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Messages - Allan Fisher

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1
Museum Discussion / Re: How did you hear of the W.W. & F. Ry. Museum?
« on: September 25, 2024, 05:47:42 PM »
In 1995, our family rented a house on Damariscotta Lake and while my son and I were exploring we came upon a little railroad station and a funny looking 1/3 portion of a car shop - but what stopped us was the very short stretch of two-foot gauge track outside the station.

Just as we pulled off the road to get a better look, a young fellow came out of the car shop. We approached him and asked - isn't this the original railroad grade that the two-foot steam locomotive stored in a barn in Connecticut came from?  And Jason answers, "yeh, do you want to see it?"

Started volunteering that summer and Bruce Wilson helped "mentor" me into the organization. Been hooked ever since.



2
General Discussion / Re: Keith Pratt
« on: July 24, 2024, 03:52:45 PM »
Nothing new on #18's bell that I know of since your last visit to N.S.

3
General Discussion / Re: Linwood W. Moody
« on: July 14, 2024, 12:26:02 PM »
The gift of the book , "The Two Footers" in 1959 . started my lifelong love of the two-footers. I did write to Mr. Moody in the next year asking about his Moody Magazine - and he sent me a complimentary copy of an issue with a nice note encouraging my young interest in the subject.

In 1960, during my recovery from Typhoid Fever, my parents took me to Maine for a week in our woodie Mercury station wagon. We went to Rangeley to see the stone station, to Philips where I met Joe Boston (SR&RL mechanical department) and Dana Aldrich. Joe gave me a blueprint map of the SR&RL, and I sat in Dana's kitchen looking thru photo albums he had been given of the railroad. With tears in his eyes, he described his fond memories. He was quite deaf, and conversation with him was very hard. We visited a retired conductor's home on the Phillips bypass road where there was some two foot gauge track, and a number of small track carts and pump cars, but Clarence refused to come out and talk to me.

We went to Kingfield and Strong, but retired railroaders there were not at home.

Next was Monson Jct, and finally on our way home, we passed the Wiscasset shops of the WW&F in a driving rain storm.

We also had gone to the B&ML Brooks Station, but Mr. Moody was off that day - but did see the mixed train stop while we were there.

4
Josiah Maxcy had his law office in Gardner.

5
Museum Discussion / Re: Property/Houses for Sale Along/Including WW&F ROW
« on: November 17, 2023, 03:40:49 PM »
Right behind the house is the Head Tide Station location - you can see the ROW in Photo 35 & 42 - most of the additional property does not include the ROW - but the property immediately behind the building does include the Station, main track and siding locatiobn

6
Moderator Announcements / Re: NEWSLETTERS!!!
« on: November 15, 2023, 06:00:18 PM »
Link requires password - I'll go back to getting a paper copy.

7
Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad / Re: Forster Toothpick Mill
« on: October 10, 2023, 11:00:45 AM »
Brings back memories of the six months I spent living in Phillips, and working in Strong after graduating and before reporting for duty as an Army  Transportation Corps Officer at Fort Eustis, VA.

I worked first trick as a laborer at the Starbird Lumber Company and third trick as the night watchmen/fireman at the Forster Worlds Fair Toothpick Factory.

The people in Franklin County Maine were some of the nicest people I every met, and I fondly remember the Toothakers, Pillsburys, Stinchfields, Beals, and many others who made me feel like I was a member of their wonderful community.

8
Volunteers / Re: Trimming/ Weed Whacking
« on: July 20, 2023, 09:16:02 PM »
When Fred sharpens them, they cut through the weeds easily. The fact that they are old is irrelevant.

9
The Original W&Q and WW&F: 1894-1933 / Re: Historic Photos
« on: March 09, 2023, 05:03:09 PM »
I agree with James - this wreck happened along the Sheepscot River in lower Whitefield in the mid to late 1920s. Right up until the end, WW&F trains ran at 30-35 mph when the engineer (Earl) felt conditions were right.

10
I had been asked by Arcadia Books to do a history of the WW&F over twenty years ago - but was too busy. There are literally hundreds of these "Images of Rail" books that have been published. We sell over 100 of these books at our Western Railway Museum store,

The nice thing about the Arcadia "Images of America" and " Images of Rail" series of books is that they are never out of print. They do an initial run of 500-1000 copies, and when these are all sold, they wait until they have orders for 25 or more copies, and reprint the book.

11
The Original W&Q and WW&F: 1894-1933 / Re: RPO & the WW&F
« on: January 31, 2022, 11:53:51 PM »
You will recall that Bob Richardson left only three bequests to railroad museums in his will. The WW&F was one of them.  Bob visited in the last year of his life and rejoiced over the cab ride he was given at Sheepscot.

12
Massachusetts' Two Footers / Re: Whithin Machine Works
« on: March 31, 2021, 09:09:19 PM »
If I'm not mistaken, the wrecked Whitin locomotive was also moved to Maine from Edaville where it was at the very back of MNG's rail yard at the Portland Company. I remember there was nothing - nothing - nothing left to salvage when Edaville and MNG got done with her - and she was scrapped when MNG had to get rid of property they were using to reduce their foot print at the Yacht Company (Sprague)

13
Other Narrow Gauge / Re: East Broad Top Feb. 20
« on: March 03, 2021, 08:04:20 PM »
I have been a life member of FEBT for many years. Back in the days, a FEBT group (including Lee Rainey)  used to come up and help with our work weekends. Many are members of the WW&F also. Good group - and I know the backers of the railroad - this renaissance should become quite a success story.

14
Volunteers / Re: January 2021 Work Reports
« on: January 22, 2021, 12:37:22 PM »
Stating the obvious - if we do use loaded cars in trains, we must ensure that the load is properly spaced in the car and secured.

15
Museum Discussion / Re: Switch lanterns on high mast switches
« on: November 25, 2020, 07:36:27 PM »
As the Curator of one of the larger railroad archives in the United States, and a member of the Museum's Collection Committee, I am also not in favor of keeping dead items for people to study. Present and future researchers get a better picture of what your museum is all about by seeing artifacts used, and when the need exists - overhauled and renewed.

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