Portland's Polar Express races toward the rapidly disappearing sun, en route to her destination at the city's Marine Terminal. Fittingly, the Polar Express here in Maine takes the form of a 2-foot, steam-powered train, operated by the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum, with Monson Railroad #4 on point. The 1918-vintage Vulcan Forney is pulling a string of 6 coaches and a caboose. About half this train is vintage Maine 2-foot equipment, including the locomotive, two coaches and the caboose at the end. The remaining 4 coaches are replicas, which were built in the shops of the Edaville Railroad. The brick building just to the left of the locomotive is part of the former Portland Company complex, which manufactured steam locomotives from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Although #4 here was not built by the Portland Company, she likely would have been if that firm had survived long enough. Her design is basically the same as that of the other Forney types that the Portland Company built for several of the Maine 2-foot operations. Perhaps it is fitting that the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company & Museum is currently headquartered in the old Portland Company Complex.
