Inviting Younger People to get Involved

[James Patten]

Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad Co
Les Fossell, Treasurer
PO Box 525
Alna, ME 04535

[Philip Marshall]

Thank you. I will be in touch.

[Ted Alexander]

While not a youngster by any means (56 yrs young) I am so impressed by what you folks have accomplished I am considering moving to mid coast Maine soon as im semi retired. I have family in Acton and Waterville. Im no stranger having spent most of my life Railfanning and modeling the Maine Central. Primarily the Rockland branch. 6 years ago I scrapped it all in favor of a Modern narrow gauge line (HOn30) centered around the WW&F. (photo below) I must say it again...the people involved with the WW&F are some of the nicest and down to earth people I've met in this hobby. Kudos to you all for an outstanding job well done.
Ted

[Joe Fox]

In the future I am sure the museum will find ways to attract younger members. In the near future I would like to put together some kind of presentation type deal to have displayed at train shows and the museum, showing what we offer as a railroad, and to our volunteers. It would include deals/discounts on different events, combo tickets, etc. as well as what there is for volunteers to do, and how they're time spent gets rewarded later on down the line.

Any how, there are many names here I don't know or recognize. For those who don't know me, I started at the WW&F Ry at the age of 14 as a one time community service project for school. I had bugged my Dad, Mike Fox, about going to help for some time. After that one day, we were hooked and I tried to stay a somewhat regular volunteer since. At age 22 almost 23, I now work for a railroad in Maine and due to being on call 24/7 for now, my time at the WW&F is almost 0. I miss it very much and look foward to returning in the near future.

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Joe, what railroad in Maine might that be?

Not the former airline? 

What is your position?  Low man on a railroad totem pole is a tough place to be.

[Joe Fox]

It is indeed the former air line. I am a conductor workin on the spare board for now. Hopefully I can hold a five day week job in a year or so.

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

As one who well remembers the real Pan American World Airways, it is a tough pill to swallow, watching the current iteration creaking down the rails.  From the China Clipper flying boats of the 1930s to the Boeing 747s of the last years, who would have thought that such a legendary company would morph into a regional freight railroad? 

Amelia Earhart was one of the founders of Pan American. That's why Tim Mellon donated money to and volunteered time with the group that has been searching for Earhart's plane out in the Pacific for lo these many years. Only this week a suspicious image was discovered in the sonar photography done last summer by that group. A spokesperson confirmed to me last summer that volunteer Tim Mellon of their group was the same Tim Mellon who now owns the Pan Am Rail System.  If they indeed find Earhart's plane, he will be able to tie into it in some way or other.   (never leave any tern unstoned).

You may find yourself involved in one of the discoveries of the Century. 

[Ira Schreiber]

When I returned from Poland in 1991 afteer a railfan trip over there, we flew back on Pan Am just a few weeks before they quit operations.