ALNA — The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum in Alna is offering a “steam and sleigh” event in which guests ride the narrow-gauge steam train to nearby SeaLyon Farm.
Once at the farm, visitors can enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides, make s’mores around a bonfire and play lawn games. Food and other products made at the farm are available for purchase.
Steve Piwowarski, marketing director for the museum, said the event was created to engage the community and help people enjoy the outdoors safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For many years we hadn’t run trains from January through May, but we realized there was room to create something people would enjoy doing,” said Piwowarski. “We wanted people to be transported somewhere in a very tangible way, but we also want people to travel back in time when they ride the train.”
The railway was built in 1894, one of 5 narrow-gauge railroads in the state, and was intended to connect Wiscasset to Quebec. However, the track never made it farther than Burnham before it closed in 1933 then torn up and sold for scrap in 1937.
Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum opened 1989 and slowly rebuilt the train station, cars and tracks.
Piwowarski said the museum’s mission is “to educate and entertain.”
“As a society, we got very caught up in figuring out what entertainment is,” said Piwowarski. “We think something as simple as boarding a train and letting the world pass you by through a window is entertainment.”
The event runs every Saturday until Feb. 20. Tickets are available online.
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