Train museums and excursion trains are plentiful in Maine, recalling a time when rail transportation was the norm. From the late 19th- to mid-20th centuries, tracks webbed the state, linking cities to smaller towns. Maine trains carried raw materials, such as lumber and produce, from woodlands and farms to the cities and ports, finished goods to towns, and passengers.
Maine’s traditional railroads, including the Maine Central and Bangor and Aroostook, operated on the 36-inch standard track. But five railways operated on a two-foot narrow gauge track, which was less expensive to construct, especially in rough terrain. Maine’s five narrow gauge railroads—Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, Bridgton & Saco River, Monson, Kennebec Central, and Wiscasset & Quebec—carried freight as well as passengers, including summer rusticators, to smaller, rural communities and summer resorts. Trolleys, another form of rail transit, serviced some of Maine’s larger towns and cities in the early-20th century.
Maine train rides & more
Maine’s train museums offer a chance to relive the heyday of the Iron Horse and trolleys. Even better, many operate excursion trains, offering the opportunity to see the countryside from a restored vintage carriage.
Of course, if you’re a rail fan, you can always ride the Amtrak Downeaster, which links Boston’s North Station with Maine destinations from Wells to Brunswick.
Below, I’ve listed Maine’s train rides and museums from south to north, beginning with those along the coast and then moving inland.
Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport
Don’t miss the Restoration Shop, where you can see staff and volunteers at work. Admission includes unlimited rides aboard restored streetcars on a 1.5-mile track, a rebuilt section of the Atlantic Shore Line Railway, and into the woods. The museum is dog-friendly.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum, Portland
Enjoy eye-candy views of Casco Bay and the islands while riding aboard one of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum’s restored trains on the narrow gauge track edging the Casco Bay shoreline beneath the city’s Eastern Promenade. Maine’s two-foot gauge railroads operated from the late 1870s until the 1940s.
This Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad train museum combines exhibits focused on Maine’s five narrow gauge railroads with the leisurely, round-trip, 35-minute excursion ride. Among the train equipment in the collection are steam locomotives, passenger coaches, combines, cabooses, a snow plow, a tank car, an inspection car, a railbus, and reproduction cars. Be sure to check the programs and events, which include wine, beer, and ice cream trains, as well as the seasonal Polar Express.
Want to operate a 23-ton, four-axle, diesel-electric locomotive? You can work as a Diesel Guest Engineer on a 1949 locomotive built by General Electric.
Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Museum, Alna
Don’t be fooled by the name; despite big dreams, the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway (which originated in 1894 as the Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad) never made it much farther than the peaceful Sheepscot Valley. Explore the museum’s grounds and visit the gift shop in the old station house, and then take a 40-minute out-and-back train ride along the 2.6 miles of track. The museum, rail yard, and gift shop are free. Do check the schedule for special events.
Boothbay Railway Village, Boothbay
Maine’s oldest railroad museum, Boothbay Railway Village, sprawls over 30 acres and operates coal-fired and steam passenger trains on a three-quarter-mile track. Meticulously restored vintage trains loop through a village comprising more than two dozen significant historic, historical, and replica buildings filled with engaging displays and exhibits recreating late 19th- and early 20th-century New England life.
The village’s 12 Maine railroad-related buildings include the 1912 Freeport train station, the 1871 Thorndike train station, an octagonal crossing shanty from Portland, and car houses. Many display artifacts related to Maine’s railroad history and other eclectic period items. Don’t miss the Model Railway exhibit, which portrays railroading in Maine during the 1950s—1960s.
The village’s Engineer’s Society program lets you operate one of the train museum’s Henschel steam locomotives.
Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, Belfast & Unity
Chartered in 1867 and completed in 1870, the 33-mile Belfast & Moosehead Railroad connected six Waldo County towns. The Brooks Preservation Society now operates an excursion train on a section of the track between Unity and Belfast. Current plans call for most 2021 tours to originate in Unity, although this may change.
Options include one-hour scenic Maine train rides, 90-minute pizza & whoopie pie trains, magic trains, hot cider & donuts trains, Common Ground Country Fair trains, fall foliage tours, and seasonal specials. It also offers railcycle tours. On these, you pedal a tandem single-speed bike built for the rails.
City Point Central Railroad Museum in Belfast is under restoration, but you can see vintage railroad cars, cabooses, and other equipment here. It’s also the northern end of the Belfast Rail Trail, which edges the water for 2.3 miles to downtown Belfast.
Downeast Scenic Railroad, Ellsworth
Enjoy a narrated, 1.75-hour, 10-mile round-trip excursion aboard the Downeast Scenic Railroad. The train, pulled by a 1948 General Electric locomotive engine, travels along a restored portion of the Calais Branch Line. Passengers ride in a vintage coach, open flatcar, or caboose.
Before or after the ride, tour the Washington Junction rail yard to see this young museum’s growing collection, view train cars under restoration, and watch the train reverse direction on the wye, built by Maine Central in 1931.
Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, Phillips
The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad runs on a narrow gauge track dating from 1879 when it was constructed to connect northern Franklin County with Farmington, where the Maine Central Railroad stopped. It is the largest two-foot railroad ever operated in the country, maintaining around 100 miles at its peak.
For the 50-minute round trip to the roundhouse, ride in a restored 1884 passenger car or a 1980s caboose pulled by Monson #3, a 1912 Vulcan steam locomotive, or the replica Sandy River locomotive #4.
On a walking tour, a guide shows the new roundhouse, built on an old foundation, and the site of a covered bridge. You can return on the same train, explore the original buildings and rolling stock, or picnic.
Both Sanders Station, which doubles as a train museum, and the Phillips Freight House, where you buy tickets and souvenirs, are original SRRL buildings moved here. While in the area, check out the Railroad Room of the nearby Phillips Historical Society.
Cole Land Transportation Museum, Bangor
While the Cole Land Transportation Museum is not specifically a train museum, it does have an excellent train exhibit. Wander along Station Street, view displays in the former Maine Central Railroad Enfield Station, and walk through a Maine Central Railroad caboose and a box car. Also on display is BL2 #557, a rare 1949 Bangor & Aroostook diesel engine.
Oakfield Railroad Museum, Oakfield
The original 1910 Bangor and Aroostook Railroad station houses the Oakfield Railroad Museum. Tour the station filled with Iron Horse memorabilia, the adjacent reading room and library, and the outbuildings, including a restored caboose. Note: The track is still active. A new exhibit building, The BARR, is opening in 2021, the museum’s 30th anniversary. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Note: The tracks are still active here; I’ve seen freight trains rumble by when here.
