Maine Narrow Gauge Museum

The Maine Narrow Gauge Museum is located in downtown Portland.  The museum itself has a number of interesting historical items on display, and they also run a scenic tourist train operation along the bay.  They have been alternating weekends between steam and Diesel, and we arrived on the wrong weekend.  Sad!

Nonetheless, let's go for a ride.  The locomotive looks like this:

But you really have to see it from the end.   If both members of the crew walk out on the same side of the platform, the engine will tip over... I think.

The track was a standard gauge freight branch at one time, and follows the shore for a couple of miles.  We stop when we get to the bridge across the river, which is out of service.

We can get down and take pictures, visit the engineer, etc.  The rolling stock consists of open-air cars built from flatcars or the equivalent.

Including this caboose.

The line was converted to 2' gauge by moving one rail.

That process results in some rather unusual special work.  Sort of like tinplate track.

I guess it can't be a secret that there are no brakes on any of the cars, only the engine.  The conductor said the FRA limits operation to 9 MPH.   Seems rather generous of them.

Inside the museum building there are some nice historical displays.   This is Monson #4, an 0-4-4T built by Vulcan in 1918.  According to Hilton, the line operated with link-and-pin couplers until the end.  But this locomotive operated at Edaville for many years, which must explain the knuckle coupler.   And there are probably other changes.

Then we have the parlor car Rangely which has been very well preserved.

And the combine. also from the SR&RL:

And there are various railroad artifacts on display also.  The museum itself is nicely done.

Including this nifty working model:

Out in the yard, there are many other pieces of narrow gauge equipment stored, in various states of repair.  The conductor told us that anything labeled "Maine Narrow Gauge" is home-built, while pieces lettered for Bridgton and Saco or Sandy River or so on are authentic.   So that's good.

They've built a large number of excursion cars over the years.

Several authentic box car bodies are in the collection.

Not far away, a huge cruise ship was docked.  A group from the ship were visiting the museum, so that seems to be a good source of visitors.

Another couple of home-built excursion cars:

And this is the coach Pondicherry from the Bridgton and Saco.  An identical car, the Mt. Pleasant, is on display inside, but I somehow missed getting a picture of it.

And a combine from the SR&RL: