The Boothbay Railway Village continues its 50th anniversary season with a special event celebrating the beginnings of its narrow gauge railroad line and honoring those early engineers that helped build the museum like Tom Pond, Bob Raudenbush and Wayne Pratt. Engineer’s Day on Saturday, July 25, will include a number of special treats for train fans of all ages. 

On the Village Green, young guests will be invited to ride aboard the museum’s popular barrel train or propel themselves around the track on the Kranky Kars.

Adults and older children are invited to try out the museum’s Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railroad Hand Car. The Hand Car dates to 1895 and would have been used by railroad employees to bring their tools and themselves out to areas on the line that needed attention. It is operated by one or two people on either side of the handlebars, alternating sides pushing down on the handlebars to turn a gear which turns the wheels.

The most exciting aspect of the day is the return of the 1925 Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Model T Inspection Car to Boothbay. The rail car is owned by the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head. This 1925 Model T was converted into a crew car for the two-foot gauge Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad in Phillips. A motorized inspection car was a significant upgrade from the earlier hand cars that were used to transport tools and workers to locations on the tracks that needed repair.

The car was donated to Owls Head when its owner, James Geier, died in 2001. Geier acquired the car from Edaville Railroad in 1993. Edaville had purchased the car when the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad went into bankruptcy and had it in use at its cranberry farm and railway attraction in South Carver, Massachusetts for nearly five decades.

Many may remember that when Mr. Geier was alive and spent his summers in Boothbay Harbor he had the car on loan to the Boothbay Railway Village where it was operated on a regular basis. The SRRL Inspection Car will be on loan from Owls Head Transportation Museum for several months and will be demonstrated occasionally during that time. 

Guests can also upgrade their train tickets to First Class and enjoy the Victorian splendor of the restored Franklin & Megantic Coach No. 2. The coach was originally built in 1903 and it embodies the typical travel of the era with its plush walkover seats and mahogany interior. It’s only been back in service for a few special days over the past year since its restoration was completed so this is a rare treat. There will be a small additional fee of $5 per person to ride aboard the First Class Car.

Engineer’s Day is free with regular museum admission of $5 for children 3-18 and $10 for adults. Children under 3 and museum members are free. Although the museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., most activities will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Well-behaved and leashed four-legged friends are welcome. Contact the Boothbay Railway Village for more information at 207-633-4727, or online at www.railwayvillage.org. The Boothbay Railway Village is located at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay.