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12/23/2000
What a day for pictures!

Since it snowed Friday I spent the afternoon today with Savery Moore chasing #21 around the bogs to take pictures. She looked great against the snow in her black paint with a plume of steam or smoke, depending when you looked.

When we returned to the station at darkness we just caught her being uncoupled from the train. The atomizer regulator got a piece of something in it and had to be removed for cleaning. The crew did a very professional job switching her out, bringing diesel #3 in, and sending the train on its way. The second train didn't have to wait long outside the station.

12/09/2000
Excursion car #101 looks ready for service.

Excursion car #101 was still in the shop and it looked like there was a little touch up work with a paintbrush needed around the safety chains, but over all the car looked ready for service. The shop crew did a good job again with the remodeling to make it look like the rest of the passenger stock.

I visited today because it had snowed yesterday and I took the 2:30PM train. #21 was at the head and she looked and sounded great pulling her train around the frozen reservoir. Although crowds were light early in the afternoon diesel #3 was already on the way with another train when we came back. A third train and crew were ready if needed later in the evening. Management is doing what they can to keep the lines short and moving.

11/25/2000
Three trains are planned for today for the first time.

During my visit last night I was told that these were the plans for today:

• Install the seats into excursion car #113 and put the car into service.
• Run three trains during peak hours.

11/18/2000
#21 improved her looks again.

The long awaited "Edaville" lettering has finally been applied to the tender of the locomotive during the week. The front windows have been glazed and a section of plexiglass covers one of the side windows. The sand dome is still missing but she looks sharp and it sounds great when she pulls into the station with the bell ringing. For all the people worried about the origin of the bell: it came from one of the display engines, #7 is safe.
Work is progressing well on the remodeling of excursion car #101.
The FP10 on display looks impressive at night with the paint applied and all lights and number boards illuminated.

11/07/2000
Wow!

Edaville is transformed into a wonderland of lights. Management spared no expense to have a great Christmas Festival of Lights this year. Many of the new displays are animated; there are displays in the water; new animated display boxes line the road from the ticket office to the station; every house in Peacedale is decorated and one even has a lit Christmas tree inside. It is a far cry from the humble beginnings of last year and well worth a visit with the children.
For the rail fans:

• Locomotive #21 was in the machine shop, the name is showing on both sides of the cab but "Edaville" is still missing from the tender. The generator has been moved back in front of the cab and the bell was temporarily mounted on the sand dome bracket. As time permits the sand dome will be installed and the bell relocated a little farther back.
• Excursion car #113 was still in the carpenter shop. The crew is working on the floor planks. The wood for the roof is in place but still needs the fiberglass covering.
• I was told that the frame for excursion car #114 is taking shape off site. It will be brought to the Edaville shops for all the wood work.
• Excursion #101 (the little red one) is in the shop for a facelift. To make it look like the rest of the passenger cars the planks will be removed and replaced with tongue-and-grove siding.
• The two unused "toast rack" excursion cars from the South Pacific Sugar Mills have their seats removed and are converted to generator cars for the night trains.

10/21/2000
Updates and corrections.

When Mark saw #21 in the shop last weekend the bell was not yet mounted. The crew was just trying to find a place on the boiler to put it. They decided to move the generator closer toward the cab and place the bell between the generator and the steam dome. This modification will take some time, but she will ultimately have a bell. The brass cover over the steam dome is in place and when I arrived this morning the crew was busy polishing it. I could actually see it shine already from the ticket office.
The car shop crew is making good progress on excursion car #111 and #113. The roof of #111 was getting the fiberglass resin painted on but looked finished otherwise. Car #113 was in the shop and it looked like the wood siding was complete, but it still needed the roof. The last time I saw this car was less than two weeks ago. At that time it was only a frame on blocks outside the car shop.
Excursion Car #112 was up on blocks in the yard after running during the Cranberry Festival. A bearing in one of the trucks seized up and will be replaced.
For the standard gauge fans: The FP10 on display has the beginnings of the Santa Fe "War Bonnet" paint scheme emerging. Although there was still much masking tape in place, you can already make out what it will soon look like.
Work also continues on the signaling system. Dave told me that he recently installed an insulated rail joint and repaired or replaced the bonding jumpers on the section of track.

10/17/2000
The latest on #21.

