This project has not really gotten under way in it's own right. But, the SR&RL had the oportunity to borrow an excavator and a bulldozer, so we made good use of them while the opportunities presented themselves. We actually got several things done with this equipment:

1. Doubled the size of the field at the north end of the big curve. It actually opens up a nice view.
2. Cleared a new volunteer/crew parking area on the RR west side of the roundhouse (away from the mainline).
3. Eliminated several troublesome boulders from our access road to the roundhouse.
4. Cleared the area for the Car Barn.


Special thanks to Bob Thorndike who loaned us his excavator and Ken Teele who operated it. Special thanks also to Mark Berry for the loan of his bulldozer.


This scene shows the excavator clearing the site for our planned car barn. The left track of the excavator is about running down the center line of the barn. When we get around to it (Spring 2003 estimated timeframe), we intend to put a metal barn 110-120 feet long and 36-50 feet wide in this newly made clearing. This location is across the mainline, approximately opposite the 'Old Stone Fort' turntable. The barn will have three tracks and be long enough to hold an assembled passenger train so our crews don't have to do a lot of switching late on a Sunday afternoon when they are in a hurry to start their long drives home. It will also be the only place we can store both passenger cars when they are back in service (a 45' car can't be switched across a 45' turntable without a tricky cable pull, or tractor assistance of some sort). It will also provide a place to store a string of freight cars that can easily be pulled out for display in fair weather.

We don't expect to put all 4 tracks in it, but this is what we expect the layout of the carbarn to look like. The red circles are boulders that need to be dealt with. All of the trackwork is #9 turnouts and 220 ft. radius curves to allow any possible Maine Two Footer equipment to reach any track.

We have down sized our thinking. The current plan is to erect either a wood or metal structure that is two tracks wide (25 feet) by 104 feet long. This will house 4 passenger cars or 6 freight cars. This project is expected to cost us $25-30,000!!! We've actually dug a foundation hole, but need funds badly. Please help us if you can!
You can donate to our Building Fund right here:
This fund is for the construction of a Car Barn to store 4 to 6 of our cars that now sit outside through the Maine winters. When we achieve that goal, this fund will be applied towards a replica Covered Depot, and/or a free standing Car Shop.
To direct your donation to the Building Fund, click here: