The WW&F railway reopens to the public on August 7.
On Aug. 7 the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway at 97 Cross Road, Alna will reopen to the public for the 2020 season with a special excursion at 5 p.m. to Milepost 8 over the railway’s newly constructed Mountain Extension.
On Saturday, Aug. 8 the railway will host its annual picnic, with picnic lunches, train rides at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m., a farm stand by SeaLyon Farm, and antique auto rides from Sheepscot Station. Another excursion to Milepost 8 will run at 5 p.m.
The railroad will also be operating on Aug. 22, Sept. 5 and 19. On each of these days, the railway will offer “handcar hops,” “ice cream eggspresses,” evening picnic specials, and campfire trains.
“Handcar hops” give groups of two to four people access to one of the railways hand-pumped cars for 1.5 hours for a personal tour of the railway with one of the railway’s crewmembers. “Ice cream eggspresses” combine the popular ice cream social, featuring Round Top Ice Cream, with a belated egg hunt, for those who missed out around Easter time. For evening picnic specials, guests can bring their own picnic or order one through the railway.
Campfire trains take guests on sunset excursions and include s’mores kits from Creamed Baking Company in Wiscasset, and include a different activity each evening. Aug. 22 will feature a talk on the history of Maine’s railroads by Bill Kenny, author of “A History of Maine Railroads.” Sept. 5 will feature music around the campfire with musician Jud Caswell. Sept. 19 will include a stargazers’ guide to enjoying the night sky away from any bright lights.
To ensure a safe environment for all visitors and crews, the railway has adopted a safety policy concerning COVID-19, which is available online at wwfry.org. All trains will have a 40-person maximum, which is under half the typical capacity. Additionally, trains will be cleaned between trips and transactions will be contactless when possible. All tickets this year are being sold in advance through the railway’s website. To purchase tickets by phone call 882-4193.