Mark Spremulli reports from his visit on Saturday (10-14): The machine shop doors were open and I was able to see engine #21. Since the Cranberry Weekend, they've added a small bell just in front of the cab and the brass steam dome that you mentioned was also put back on. Even the name Anne Elizabeth was painted on the cab. The only things they have left to do is to paint Edaville on the sides of the tender, put glass in the windows and add the sand boxes. She looked great.

10/09/2000
#21 a crowd pleaser.

The last day of the Cranberry Festival was a total washout because of the pouring rain, but not for #21. The engine performed well on Saturday and most of the day Sunday. At the end of Sunday a plugged fuel line interrupted service for a short time. It was easy to blow the line out and this morning she was coming up to pressure when I arrived. She pulled away from the shop and was fueled up a while later from a tank on a pickup truck. The first train went out pulled by diesel #2 at 10:45 AM, but #21 took over as soon as the train returned. Because of the rain crowds were small and one train was all that was needed. Despite the rain, rail fans (including myself) were still hanging around the engine and admiring her. Everybody was commenting on how great it was that steam was running again.

The paint on the engine was only hastily applied to get ready for the weekend. Her name "Anne Elizabeth" will be painted on again and the brass cover over the steam dome still needs to be installed. And with today's cold and rain the crew was wishing that the glazing in the cab was already finished.

10/07/2000
#21 enters revenue service.

Steam has returned to Edaville! Today #21 pulled her first revenue trains for the enjoyment of many visitors to the Cranberry Festival.

It was touch and go to make this day because of many problems along the way, the last one with the inspector to certify the engine. His visit for the hydrostatic test was scheduled for yesterday morning, but he did not arrive until late in the day. The engine passed the test, but it took some dedicated crew members until 3:00 AM today to reassemble the engine for service. Other crew members worked hard to install couplers on the new cars. These also arrived only toward the end of the week. But when diesel #3 gave up the train to be taken over by #21, two new cars were added to the end. The last one was excursion #112, still without a road number and waiting for another coat of paint. The lines of visitors were long and every available seat helped to move them. My congratulations to all members of Edaville who brought the railroad back to this point.

I had an opportunity to talk to Jack Flagg and Doug Beaton and they are currently investigating the possible purchase of two more Hudswell engines. They also continue to pursue a deal with MNGRR to operate either #7 or #8 at Edaville.

09/23/2000
#21 ready for inspection.

Today I found #21 in the machine shop. All tests have been satisfactory and she is now waiting for a date with the state inspector before she can go out into revenue service. In the meantime the crew was busy removing some of the temporary hoses of the feed water system and replacing it with pipe. As for the final coat of paint, I was told it would be black rather than the original green and red.

Excursion car #112 looks well along, it was in the car shop painted in a coat of primer. Car #111 had the roof partly installed and someone was working on a coupler for excursion car #128. The additional help for the carpenter shop is making a big difference.

09/14/2000
Passenger car update.

I received word today that work on the new cars is progressing well. Edaville has hired additional carpenters to make sure the cars are ready for the Christmas Festival of Lights. Excursion car #112 has all its exterior wood on and the sub roof was going to get installed today. The shop crew will gang up on excursion #111 next.

09/05/2000
#21 ran again!

I had the good fortune today to watch another test run of the "Anne Elizabeth". She moved under steam from the machine shop to the turntable. After the last train of the day returned the diesel was put away and #21 backed up to the train. Doug Beaton, the engine's owner, and a few others boarded the train for the test run. It was a beautiful sight to watch the train leave the station and see it again climbing Mt. Urann. The day of regular steam trains at Edaville is getting close.

09/02/2000
Fun in the rain.

It rained today during my visit at the railroad, but the crew was working as usual. Here is a short report of what is going on:

• Excursion car #128 and #129 were both outside the car shop. #128 has been in service and #129 looked just about finished but without the number painted on. The car also had a temporary truck under one end.
  
• Excursion car #111 and #112 are in the car shop and it looks like the floor planking was in place.
  
• The frame for excursion car #113 is sitting next to the tracks on blocks near the car shop.
  
• Combine #11 had a good part of the roof removed and a stack of new ribs was laying on the floor inside the car.
  
• While I was there the "Anne Elizabeth" had her pilot painted black. Some purists who want to preserve the original British look probably cringe at this, but it makes her look more like an American engine.

08/29/2000
Test of #21 a success!

