Did anyone else here that they are looking for a new home?

Sally,

That is correct. Maine Narrow Gauge is doing its best to improve its current situation. Simply put, the organization seeks a location that will allow for superior restoration and museum facilities.

-Mike

I say bring the stuff back home to edaville!!

Personally, I wish the collection had never left Edaville in 1993. I also wish the Edaville loop hadn't been shortened. Sadly, those ships have sailed. Business is business and lately it hasn't seemed to be working out in the favor of "train people". Please try to understand that we are a minority-not a large enough source of revenue to support either MNG or Edaville. Both businesses recognize this and do what they must to survive.

Your best bet if you want to see the majority of Mr. Atwood's original collection survive and operate is to support MNG. Buy a membership, spread the word, volunteer some time, whatever you wish. If people like us don't roll up our sleeves and fix the tracks, paint a boxcar, or operate a steam engine, no one will. There is no invisible army of railroaders that come out of the woods and do this difficult work while we all sleep. I suspect very few of you actually understand what goes into sustaining these operations both in terms of dollars and cents as well as the huge amoung of labor required.

Most of us got our start in this business by visiting Edaville over the years. I will never forget when I first saw a steam locomotive: #8 sitting at the old Edaville water tower. For that reason it will always be a special place to me, and I wish continued success to its management.

Like I have said before in this forum, the railfan community is far too small for any sort of Edaville vs. MNG rivalry. As a trustee at MNG, I can speak for the entire board that we are simply interested in what is best for the collection, but we must play with the hand we were dealt, the consequences of past decisions that none of us who currently sit on the board had anything to do with.

Yes, MNG is looking for a new home. Please show your support.

thank you,

-Mike M

Good luck with you search for a new home. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Is there a chance any of the rolling stock could be returned to Edaville?

In a way it's too bad, I really liked seeing them in Portland, but que sera sera....

Since the point was made that there isn't a large enough railroad community to support two operations, it would seem like the best solution would be a combination that consolidate all the potential workers around making, at least, one railroad be able to run in the red. In fact, it could be conceivable that the combined operation would flourish. I too miss the longer loop as a special alternative to the shorter one that appeals to the kids and the Christmas lights festival and, if the operations were combined it might be possible to restore most of that route. It seems that we now have an excellent opportunity to act for the good of preserving the heritage of two foot railroading if we can just put the past behind us and focus on the greater good.

I would love to see some of the original equipment back at Edaville but, I don't know, I think there's still alot of bad blood, I know for sure #7 will never be at Edaville again, but I guess that doesn't rule out the others.

I agree that we'll probably never see #7 or #8 on the line again, at least, not on the tight turns of the short loop but wouldn't it be fantastic to see one of the smaller engines running there on the Festival of Lights. I think it could easily handle the curves and the shorter route doesn't have the steep inclines of the longer route. That, along with the lower friction trucks on the new cars, should allow it to pull a nice consist of cars.

I just hope if something like that ever happens that all the active railroaders take the opportunity to show their support and get their friends down to Edaville to prove the value of real steam. We have all talked about the importance to steam to attract customers but this would be a time to prove it.

even though #21 can take the turns?

Hi Joe,

#21 is a different type of locomotive from #3, 4, 7, and 8.

All 4 original Maine locomotives are Forney-type tank engines, and have very rigid frames as a result. Because of #7 and 8 being 33/38 ton, outside frame 2-4-4T locomotives, they have a very long wheelbase, so they need very wide curves to avoid binding up. #3 and 4 14/19 ton, inside frame 0-4-4Ts, so they are much smaller and have a much shorter wheelbase.

#21 is an 0-6-0 tendered locomotive, so she has a lot more flexibility in the turns.

I see, interesting.

Why not merge the two businesses - MNG and Edaville?

As a board member of MNGRR I applaud the suggestion. A few years ago I would have asked the same sort of thing. I know people out there really do care about the trains in our collection and everything that Edaville represents. That's wonderful.

Short answer: currently both organizations are dealing with very different problems, and we are not yet in a place where such collaboration, while in the public interest, is best for business.

Both organizations have uncertain futures. MNG is publically in the process of searching for a new home, and Edaville is searching for a new owner.

This is a time of great need for those of you who want to see these little trains and this great place live on. I urge you to do whatever you can to show your support. Visit Edaville, visit MNG; enjoy these trains. That's what they're still around for; enjoy them. They may not be around forever.

On a brighter note, you never know what the future may hold. Hope for good things.

Mike, I appreciate your openness to thinking outside of the box to resolve the problems facing both Edaville and MNG. We have all thought too long about Massachusetts vs. Maine when the history of two foot railroading involves both and one won't exist without the other.

My only comment is that, what you described as a show stopper for the possibility of a merger seems instead to be the reason why a merger would be a "win-win" situation for both operations. We are at a time when MNG needs a good home for its collection of two-foot railroading and Edaville is in need of new owners who understand railroading. As mentioned in an earlier post, there is room to consider a new operation made of a "not-for-profit" historical operation that could tap in grant funds and volunteer workers to protect and develop the two-foot museum collection plus a profit based public (tourist) attraction perhaps led by the current operators who have demonstrated real skill in their appeal to the public.

To be honest my only concern is the sale cost, considering the price of the operation at the bankruptcy sale and the significant property sales since then to Makepeace and for housing development. I have to admit I certainly know all the costs and investments that play into the asking price but I would hope that the chance of maintaining the legacies of Edaville and MNG would help the current owner consider any possible relief to the price so that a merger could be made.

The price of Edaville is cost prohibitive to MNG. While your thought is a good one, and one that crossed my mind as an ideal "perfect world" scenario, we couldn't come up with anything close to the asking price for Edaville.

That being said, if Edaville does see its 2011 season, I do believe there are enough of us currently at MNG that would be receptive to some collaboration.