The WW&F Railway--The Story of Maine's Narrow Gauge Railroad Heritage.

Although Maine is a big state, because it's mountainous, irregular topography, and small population, the only railroads that were affordable were the little two foot gauge (as opposed to the over four foot gauge of regular steam and diesel trains. The narrow gauge lines fell into disuse, but a small band of dedicated historians and volunteers have resurrected the WW&F Railway in Alna. They now run several steam trains along the tracks they all laid by hand. In this piece, Bob explores the history of the railroad, meets the volunteers rebuilding it, goes on a train trip to the past for a first hand look at a World War I encampment, and learns how these small railways could point to the future of public transport in Maine. If you love steam engines, you're going to love this story! 00:00 - Intro to the Wiscassett, Waterville, and Farmington Railway 00:24 - Why Maine Adopted the 2 foot gauge 01:46 - The History of the WW&F Railway—a lifeline to Canada? 02:36 - The demise of the narrow gauge railways in Maine 03:17 - One man’s quest to resurrect the WW&F 04:51 - Volunteers have revitalized the WW&F 05:28 - Rebuilding a passenger carriage from scratch 06:34 - Encouraging the next generation 07:43 - Special events broaden the appeal 08:05 - World War 1 reenactors 09:20 - How the past can inform the future. Welcome to the Maine channel of Bob Krist, award-winning travel photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker, and visual storyteller. For more than four decades, Bob has traveled the world documenting the people, places, cultures, and traditions that define our shared human experience. His work has appeared in leading publications including National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Islands, Travel/Holiday, Smithsonian, and many others, earning recognition as one of the most respected voices in travel photography and visual storytelling. ➡️ What began as a career behind the still camera evolved naturally into documentary filmmaking as new technologies opened the door to richer forms of storytelling. Today, Bob combines the observational eye of a photojournalist with the narrative depth of a filmmaker, creating stories that go beyond beautiful destinations to reveal the people, history, and culture that bring them to life. On this channel, you'll find stories about Maine, Bob's adopted home state. On his other channel, you'll travel documentaries, cultural explorations, behind-the-scenes stories from the field, photography and filmmaking insights, and practical lessons drawn from a lifetime spent working in some of the world's most fascinating locations. Whether exploring remote communities, vibrant cities, timeless traditions, or the everyday moments that often tell the biggest stories, Bob's work is driven by curiosity, authenticity, and a deep appreciation for the diversity of our world. ➡️ This channel is for travelers, photographers, filmmakers, storytellers, and anyone who believes that meaningful travel is about more than checking destinations off a list. It's about understanding people, discovering cultures, and finding the stories that connect us across borders and generations. If you enjoy travel photography, documentary filmmaking, photojournalism, cultural travel, visual storytelling, and authentic stories from around the world, you're invited to come along for the journey.