I received 2 messages tonight about the testing of the "Anne Elizabeth" this afternoon. The official news report reads: "The Hudswell was out under steam again on Thursday, this time the shop crew was not towing a back up diesel behind them, and curiously one of the cab side panels was off. The crew went out behind the regular 2 o'clock train following the regular diesel powered train around just a few minutes behind. Everyone seemed pleased by the locomotive's performance. It looked and sounded good, especially the whistle."
Joseph Scolastico happened to see her during the test and had this to say:"I decided to visit today and when I got there, diesels #3 and #11 were shuffling her around. After I got off the train, they had moved her onto the old mainline near the coal pit. I decided to ride again, and while I waited for the next train, I spoke with one of the men working on the Hudswell. He said the locomotive was going to be doing some testing today and that he didn't know when they would put it into service. After my second train ride, I began to head toward the entrance to leave. As I neared the gift shop, I heard the entrance crossings go on. I though this was strange since the train was in the station. Next, I heard the sounds of a steam locomotive hard at work and there was the Hudswell, steaming right along! It crossed the entrance crossing, then proceeded to cross the Eda Avenue wig-wag crossing. The locomotive stopped after that, a good distance from the platform. I assume because the train was still in the depot. The locomotive wasn't pulling anything. I assumed it had gone the entire distance, since it was traveling in the right direction and when it was by the coal pit, it was also in the right direction. It was great hearing a steam whistle at Edaville again."
I have to agree with Joe, I am looking forward to hear the whistle again on a regular basis.

08/29/2000
Flooring is being installed on new excursion cars.

Excursion car #111 and #112 have been moved into the car shop to have the floor planking installed. The frame for excursion car #113 is on the property but had to be set on blocks due to a temporary shortage of trucks.

08/21/2000
Machine shop news.

The latest scoop from the work on #21: "The Edaville shop crew dropped the rear driver on #21 on Monday to clear out a partially plugged oil line into the bearings discovered during their recent test runs. The crew used a wooden crib and a big jack to assist in the job. One of the crew said they were going to drop each driver in turn to make sure everything was the way they wanted it since they were set up to do the job."

08/19/2000
Revenue service of engine #21 will be delayed.

#21, the "Anne Elizabeth", has been moved into the machine shop. The side rods were removed and the crew was making preparations to remove the drivers on Monday. This decision was made after they found the hot axle boxes during the performance test. Although the axle boxes should be ok, they want to check them before continuing the tests. It is a delay, but progress continues to be made.
Excursion car #129 was still in the car shop but showed the first traces of color.
The track gang was busy replacing ties. If you look out the back of the caboose or ride in the cab you will notice the many new ties. One of the worst areas of decay seemed to have been around Mt. Urann.
Edaville has a new fire truck! The thrill of racing the train with a fire truck will soon be back. A retired truck from the Sharon, MA, fire department has been modified with benches in the back and was being checked out next to the car shop.
Many "old timers" will remember the stop at Cranberry Lake Park and the lighthouse there. I have not heard any news about reopening the stop, but the lighthouse is being restored. The top was gone for a while and much of the siding was rotten. It looked today like the siding was complete, but the structure still needed a new top and the addition of the living quarters for the lighthouse keeper.

08/15/2000
Update for the 08-08 News Flash.

Here are the results from the performance test of #21 last Monday: "we did run the Hudswell around the RR last Monday; all driving axle boxes were unacceptably hot by the time we got over Mt. Urann. Not unexpected, though, as the machine has sat for nearly 10 years without going more than a half a mile to a mile". They will continue to work on that as time permits.

08/08/2000
Edaville News Flash.

Here is a good news flash for steam lovers from the electronic Edaville newsletter from 08/07/00: "The Hudswell-Clark was seen , under full steam, testing on the rails today. It was pulling one of the heavier diesels with its new couplings."

08/05/2000
New cars continue to be built.

Edaville has embarked on an agressive car building program to be able to handle the crowds at the Christmas Festival of Lights better than last year. Although much has been accomplished over the past year, I hope there is enough man power available to finish all the cars in time. Here is the current status of cars being worked on:

• Excursion car #128 is now in revenue service. The new couplers are still not installed (they are still waiting for them) but it was hooked to the end of the train by a link-and-pin connection and safety chains.
• Excursion car #129 was still in the car shop, but the siding was installed and primed.
• The frame for excursion car #111 is still sitting next to the car shop.
• Another framed car (excursion car #112) was stored near the old coal bin on the old main line. Cars are being prebuilt off-site and then brought to the Edaville shop to be finished. Currently there are two more excursion cars under construction (#113 and #114).
• Combine #11 has moved from the machine shop to the car shop to begin restoration work.

