Merry Christmas from Maine! On a chilly, windy December day, newly restored WW&F Locomotive #9 charges southbound across Humanson Brook Trestle with a trainload of holiday revelers fresh from a meeting with Santa Claus at Alna Center Station.
The Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum held its annual Victorian Christmas event on Saturday, December 19th, 2015. This event features free train rides for the public, visits with Santa Claus, horse-drawn wagon rides, and a variety of other attractions and entertainment for families. This year's event was quite special, however. After a nearly 10-year restoration effort, WW&F Locomotive #9, an original Maine, 2-ft Forney, was available for service for the first time in 82 years. With 2 steam engines and 1 diesel locomotive available, the museum put together its most ambitious operating plan yet, running two separate consists back and forth between Sheepscot Station and Alna Center, with rapid turns at each end. With 3 engines in the rotation, each steamer had frequent breaks to service and water, without disrupting the schedule. The trains ran from 11 AM until 4 PM, with each locomotive making 6 trips. With good weather, advance publicity and the attraction of the newly restored #9, the turnout was awesome. In 6 hours of operation, the 2-foot trains hauled 1,558 passengers, which is a new, single-day record. Congratulations to the WW&F Folks on another superb Victorian Christmas event, and on the debut of WW&F Locomotive #9!