Maine Train Lines at the Westbrook Festival of Trees

This week the Maine Train Lines at the Westbrook Festival of Trees had over 900 visitors. Here is a review of the trains and the trees.

Rolling through the village

                           Click here to view the Steam Train Video

Skating Pond

Custom Harley Pickup and Motorcycle

Christmas Carolers - and they really do sing

Splitting wood for the Fireplace

Waiting at the Train Station

Newsstand beside the Train Station

A Christmas Tree Finds a Home

               And here are a just a few of the many trees at the Festival

Great Outdoors

Westbrook Food Pantry

Alternative Gift Giving

Winter in Hawaii

And wooden soldiers in every size

More on Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall

Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall is located in the former Bon Ton. As always, Santa Claus is the main event.

The Holiday Train display is right beside Santa, and there are other attractions. Kids can write letters to Santa, watch movies, color, draw on chalkboards, play giant checkers or chess, and see stage performances.  There is an with props area for families to take their own photos. Mom & Dad can get their gifts wrapped and make a donation to charity. And there are comfortable seats for everyone.

And now back to our regular reporting on garden railways.

Winter Wonderland Boxcar
thanks to Art S and Dennis F

Skating Rink near North Conway Station

North Conway Station and Village

Freight and Passengers roll under the
John Jackson Drawbridge

Thomas the Tank Engine stopping
to pick up coal

On Sunday, December 3rd a train with containers

from EIMSKIP came through. They are a North

Atlantic transportation company with a cargo

handling facility on Commercial Street in Portland.

EIMSKIP Container passing the Trolley Stop

Here are two videos of the container train

Containers Cross the Harbor

Containers Roll Away Through the Circus

Waiting by the Harbor to Load Onto a Ship

The circus is set up in an open lot beside the Harbor.

           Circus Parade with train at left

Clowns entertaining the arriving Guests

Shooting Video at the Petting Zoo

The Great Chimp Escape

Here are some buildings and scenery that

the children of all ages really like.

The Ski Lift and Campground

Before going to the movies you might want to pick up a little popcorn.....

Popcorn Factory Video

And check the time so you don't miss the show

Clock with Santa Sleigh and Train Video

Thanks for looking at this blog post.

Winter Wonderland is open daily

through Christmas Eve!!!!

Holiday Train Display Staff Notes on December 4, 2017

Thanks for helping us provide fun for children of all ages who visit the Mall. Our visitors say they like the new, larger layout!

Starbucks no longer offers free coffee to MGRS Members working on our train display. They stopped doing this after the 2015 holiday season. Please do not ask for free coffee for yourself and others.

If you are wearing your vest, vendors in the Food Court may give you the Mall Employee Discount.

The Club now has a book of layout and show photos. It is on the shelf under the “Hussey Seating” building at the back of the Control Area. There are also books there with

·      Membership Information and Garden Railway Brochures

·      Train Show Flyers

·      List of Train Shows, Model Railroad Clubs, and Hobby Stores/Dealers

Model Railroad Celebration at Maine State Museum

The Celebration started today and continues on December 2nd from 10am to 3pm.

Operating train layouts are provided by the Maine 3Railers O Scale Model Railroad Club, the Waterville, Wiscasset & Farmington Railway Museum and the Great Falls Model Railroad Club.

Here are pictures and video taken today

Boots on a Train

Wreaths Across America

Coffee Shack

        Downtown with Cows by the Station

Mickey's Village

Christmas Train Video

Ferris Wheel and Shooting Star

Carousel and Bumper Cars

Train of Maine Businesses

                  Ron Czaja of the Great Fall Club brought his layouts

                of N Scale, Z Scale and TY Scale trains

N Scale Video 1:160

Z Scale Video 1:220

TY Scale Picture

And here is Santa getting ready for Christmas.......

Reindeer Test Flight

LL Bean Model Train Village Update

The L.L. Bean Model Train Village is back and operating from 9am to 9pm daily.  You can visit it in the Children's Department on the second floor of the Flagship Store at 95 Main Street in Freeport.

This operating layout was provided by and is supported by the Boothbay Railway Village.

Through the Village

Lighted Carousel with Music

Skating under the bridge

      Triangle Service in the 1920s???

Making Snow Angels

         

    Trains and Skating Rink Video

Westbrook Festival of Trees Update

Today Paul Corbett and other MGRS members set up the "Maine Train Lines" display for the 2017 Westbrook Festival of Trees. The Festival is open from December 2-9 and is open to the Public. Admission is free. Businesses sponsor trees, and visitor donations are welcome. All proceeds support local charities in Westbrook. Information can be found at the Festival of Trees Web Site
The festival is held at the Westbrook Warren Congregational Church at 810 Main St. in Westbrook. Public parking is available off Church Street which runs between Main Street and the Westbrook Arterial.