07/17/2000
Another outing for #21.

Sunday afternoon #21 was taken out for another spin. The crew took her as far as the high dike along the main line. There she was thoroughly checked over and a punch list created. The results were encouraging, there don't seem to be any serious problems to correct.
So far no date for her use in revenue service has been set.

07/15/2000
Moving right along . . .

#21 is back in the car shop undergoing some more repairs to the piping. Some adjustments are needed after the testing yesterday. The new cab windows are still without glass, but the steam dome is in place without the brass cover. So far the new brake shoes have not been installed, either.
Work is moving along on the new excursion cars. #128, the one just about completed, was getting some clean-up work done on the fiberglass roof. #129 was still in the shop and the fiberglass mat was being installed. The third one, #111, sat still outside, a primed frame only.

07/14/2000
"Anne Elizabeth" moves under her own power!

I just got word that #21 moved under her own power today. The crew was doing some more low pressure testing and decided to increase the pressure just a little more and open the throttle. She moved!!
The day of steam trains at Edaville are getting close. My congratulations to everybody involved in the overhaul.

07/12/2000
#21 steam up.

#21 was steamed up last Saturday, July 08. This was not for running tests but to check out some of the steam operated appliances. The atomizer and injectors worked fine, there were problems with the inspirator. After getting those bugs worked out they will work on the generator and lubricator. The crew was also happy to get some help from a machinist who made parts to adapt some of the appliances with 1-1/8" Witworth threads (English) to our American pipe sizes.

06/24/2000
Good news about #21.

#21, the "Anne Elizabeth", is starting to look like a steam engine again! She is reunited with her tender, the boiler jacket with shining brass bands is covering the insulation, and the cab has been modified and installed. It now sports some square window openings in the front instead of the portholes. They still needed to get cleaned up a little and the glazing installed. The new brake shoes are in and will be installed as soon as the castings are ground. She also has a number plate in front of the smoke box like any good American engine, thanks to Steve Boothroyd. I happened to be near the car shop when she was pulled out by diesel #3 so the crew would have some more room to work on her. They were working on the piping for the feed water system today.
Dave Barnes was busy working on the signal at the new main line. The signal was moved from the old main line to its new position and Dave added an equipment locker next to it to hold all the control relays. They used to be installed inside the cabinet at the base of the signal but it was impossible to "get your hands inside for maintenance work." This will be much easier after the installation and wiring is complete.
The first new car looks ready to be put into service (except for couplers). I thought there were only two cars being build in the shop, but there are actually three. The complete one is a rebuild from a Colorado car with platforms added. The spliced one I saw a month ago was in the shop today and the first pieces of wood framing are added to the steel frame. And the third one was sitting outside behind the Colorado car.
Peacedale looked like an anthill today. I saw Jack Flagg's camper when I came to Edaville today and asked where he was. I was told with a smile, "He's out at Peacedale with some masons. I don't know why he needs masons, the buildings are all wood." Well, I didn't get it until the train went by Peacedale and there were a bunch of Massachusetts Free Masons busy adding more buildings, painting, and landscaping.
Do you remember the Edaville Trolley? It was back sitting behind the car shop still lettered for the Cumbres&Toltec where George Bartholomew had used it. I didn't have a chance to ask if they plan to run it again soon at Edaville.

05/27/2000
Restoration news and corrections.

I was a little too excited last week when I thought that there was another coach currently being build at the car shop. The photo of the spliced car is one of the two new cars mentioned. The second one is much farther along inside the shop. Both are patterned after the excursion cars to be used open in the Summer and glassed in during the Christmas season.
The Hudswell-Clarke is slowly coming back together again. After passing all required inspections the crew has installed the insulation and boiler jacket. The cab is still sitting outside. The British looking "port holes" in the front are supposed to get cut out and be replaced by more traditional American square framed windows before the engine will go into service.
Many of you saw a diesel lettered for the "Cape Cod Canal" railroad pulling one of the trains during the Christmas season. The engine is now relettered as Edaville #3.
The track gang was busy replacing ties past the Cranberry Valley curve. This is a never ending maintenance chore to keep the track in safe condition, although a good tie will last many years. The tie that came out happened to have a date nail in it from 1927! Edaville never used date nails but built the track with used ties and rail. I asked if anyone knew where this tie had come from and was told probably from a branch of the New Heaven that ran to Woods Hole. The replacement tie was second hand also, it had already seen service during the Boston tunnel project.

