(SOURCE: Trains.com Newswire)
PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum has big plans for its proposed move to Gray, about 25 miles north of Portland. The move, which executive director Donnell Carroll hopes will happen in 2016, is estimated to cost $6 million.
That $6 million price tag includes not only the cost of moving 50 pieces of rolling stock and building up to three miles of track, but also for construction of a 9,500 square foot combination ticket office, waiting room, library, archive, office, and meeting space; a carbarn to shelter up to 15 pieces of rolling stock; a roundhouse; and a restoration shop, according to a flyer about the plans distributed recently in the community.
Carroll tells the Munjoy Hill News that he has been in touch with state and federal legislators, and he says their staffs are looking into potential grants the museum may be eligible for. In addition, he plans a fund-raising campaign for private donations, especially from people who are known for their generosity to the state of Maine.
"I know $6 million is a lot of money, but I know we can do it," Carroll says.
The plan for the Gray site is purely a concept at this time, but a committee of museum members will meet soon to refine its wish list before seeking input from design firms and architects.
The property where the museum now has its yard and display building was sold to a developer last year, prompting the planned move to Gray.
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