The Boothbay Railway Village is restoring S.D. Warren Co. locomotive No. 2 to its original operating condition, as built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and shipped to Westbrook in 1895. This offers an unusual opportunity for volunteers to get involved in the railroad shop and work under the direction of our Chief Engineer Brian Fanslau.

Those familiar with the Museum will remember that this locomotive sat under the entrance sign on Route 27 for decades. The restoration of an industrial locomotive is a unique opportunity to highlight a segment of rail history that is often left out of the story of New England railroading. This locomotive was built in 1895 at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the S.D. Warren Paper Company in Westbrook. When complete S.D. Warren Co. locomotive No. 2 will be put back into regular service at the Boothbay Railway Village.

This locomotive, essentially a standard Baldwin industrial product along with identical sister No. 1, were part of the same order and replaced the horses at work in the mill yard. While it is commonly thought that the Sandy River Railroad was the first 2-foot gauge railroad in Maine, actually the railroad in the mill (Cumberland Mills) was the earliest, although it did not have steam power until 1895. At the time steam power arrived at Cumberland Mills, S.D. Warren was producing more than 35,000 pounds of paper a day and was the largest paper mill in the world. No. 1 & No. 2 hauled both pulpwood and coal throughout the mill. The mill complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as the Cumberland Mills Historic District.

Our planned restoration follows the specifications from the original order placed in 1895. Work on the locomotive, which last operated under steam in the 1940s, includes building a new boiler, repairs to the wrought iron frame, all new bearings, a new cab and a new saddle tank.

The restoration is made possible, in part, by grants from the Tom E. Dailey Foundation and Amherst Railway Society along with gifts from individuals. The Museum is still far from is fundraising goal and tax-deductible gifts can be made directly through its website at www.railwayvillage.org.

Although experience is not required to volunteer, those with a background in machine shops or similar settings are especially encourage to participate. The first volunteer work day is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those interested in attending should call the Museum at 207-633-4727 or email staff@railwayvillage.org so staff can prepare materials. Please wear heavy work pants/jeans and closed toe boots or shoes. Be prepared to get dirty!

The Boothbay Railway Village is located at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay.