink on the left side of the track just north of the station platform that had to be removed.

This was done by removing several ties, undercutting the

ballast, replacing the ties and tamping to the right height. Now that the snow is here to stay, we don't expect to get

any more trackwork done until spring. Don't forget the Spring Track Session, April 26-25. We'll be putting in new track to

Trask's Crossing and ballasting the track laid last year. There should be a pleasant surprise in store for everyone that weekend,

Hope to see you! by James Patten

J ras

Rae od Fred Morse and James Patten bolt rails together near the 1-1/4 mile marker.

Photo by Bob Cavanagh

Working in a Winter Wonderland

Mid-winter finds the W.W.& F. crew clearing 65 years of tree growth from more of the old roadbed. This year we've marked out a strip 50 feet wide by 1200 feet long that we hope

to finish clearing before the snow gets too deep. By eight o'clock the crew is al the cutting site breaking up

small twigs and branches to start the first fire. All small brush

and limbs go onto these fires, Within a half hour, the people

working around the fires are peeling off their heavy outer garments, as it gets rather warm. [f there is snow on the limbs, we soon have our own little rain from melting snow. With three

to five people using chain saws, the work moves ahead rapidly, We find that it takes at least three people moving wood and

burning brush to help clean up for each person cutting trees, so there is work for anyone who shows up.

By noon we're well on our way to having cleared 100 to 200 feet of roadbed, so we stop work to cock hotdogs and

marshmallows over the coals of the first dying fires. By also

having sodas, chips. and cookies, we fare very well; then it’s back to work. By three o'clock it’s time to quit sawing and

burning brush so that the fires will all be out before we leave. Our crew is usually eight to fifteen people, with many

coming from away to help open up the roadbed, and at the end

of the day everyone has found it’s always a great experience

and satisfaction to see the old W. W. & FE roadbed come back to life.

by Fred Morse

A Visitor Meets an Old Friend, WW&F #10 This is a condensed version of a letter from Bill Robie, of Colorado, who both fired and operated WW&F #itlin his teenage years

Thank you so much for my ride to end-of-track and back on Friday, October 11". In addition to being very impressed with the progress and quality of your restoration efforts, | was also reacquainted with a long-lost, very dear, old friend.

During the summers of 1962-64, [ worked for Edaville Railroad at their operations at Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Mass. In 1962, | worked on the train as a conductor, and in

63 and *64 1 was fireman on your #10 (my #5). I lived in

nearby Reading and found a high school summer job, a dream

come true, when Edaville hired me on to be a part of train

operations. When I became fireman during my second and third

years, [usually arrived around 8:30 in order to bring up steam,

shovel coal into the tender bunker, bring #5 around backwards

from the storage siding to the depot, fill the tank, and couple

to the three-car train, all by the 10:00 opening time, By that time, Paul Correa, an Edaville engineer who commuted from

South Carver, had arrived, and after checking things over, we were ready to begin the day's operations. As I remember, the rail was 75éand very hard on the engine. Operation was always counterclockwise around the approximately one mile bent-oval

track, Most rail joints on the curves were kinked, and the many left-turning joints were absorbed by #5’s frame rather than in the rail. It was a rough ride, but #5 performed faithfully and without complaint. At the end of each season, #5 was trucked back to Edaville’s repair shop for what I’m sure was some much-needed TLC.

During the 1963 season, #5 hada red tender with “Pleasure

Island And Western Railroad” lettered in yellow on a red

background under the cab (only on the right side}, At the

beginning of my third year, Paul gave me permission to paint #5 as [ wanted. All the old red got painted black, but I painted the drivers and coweatcher red. | also drew a “5” stencil and

painted the numeral in silver on the front plate and on both

sides of the sand dome, | thought it looked a lot better. When

the wood on the brake handle became splintered, worn, and

about to fall off, | drilled and carved a replacement handle out of a maple dowel. That wood handle is on your #10 today,

My favorite times were when Paul took a long break (or just decided to be kind) and let me run as engineer for a few

times around. Other people I remember being a part of the

locomotive crew, mostly part-time, were: Dave Bares, George Bartholomew, Nagel Hawksworth, and Linton Brooks.

Two other occasions on #5 stand out in my mind. One

afternoon, during the week Jimmy Dean was performing at the

Pleasure Island Show Bowl, Jimmy himself strode up the exit

stairway, leaned over the gate and usked if he could have a

ride in the engine. Naturally we said yes. All 6-4" of him eranmmed inte the cab, and off we went with hinymenily singing

“Chattanooga Choo Choo” and ringing the bell and blowing

the whistle all the way. The other instance I remember had to

do with Edaville’s fine product, cranberries, | loved cranberry juice, so occasionally Paul would bring me a gallon jug from

South Carver. To keep it cool, | suspended it from a rope

hanging from a ladder rung inside the water tank. That was

fine until one day the water level in the tank got too low, and

the free-swinging glass jug broke against the ladder. At Paul’s

direction, I slipped through the tank opening and down the

internal ladder to pick up all the broken glass in the water at

the bottom of the tank: Couldn't do thatnow! Sorry to run-on so long, but riding again in #5(410) sure

brought back memories of a lot of good times fram my youth,

Keep up the great work, and take good care of #10 for me.

by Bill Robie

7 oh ; :

Y ios ee SB

Linton Brooks is at the throttle of Edaville #3 (WW&F #10) at Pleasure Island in July 1962. Phote by Bill Rabie

Spring Track Session, April 26 - 28 Don't forget the Spring Track Session, April 26 - 28. We'll be putting in new track to Trask’s Crossing (now about 450 feet away from end-of-track) and ballasting the track laid last year,

Steve Ackeley leadshisteam and wagon past Sheepseot Station while locomotive #10 waits with another

Victorian Christmas special ready for departure. Photo by Join MeNamara

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

PRPs SS SF SS SSS SS ee eee eee eg

: Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum ; 1 Sheepscot Station, Alna, Maine 04535-0242 1 I Please sign me up as follows: i

: Life Membership .................. O $200.00 #9 Fund ;

: Annual Membership ............. O $20.00 Additional Contribution ;

Receipt Requested i i

| NAME I

ADDRESS

: ZIP I (Please make checks payable to “W.W.&F. Ry. Museum.”’) i

ee eee eee ee ed

ey ins me y A) i iN

Allan and Ellen Fisher lead Christmas caroling aboard coach 3.

Photo by Bob Cavanagh

crcOrsesro FI “eUly nonES josdaayy LINAS ABATE Sy]

HOPFUMALIE] AP ATPIAIIYE A “JOSSEIST A,