Here is the schedule

Date   Day   Tree Viewing                            Trains Running
12/2    Sat    8:30am-8:00pm                          8am-12:30pm, 6-7:30pm

12/3    Sun   2-7:30pm                                      1- 3pm

12/4    Mon  10am-noon, 2-4pm, 6-8pm      10am-Noon, 6-7:30pm

12/5    Tue    10am-noon,  2-4pm, 6-8pm     10am-Noon, 2-4pm

12/6    Wed   10am-noon, 2-4pm, 6-8pm      10am-Noon, 2-4pm    

12/7    Thu    2-4pm, 6-8pm                           10am-1pm

12/8    Fri     10-11am, 2-4pm, 6-8 pm         10am-1pm, 6-7pm

12/9    Sat     10am-Noon                               10am-Noon

There are a number of special events during the Festival

Date    Time    Time             Event

12/2    Sat        8:30-11am      Breakfast with Santa
                         5-6pm             Festival Feast Public Dinner

12/3    Sun       1:30-2:30pm  Teddy Bear Tea Party with WCC Kids Choir
                          5:00               An Advent Celebration: Christmas AMENS
                                                and AH Has"
                         Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution Day

12/5    Tue       1:30-3pm        Mad Hatter's Tea Party
                          6:30-7:45pm  Drouin Dance Center Performance
                         Westbrook Women's Club Day

12/6    Wed       7:30pm          LOGOS Presentation: "Cloth for the Cradle"

12/7     Thu        Noon             Public Community Dinner
                          In Home Senior Services Day

12/8      Fri        11:30am to     Tips for Charity Luncheon featuring
                          1pm                Doc Stockwell on the piano
                          Trinity Lutheran Church Day

12/9     Sat      10am-Noon    Mystery Gift Tree

Track Crew at Work

Setting Up Buildings and Decorations

Engineers Test the Track

Doug Johnson's Christmas Car

Chopping Wood for the Stove

Fun Around the Frozen Pond

Christmas Tree Stand

Another New Battery

Ice Fishing

Thanks to Paul Corbett for providing

the trains, track, buildings, and decoration. His Elves for setup were Art Shea, David Blue, Doug Johnson, Paul Schell, Dennis Farrell, and Sam Carr.

                                             

MGRS Trains in Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall

Our 8th Annual Holiday Train Display opened at 5pm on Friday, November 19th with a ribbon cutting by Santa. It is part of the "Winter Wonderland".

The Winter Wonderland at the Maine Mall is located in the former Bon Ton. The kids can write a letter to Santa, see acts on stage, color, play board games, and watch movies.

MGRS is located right next to Santa. He is closest to the Thomas & Percy Platform. Thomas has a loop while Percy runs in a Figure 8. Thanks to Art Shean for providing the Figure 8.

Thomas and Percy

The Town and Country area has homes, businesses, and entertainment. The trolley line runs from the front of North Conway Station over to the mountains

North Conway Station

The lighted buildings at the front of the picture belong to Tice Leonard and are made by Lemax. Other building are from Ernie Packard, Terry Norton, Carl Churchill and Sam Carr. You can see the John Jackson Drawbridge at the left rear of this picture.

Town and Country

The centerpiece of this year's layout is the mountain with ski lift running to the top and the train running around it about halfway up. We asked the Maine Mall for a mountain, and thank Angel Pettengill for building this one.

The farm behind the mountain

Farm Corral and Vacation Campground

Ski Slope and Vacation Campground

Portland Harbor includes marine businesses, shopping, cargo handling, two trains, a freight siding, oil tanks and a lighthouse.

The Circus is on the far side of Portland Harbor. Here you can see how the circus entertains its guests and supports the work of the performers. Thanks to Norman Waycott for providing part of his incredible circus.

Entrance, Clowns and Midway

Acrobats and Horses Practicing

Please visit us at the Mall and bring your friends. We are open daily through December 24th except on Thanksgiving Day when the Mall is closed.

There are nine trains on the layout including

• Thomas & Percy - running on pushbuttons
• Inner Main Line - usually Amtrak
• Outer Main Line - freight or trains members bring in
• Trolley Line from North Conway around the Mountain to the Ski Slope
• Train Around the Mountain - pushbutton
• Harbor Freight Loop
• Harbor Trolley Reverse Line
• Circus Train - pushbutton
• The Ski Lift is also a pushbutton