ALNA — The Wiscasset, Waterville, Farmington Railway Museum is gearing up for its annual Fall Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The narrow gauge railroad tracks will get a workout as visitors will have opportunities to ride the rails on a Ford Model-T inspection car, handcar or a steam train car. In addition, the other “horse power” will be featured in the form of pony and hay rides.

Museum guide Stewart Rhine said Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway was, in its day, a common carrier railroad that operated from 1894 until 1933. The line ran from Wiscasset in the south, to Albion and Winslow in the north. The museum is located at the site of the old Sheepscot station in Alna, with a mainline track running north from 97 Cross Road on the original roadbed.

AN ANTIQUE passenger rail carwill be available for rides Saturday during the annual Fall Festival at Woolwich, Wiscasset and Farmington Railway Museum. Festivities will be held at the old Sheepscot station, at left, in Alna.

AN ANTIQUE passenger rail carwill be available for rides Saturday during the annual Fall Festival at Woolwich, Wiscasset and Farmington Railway Museum. Festivities will be held at the old Sheepscot station, at left, in Alna.

Narrow gauge railroad tracks are 2 feet wide, about half the size of standard tracks at 4 foot 8.5 inches. Though the narrow tracks never enjoyed wide-spread use, they were popular in Maine because they could be constructed more cheaply than standard gauge networks. In addition, train components were smaller and cheaper as well, according to the museum’s website, www.wwfry.org. “However small these diminutive railroads were, they worked just as hard if not harder than their larger brethren, right up until the end.” The last line closed in 1943.

Rhine said the Fall Festival promises to entice because of the fabulous foliage colors. “People get to ride the train from here for about 15 minutes up to this large field where we have everything else set up, like the hay rides, food, music, pumpkins and that sort of thing. It’s especially fun for families and kids,” he explained. The museum is open every weekend from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. After that it is only open Saturdays the rest of the year.

During Saturday’s festival, the museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Steam trains and Model T inspection car rides will be available throughout the day.

Trains run on the hour every hour from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.


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