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If your travel plans include a trip to Portland, Maine, and you are interested in a relaxing train ride around Casco Bay, keep reading this Blog.
Conventional railroads since the mid-19th century operated on / continue to operate on rails that are spaced 4 feet, 8.5 inches apart. Railway engineers soon discovered that it was significantly cheaper – and remarkably easier – to build railroads of a “narrower gauge” when faced with hilly or curvy terrain.
While “standard gauge” rails placed 4 feet, 8.5 inches apart provided stability and allowed large trains to run fast, “narrow gauge” rails could be laid more quickly, could let the train go around tighter curves, and could more easily manage rough or mountainous landscapes.
Narrow gauge offered an affordable alternative for railroads to more easily access places and businesses that would have been cost-prohibitive for standard gauge rails to reach. Mines, quarries, factories, and isolated towns around the world benefitted from rail service provided by narrow gauge railways.
Maine developed an entirely unique system in North America of rails spaced even closer together – 2 feet. The advantage was that Maine’s remote towns, separated by rocky hills, thick forests, and undulating topography, could be most efficiently served by 2-foot rails.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum in Portland, was established to preserve and operate 2-foot steam and diesel trains along a scenic 1.5-mile stretch of 2-feet track along Casco Bay. Total round trip time is 40 minutes.
Prices vary by date. This writer picked a date arbitrarily and the fare was $23 dollars per person. Please check the link below and select a specific date to get the exact fare.
For directions to the station, please check the link below.
Maine Narrow Gauge does not offer its own parking lot to park in. Parking around location includes 1-hour free parking, metered parking, or day parking at various lots close to their station.
Sources:
- Maine Narrow Guage Railroad History link-Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad History | Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum
Portland Maine Travel
If you are traveling to Portland, then check out the Green Vacation Deals Portland Budget Travel Guide for tips on how to save money on your trip.