Downeaster discussion

[Rambling Robert]

$80 ain’t too bad. Enterprise will pick up drop off if it meets their personnel schedule and arranged ahead of time. There are a couple other transportation museums up that way. I haven’t been to the trolley museum

Owls Head is cool — some train but mostly cars and planes. The have a Sunday ride occasionally of local people and their cars. There’s an MG car collection including an MG limousine. Owls heads is located in the southern tip of the jet port/taxiway.

There’s a chance that someone at Well’s Transportation Center of Maine might help. I know there are local busses Portland, Freeport, Lewiston maybe more?

 

[joelkfla]

$80 ain’t too bad. Enterprise will pick up drop off if it meets their personnel schedule and arranged ahead of time. There are a couple other transportation museums up that way. I haven’t been to the trolley museum

Owls Head is cool — some train but mostly cars and planes. The have a Sunday ride occasionally of local people and their cars. There’s an MG car collection including an MG limousine. Owls heads is located in the southern tip of the jet port/taxiway.

There’s a chance that someone at Well’s Transportation Center of Maine might help. I know there are local busses Portland, Freeport, Lewiston maybe more?

Sure, $80 is doable, but for a single destination and back to the station, Lyft/Uber would be more convenient and probably cheaper, if they're dependable in the area. And I wouldn't have to worry about getting the car back before Enterprise closes.

I've seen plenty of antique & classic cars, and I've recently visited Smithsonian Air & Space, as well as their Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, which is huge with a spectacular collection. I'll only have 3 or 4 days at most in Boston. Streetcars and historic transit vehicles are what I love, and combining it with a ride on the Downeaster makes it worth taking up one of those days. (Maybe I'll do a trip exploring more of New England at a later date.)

Seashore appears to be out in the middle of nowhere (as are most rail museums), and there doesn't appear to be any local bus that serves it.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Seashore appears to be out in the middle of nowhere (as are most rail museums), and there doesn't appear to be any local bus that serves it.

It is located where it is because it uses part of the right of way of the Atlantic Shore Railway which was an interurban line that ran between Kennebunkport and Biddeford (as well as other places). The museum owns the right of way between Log Cabin Road and Biddeford.

The museum is currently closed and opens up again Saturday May 4, initially weekends only until June then Wednesday through Sunday.

It's true that the location is somewhat of a transit black hole. I suspect that you should be able to find Uber/Lyft in the area.

 

[Widfara]

I notice in some print publications that Byrnes Irish Pub advertises that its Brunswick location is "at the Amtrack Train Station" and that customers can "Take the Train or Bus Direct to our Brunswick Pub!" They also have a location in Bath, Maine.

Downeaster passengers to Brunswick may wish to take note. I have not eaten or drank there so maybe someone can give us a review.

https://byrnesirishpub.com/

In mid-March I'm going from Austin, Texas (eaglette), to Chicago - one night in Aurora (Irish pub there) - on to NYC (Cardinal) - NE Regional to Boston to Downeaster to Brunswick. I will report on this place. Then Downeaster (Upwester?) back to Boston - Lake Shore Limited to Chicago - another night in Aurora (Irish pub again) - eaglette back to Austin. 12 days. I will report on the trains and the pubs. I stay in Aurora because Chicago makes me nervous, and there's a good hotel right by the Aurora Metra station.

 

[Rasputin]

Bowdon College Arctic Museum a must - call it might be renovated.. College has an art museum too.

According to a winter tourist publication that I picked up in southern Maine recently, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum moved to a larger and improved location on the Bowdoin campus in Brunswick in May 2023. It is free and open to the public. Hours Tuesday through Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday and national holidays. tel. 207-725-3416 or visit bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum

 

[Widfara]

According to a winter tourist publication that I picked up in southern Maine recently, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum moved to a larger and improved location on the Bowdoin campus in Brunswick in May 2023. It is free and open to the public. Hours Tuesday through Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday and national holidays. tel. 207-725-3416 or visit bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum

Supposed to be a pretty good art museum on campus, also. I think I'll be able to find things to do which don't involve prolonged frigidity.