05/21/2000
Edaville is open again!

Although the official opening of the railroad for the season is not until next weekend, trains already ran for the visitors of the antique engine meet and whoever else wanted to ride.
I was surprised to see the new layout of the main line: the train no longer makes the loop past the coal bin but runs straight out from the station. One of the reasons this move was necessary was safety. New displays and rides are now located near the track and the moving trains are always a potential hazard to careless children. The old track can now be used to store an extra train.
The FP 10 diesel on display next to the old main line so far has only a coat of primer, I understand it is supposed to get the Santa Fe "War Bonnet" paint scheme.
Unfortunately the car shop was closed and I didn't get a glimpse of the new coaches, I hope they will be out next weekend. It looks like a short excursion car from the "Years of Struggle" period is being extended. It is a steel frame car and was sitting outside of the shop. The shop crew had cut it in half and welded an extra section into the middle. The missing section in the roof is clearly visible.
Dave Barnes and Bill Oakes were busy working on the signals to get as many of them as possible ready for the next weekend. All the ones around the station area seem to work, others along the line still need the arms installed and lenses replaced.
Edaville is up and running for another season and things have improved again. It was great to meet some old friends again and to meet some new ones.

05/09/2000
Other narrow gauge news

Although not strictly news about Edaville, here is a short update on some of the equipment that was moved from Edaville to other railroads. Over the weekend (May 5,6,7) I visited the WW&FRY and MNGRR to see what happened with some of the rolling stock that was sold.

WW&FRY:
Edaville's "hidden" engine #5 has been sold to the WW&FRY where she is running as their #10. She was steamed up for the weekend and did a great job hauling our train to the end of the line in the Maine woods. There are some cosmetic repairs that are necessary, but she was running! I was very impressed with the smooth and well ballasted track. The group of volunteers running the line is doing a great job restoring and preserving their equipment.
Another piece from the old Edaville was a coach that was originally built for the Wiscasset & Quebec as coach #3. It was sold to the MNGRR and is now on loan to the WW&FRY. After many years the car is back on its "home" rails.


MNGRR:
Sunday I was able to catch a cab ride in Edaville's old diesel #1 at Portland. I had first visited the railroad shortly after the equipment was moved and no trains were running. Things have changed a lot for the better now. The group was able to utilize an exsisting section of standard gauge roadbed, they just moved one rail and were able to run trains. Only the yard tracks and passing sidings had to be laid with short ties. The museum looks much better after its face lift, too. It is good to see that at least some of the oldest coaches, including the parlor car "Rangely", found a place protected from the weather. I wish they would be able to cover more of the other equipment, but I guess that will come as the railroad grows.

04/28/2000
Shop crew was busy during the Winter

Dave Barnes wrote with more good news about the restoration work:

• The stripped down Hudswell-Clarke is getting ready to be re-assembled and will be equipped with an American cab and knuckle couplers.
• Two new steel frame roller bearing 50' wood coaches will join the other cars this season. These cars were built in Edaville's own shop.
• A badly rotted combine coach is currently being rebuilt.
• The vacant space of the "Flying Yankee" will soon be taken up by a standard gauge 2-8-2 from the Wolfboro RR.
  

03/24/2000
One step closer to steam operations at Edaville

From the Edaville Railroad Newsletter:
The Hudswell-Clarke engine has been ultrasonically tested for shell thickness and was steamed up to seat the new gaskets.

01/08/2000
Signal system maintenance

From the Edaville Railroad Newsletter:
To prevent vandalism on the exposed semaphore signals the arms will be removed and stored indoors for the winter. The batteries have to be covered with bales of hay and the bonding jumper has to be inspected at each rail joint. Since the rails carry current to operate the signal system, good electrical contact has to be maintained throughout the loop.
Some time this winter the old dispatcher's control panel will be installed again in the bay window of the gift shop.

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