Railroading at Cumberland Fair

Some MGRS members do a little moonlighting at Cumberland Fair. This  year the Maine 3-Railers
club was back with an O-Scale display. And the 470 Railroad Club opened their Section House, Hand Car, and coal-shoveling operation.

Here are a few photos from the 3-Railers display. The kids love to watch the trains and to run Thomas the Tank Engine with his remote control.

Thomas at Cumberland Fair

The Main Line at Cumberland Fair

A Farm Along the Rails at Cumberland Fair


The 470 Railroad Club has three attraction around their "Yarmouth Junction" Section House at the Fair.

Yarmouth Junction Section House

The section house has railroad information, historical items, track safety materials, and a model train running around on a shelf near the ceiling. Member are there to explain railroading and answer questions.

The main attraction for kids is the Railroad Handcar. In the picture it is  the yellow car on the track in front of the Section House. Its on about forty feet of track. The car is moved by pumping on the pair of bars on each side of the car. They turn the large gear that drives the wheel. With three kids on each bar it can move quickly down the track. The member riding with them uses the brake pedal to stop the car at each end of the rack. The kids like this, and come back year after year. The Handcar is brought down from the North Conway Scenic Railroad for the Fair each year, loaned by George Small.

The coal-shoveling operation is a new attraction this year. To the left of the Section House is a model of a steam engine with a boiler, wheels, engineer's cab and coal tender.  In the cab there is a firebox with a red light inside the door. And there is coal in the tender. Once you explain about shoveling coal into the firebox to make the train move, the kids are ready and start shoveling. Then the coal is put back in to the tender for the next shoveler. We saw enthusiastic workers starting at about age 4, and those leaving the Handcar ride would go directly to shoveling coal.