Property/Houses for Sale Along/Including WW&F ROW

[Ed Lecuyer]

Listed 5/19/2022 - MLS#: 1528893
108 Alna Road, Wiscasset.
$399,000
Zillow Listing: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/108-Alna-Rd-Wiscasset-ME-04578/84991615_zpid/

Lot includes the site of the WW&F Bridge over the brook just north of the 218 grade crossing. See map.

[Mike Fox]

You can see the grade in this Lidar Map

[John Kokas]

This appears to be the property which is the first Wiscasset town property the line crosses from our existing ROW.  The power pole sits at the end of what was the ROW embankment before the small bridge and the line crossed 218 just south of the driveway and paralleled 218 for a short distance.

A needed piece to get to Wiscasset (eventually),  I have wondered if it would be sound, (financially), to form an LLC and have members invest to buy properties and then use them as rentals and/or air B & B's.

Thoughts anyone?

[Wayne Laepple]

It took me a while to figure out where this was. I finally resorted to Google Maps and the address.

[Bob Holmes]

Nice property, though...

[Ed Lecuyer]

108 Alna Road, Wiscasset is now "SALE PENDING".
Maine real estate is crazy!

[Ed Lecuyer]

[Moderator's Note]
It is the Moderator's intent to use this thread to highlight properties that may be of interest to Museum Members who would like to "take the leap" and move closer to the railroad, while also obtaining a lot that happens to abut or include WW&F RoW (active and inactive.)

This thread is NOT for discussing the merits of the museum acquiring said properties, feasibility, etc.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Listed 8/19/2022 - MLS#: 1539438
1517 Alna Road, Alna
$399,000
Zillow Listing: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1517-Alna-Rd-Alna-ME-04535/304658915_zpid/

This property abuts the active WW&F at Humason brook.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Listed 12/22/2022 - MLS#: 1550035
286 Wiscasset Road, Whitefield
$470,000
Zillow Listing: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/286-Wiscasset-Rd-Whitefield-ME-04353/112665217_zpid/

This property appears to include part of the WW&F ROW just south of the Whitefield Iron Bridge.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Listed 4/11/2023 - MLS#: 1555865
23 Water Street, Wiscasset
$649,000
Zillow Listing: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/23-Water-St-Wiscasset-ME-04578/91862747_zpid/

This property directly overlooks the former wharfs of Wiscasset and the WW&F. The listing agent has been notified that his representation regarding the use of the Rockland Branch is at best misleading, and likely fraudulent.

[Graham Buxton]

With a lead-in like Ed's in the post above, I just had to read the listing. 


Aside from the RR misrepresentation, I laughed out loud (considering the asking price of $649K):

This is the fixer upper you've been waiting for.

 

[Ed Lecuyer]

The listing agent has been notified that his representation regarding the use of the Rockland Branch is at best misleading, and likely fraudulent.

The listing has been updated; it's now just slightly misleading - considering that daily passenger service has been announced, but has not started yet.

[Benjamin Richards]

...daily passenger service has been announced...

Where? I find lots of articles about the proposals, but nothing that feels this side of 50% probability.

In the realtor's defense, clear information is difficult to obtain for passenger service on this branch, and for freight service in general. I follow the topic with interest, and I know the right words to type into Google, and I still have trouble sorting out which information is still relevant, for as many false starts as we've had with this. Imagine what spews forth when a non-railroad type offers up on the Altar of Google: "Are the train tracks in Wiscasset still used?"

Actually, go ahead and try that one. You might be surprised. 

[Ed Lecuyer]

I give a bit more credibility to the same articles that you cite. It is clear that Finger Lakes/Midcoast intends to start passenger service - its only a matter of time.

As to Googling "Are the train tracks in Wiscasset still used?" - may it come to pass.

[Graham Buxton]

An interesting exercise is to paste Ben's question into Google, but surround the search phrase with quotes, like this:


"Are the train tracks in Wiscasset still used?"





If it wasn't for those pesky folks at the WW&F filling up Google's servers with Museum references   the Wiscaset Realtor's search would likely be more relevant. 


But changing the search phrase to "railroad  tracks  rockland passenger" brings up more relevant links (but its a bit much to expect a Realtor to know the railroad branch name), including this one which even has a relatively recent photo of a freight train at Wiscasset:


https://railfan.com/maines-midcoast-railservice-drums-up-freight-eyes-passenger-service-next/