W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Museum Discussion => Topic started by: Ted Miles on December 17, 2017, 02:26:23 PM
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The Flag Stops at Sheepscot and Alna Center are interesting. Are there any historic inventorys that show just what furnishings were in them?
I suspect the Sheepscot station in now furnished like an agency station; that had a person staffing it all day long. Looking at the historic pictures; I do not see any electric wires going to these stations.
However, they are in a museum which has an educational mission; so it it is not such a bad thing to over-furnish these little buildings. I find it wonderous that a typewriter has to be explained to the younger visitors! I guess being a Senior Citizen has experience beyond a 12 year old!
What are your thoughts?
Ted Miles, WW&F Member and retired museum curator.
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Don't forget the magneto telephone on the wall to the right of the desk. Rotary dials flummox many young folks - imagine a crank phone ;).
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Most young folks probably have never heard the word flummox!
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One wonders what stations and other spots had phones for use by the train crews and other employees!
Mike Nix
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I'm fairly certain that the WW&F never had a lineside phone line so phone service would have been where local phone service intersected with the WW&F. Paging John "Mr. Telephone" McNamara for correction if necessary......
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It's my understanding that the WW&F never had line-side telephone or telegraph service. I don't recall seeing any photos of wires going into WW&F stations with the exception of a photo showing wires along the trestle between the lower and upper yards at Wiscasset. (That remark should produce a plethora of photos.) :)
I am reminded of the joke about the three archeologists. One from Country B proclaimed that his people had discovered copper a meter under the earth, suggesting the possibility of early wire communications. Not to be outdone, the archeologist from Country F proclaimed that his crew had discovered small glass fragments two meters down, suggesting that their civilization possibly had fiber optics even before country B. The third archeologist, from Country I, trumped them all by proclaiming that nothing was found even three meters down, plainly suggesting wireless technology was used there before any of the others. The names of Britain, France, and Israel have been disguised for the purpose of international harmony.
-John M