Well, I may not be a WW&F member (yet), but I might as well put my story in here...
My name is Bill Piche. I am currently a fireman, trainman, hammer swinger, armstrong tamper, etc at the MNGRR, where I have been volunteering since October, 2006. I grew up and still live in Stoughton, Mass, just 45 minutes from Edaville.
Maine and Railroads have been in my blood since before I was born in Sept of 1984. My rooms are quite literally covered from wall to wall with railroad pictures, posters, etchings, etc. My grandfather and great uncle on my father's side worked for the New Haven (I still have my uncle's shovel). My grandfather on my mother's side is from up in "the county" (Stockholm, Maine), and my grandmother on the same side is from Denver, Colorado (out there in "broad gauge" country). My parents would take me and my big brother to Edaville pretty much every year for railfans and Christmas since I was born until they closed. I was always sitting as close to the engine as I could, even in those young days.
I've been to Conway, Essex, Strasburg, Steamtown, Edaville (but not since 2001), the WW&F, and the Illinois Railway Museum in addition to a few small places and museums here and there. I hope to get to the New Hope & Ivyland, Mt. Wash, EBT, D&SRR, and the C&TSRR sometime in the next year or two.
It was always one of my dreams to get into steam, and at 24, I'm currently the 3rd youngest regular volunteer in the MNG steam program (and 2nd youngest of the personel qualified at fireman or higher). I plan on going for my high pressure boiler operators license this summer. I'll probably start coming up to the WW&F this summer to make some new friends and work on my 150 hours.
I'll admit that I was in the dark about the history of Maine 2' railroads. Getting involved in the MNG museum has opened me up to the world of railroading, one that I never imagined when I was a little boy riding in the seat at the front of the combine going around the bogs, listening to #8 scream back at #7 from across the resivoir...