Find Your Perfect Train Ride in Maine Today

Scenic train rides in Maine include the gateway to the Arcadia National Park, the Downeast Scenic Railroad operating on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day until Columbus Day. The Maine Eastern offers various departure locations and provides a relaxing way to see some the best coastal scenery Maine has to offer in fully restored vintage coaches.

Nineteen steam locomotives are listed in Maine, with several on display at the Boothbay Railroad Village. Steam train rides and a guest engineer program can be found at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad scenic train rides follow the Promenade fronting Casco Bay offering passengers spectacular views along the waterfront of sailboats, ferries and lobster boats. Over on Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway, this 2 foot narrow gauge is an operating museum open Saturdays year-round. You can even operate a restored trolley car at the Seashore Trolley Museum.

Did you know?

Maine’s first railroad, the Bangor & Piscataquis Canal Railroad, began operating in 1836. The two-foot narrow gauge rail lines began in the late 1800’s and at their height, Maine boasted of 5 narrow gauge lines until their demise by 1942. The state has over 1100 miles of track and Amtrak’s Downeaster runs from Portland to Boston.

Alna

Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway

The Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Railway was a two-foot gauge common carrier railroad that operated from 1894 until 1933. Rebuilt by volunteers on the original right-or-way, museum includes original rolling stock and narrow gauge steam train ride. Motive power provided by a 1904 2-foot Vulcan 0-4-4T. Model railroad train.

Bangor

Cole Land Transportation Museum

Cole Land Transportation Museum is a collection of antique land transportation with over 200 vehicles including the first Bangor and Arroostook Railroad diesel-electric locomotive built by the electro-motive division of General Motors. Directions

Belfast

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad

Chartered in 1867, the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad was a surviving contemporary of the Central Pacific Railroad. The Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railway is a 33-mile railroad line in Waldo County, Maine. Built in 1867 and one of the oldest continuously-operating railroads in the United States, B&MLRR is believed to be the best preserved rural branch line railroad in the northeast United States. Murder Mystery Trains, Fall Foliage and Santa Express Excursions are available. Check website for operation and schedule.
2010 Update: After limited success in 2004, the BMLR defaulted on its purchase agreement with the City of Belfast and the property management company and the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad failed to resume operations in 2005.

Boothbay

Boothbay Railroad Village

 

The Boothbay Railroad Village museum includes a history of narrow gauge railroads in Maine as well as over 50 antique and classic automobiles and other vehicles. Steam train ride through a re-created historic village. Check schedule for Day out with Thomas train rides.

Brunswick & Rockland

Maine Eastern Railroad

Relax and enjoy a carefree 57 mile scenic rail train ride through the spectacular scenery of mid-coast Maine, aboard the Maine Eastern Railroad’s restored streamlined stainless steel railcars from the Art Deco era of the 1940’s and 1950’s between Brunswick and Rockland. Experience charming seaside villages, picturesque sailboats, lobstermen working their traps on the bay, tidewater wildlife, and, in autumn, the magnificent foliage. Special excursions include the Halloween Train, Polar Express, a Candy Cane Train and a Santa Train.
Update: Maine Eastern Railroad ceased operations December 31, 2015.

Ellsworth

Downeast Scenic Railroad

The Downeast Scenic Railroad offers two trips per day most Saturdays and Sundays through the season. Round-trip tour travels from Ellsworth, Maine, on the historic Calais Branch Line to Ellsworth Falls and then to Washington Junction and back to Ellsworth. The ten-mile trip takes approximately 90 minutes.

Kennebunkport

Seashore Trolley Museum

The Seashore Trolley Museum runs a 25 minute trolley ride aboard a restored early 1900’s electric streetcar. You will also have the opportunity to operate one of the Seashore Trolley Museum’s antique streetcars. After a brief overview of how a streetcar works and how to operate it, instructors will guide you as you operate one of the museum’s streetcars out on a two-mile rail line. Directions

Oakfield

Oakfield Railroad Museum

Oakfield Railroad Museum contains exhibits housed in the restored Oakfield Bangor and Aroostook Railroad station. Vintage photographs from the early days of the railroads beginning in 1891. Displays also include a caboose and mail cars. Free admission. Directions

Phillips

Sandy River and Rangeley Lake Railroad

The Sandy River and Rangeley Lake Railroad runs steam and non steam narrow gauge train rides along original roadbed. Ride and walking tour last approximately 50 minutes. Directions

Portland

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum

Take a trip back in time at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. Enjoy magnificent views of Portland’s working waterfront aboard antique rail cars pulled by hard-working steam and diesel locomotives. Discover the unique two-foot gauge trains that linked rural Maine to the rest of the world. Excursions include Ghost Train ride and as well as a Santa Train. Guest Engineer is an hour long program that includes instruction, history and information on the art of properly running a steam locomotive and includes guaranteed time on the throttle! Directions

Richmond

New England Railroad

2010 Update: No trips available at this time