North Berwick Mill Field Festival 2017

The Mill Field Festival was held on Saturday, August 19th, and MGRS was back with its second layout.

Setup on Friday, August 18

We set up on Friday. Thanks to Mike McDonald and his crew, our platform and tent top were ready to go when we arrived. So we were able to get everything ready even though there was pouring rain on and off all day. Here is what we had to start with

Layout Platform and Tent Cover with the Olde Woolen Mill in the background

Terry Norton and his friend Courtney Goodwin set up the power cables, transformers, and track connections. Jim Jenkins and Sam Carr set up two main loops on the front section of the platform

Two loops around the Village

Art Shean and Mike McDonald set up the Thomas, Percy and trolley reversing lines on the back section of the platform. Mike was willing to help and learned how to set up track. We started setup around 10am, and by 2pm all the tracks had been tested.

Thomas, Percy and Trolley Lines

There were three lines on the back section of the platform the for the kids. Thomas ran on the outer loop, and Percy had a Figure 8. In between there was a trolley line that ran from a passenger platform to a trolley barn and back.

Festival on Saturday, August 19

By Saturday morning the rain had stopped but it was still cloudy. The sky cleared off later in the morning and we had a bright, sunny, afternoon.

Terry, Art and Sam set out trains and got things running with help from two brothers that Terry and Sue know. They helped place vehicles and buildings to set the scene. 

Zach

Camden

The Festival has two parades, one for vehicles and another after that for Children. Once they finished the crowd started to gather on the Field. There was a Children's Play Area with a number of inflated "bouncy houses and a climbing wall. In addition there was an area with craft booths. Food was provided by the Boy Scouts, the American Legion, and the Fire Department. Aroma Joe's had a coffee trailer across the street in front of the new store they are building. The "Rolling Railroad" was also providing train rides as they did last year.

Rolling Railroad

Dennis Farrell and new friend Jacob the Engineer

Trains passing the North Berwick Station

Freight Yard with trains running left and right

Operating Engineers Terry, Sue, Ben, Dennis & Bill

Norman Waycott and Jim Muthig fixing a derailment

Bill and Robin Goodrich came up to visit all the way from Middleboro, Mass (close to EDAville Railroad and Thomasland!). Carl & Pat Churchill also dropped by from Buxton.

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Logging Train on the outer main line

Thomas, Percy, & the Trolley

The "show" portion of the Festival ended at 4pm, with food still available and an and open air showing of "The Secret Lives of Pets coming up at dusk.

Thomas Percy and the Trolley

We started teardown at 4pm and finished just before 5:30, thanks to an excellent crew. The helpers included to Jim Muthig, Norman Waycott, Sue Hoffman, Dennis Farrell, Ben Braithwaite, Sam Carr, Art Shean, Sue Norton, Terry Norton and Kyle Richard of North Berwick Parks & Recreation.

Thanks to Art Shean for providing the Thomas area buildings and figure 8 track. Thanks to Terry & Sue Norton for providing the buildings and decoration for the Town & Country area.

And we have been invited back for 2018!

Thanks to Sue Norton for providing some of these photos.