 

[Rambling Robert]

The new museum was donated, a modern building and possibly someday to house the Schooner Bowdoin. A group from the museum is trying to acquire the vessel now under the ownership and excellent care of the Maine Maritime Academy.

Around the 1930s Admiral McMillan recorded in B&W film activities of the Arctic Exploration including working with the Inuit natives of North America. You can see the films there with artifacts or watch at home on YouTube.

I’ll prolly go to the new museum on this month’s $12 each way DownEaster.

 

[Brian Battuello]

The Boston Globe's email list for transit stories this week was all about the Downeaster's history and future. It doesn't seem to be in the main paper, so I'm not sure how to share it here.

I'll copy a few paragraph belows, and if anyone wants a copy of the whole email, PM me. There's also a link in the email where you can sign up without needing a Globe subscription.

Revving up the Downeaster

The idea of state-subsidized passenger train service between Boston and Portland was controversial in the 1990s, when critics feared it would be a big waste of Maine taxpayers’ money.

Now the Downeaster train is so established, said Patricia Quinn, who runs the Maine state authority that funds the 146-mile route from North Station, that “people now can’t imagine what life was like without it.”

Businesses have grown around stations. The train was extended to Brunswick. And even after the pandemic ridership has continued to break records — though Quinn said patterns have changed, with travel more spread out across the Downeaster’s five round trips every day.

Quinn spoke with me last week about where the service, now in its 23rd year, goes from here.

She outlined a couple of potential improvements on the horizon: Moving the station in Portland to a better location closer to downtown; adding a stop in Falmouth; installing a second platform at the Wells station; extending the train about 50 miles from Brunswick east to Rockland; making adjustments to the tracks and signals to allow higher speeds; and adding a train that would allow people in southern Maine to commute to Portland in the morning, which is not possible with its current schedule.

 

[fdaley]

The idea of state-subsidized passenger train service between Boston and Portland was controversial in the 1990s, when critics feared it would be a big waste of Maine taxpayers’ money.

I remember that era well. At one point in the mid-90s, in a story about the supposed need for widening the Maine Turnpike, the head of the Legislature's transportation committee told the Portland Press Herald that, as far as the proposed Portland-Boston train service was concerned, "we need less fact finding and more fact facing." So it was really gratifying to me when the naysayers, and there were a lot of them, were proven so wrong about their claims that no one would ever use it.

Does the Globe piece mention the prospects for getting some trains to Lewiston/Auburn?

 

[Brian Battuello]

It didn't, but it seemed surprisingly optimistic about the Rockland extension.

 

[Rambling Robert]

Maybe a loop?
Freeport/Brunswick/Rockland/Auburn/Lewiston/Brunswick/Freeport

Fantastic revenues for trains that run to concerts or sporting events at the Boston Garden. The trains sell out all the way to Brunswick.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Maybe a loop?
Freeport/Brunswick/Rockland/Auburn/Lewiston/Brunswick/Freeport

There is no way to do that as a loop without building new trackage between Rockland and Auburn. The leading plan as I understand it is to reach Auburn/Lewiston via the former St. Lawrence & Atlantic / Grand Trunk from Yarmouth Jct. where it crosses the Brunswick branch, to a new station near the L/A airport. So this would be a new branch off the existing line to Brunswick or the Rockland Extension.

I suppose you could do a loop by continuing up the "lower road" from Brunswick through Augusta to Waterville, reversing there then running via Lewiston and Auburn on the "back road" (current PanAm / CSX main) to Portland. However that would not serve Rockland. It would require reconstruction of some unused track through Augusta.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

The NNEPRA has announced a virtual public meeting (via Zoom) on the "Portland Train Platform/Station Relocation Study". This will be on Thursday April 25, 2024 6 PM to 8 PM. A link to the zoom meeting will be published on the NNEPRA website on the day of the meeting.

The purpose and need of the project and the preliminary alternatives being considered will be presented. Following the brief presentation, the public will have an opportunity to provide input regarding the potential relocation of the Portland train platform. We are particularly interested in learning local and regional views and identifying concerns and issues.

NNEPRA Web Site