A Birthday to Remember: My Son’s Train Engineer Experience in Maine
For my son’s 10th birthday, I wanted to do something different, and I knew I wanted to give him something that he will always remember. Since he frequently talks about becoming a train engineer when he grows up, I thought it would be fitting to let him be a train engineer for a day to mark the occasion. So, in late September of last year, we traveled to Maine for his birthday surprise. And, despite running into an unexpected hiccup*, our day at the Railway Village Museum was one for the books. Today, I am excited to share our experience and some information with you in case you are planning your own trip.
Let’s kick things off with…
Why I Chose The Railway Village Museum
In all honesty, I had a hard time choosing a train engineer for a day program because there are just so many great options. I considered booking at Southern California Railway Run One Program, Sumpter Valley Railroad Cab Pass Program, and Railway Village Museum Put Yourself at the Throttle Program. Ultimately, I went with the program at the Railway Village Museum for a few of reasons.
For one, my son loves steam engines. So, when picking out which program to choose, the type of train involved is one of the important requirement needed to be checked off. Given that they own and operate three Henschel steam locomotives placed them at the top of my list.
Two, the entire staff at Railway Village Museum were amazing. They worked together with me to ensure that my son could truly have an amazing experience. That means, even though my son was too young to “operate” the train during the driving portion of the program, #thehubbydidthatpart, they catered it so that he was involved in many other ways. In fact, they gave me the thumbs up to bring our little train engineer at 6 am on the day of his birthday surprise so that he can help prepare the train for the day.
Lastly, I’ve been to Maine once before in 2011 and absolutely loved it! It is such a beautiful city with lots of rich history, plenty of amazing eats, and that laid back vibe that I just love. Since then, I knew I wanted to go back one day, and I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to do so than on my son’s special day.
How We Got to Railway Village Museum
During our trip to Maine, I intentionally chose Old Port as our home base rather than Boothbay because it’s closer to where everything we wanted to see. So, with that in mind, we stayed at the Portland Regency and had a rental car. From Old Port to Boothbay, it is about a 90-minute drive. On the day of his birthday surprise, our plan was to leave at 4:30 am to get there by 6 am. But because of an unexpected hiccup, we almost didn’t make it!
Here’s what happened.
While the hotel offers valet parking, we did self-parking instead. Apparently, (some not all), parking garages at Maine close for the night and doesn’t reopen until 7 am the next day. We phoned the garage but to no avail and there was no other way to get our car out. Given that it was also very early, it wasn’t easy to get an Uber or Lyft. But by the grace of God, we were eventually able to get a taxi*. I am so glad we did as otherwise we would have been completely #sol.
(*Side note: Both of our taxi rides required us to pay cash. According to them their card reader was down. To avoid any issues, make sure to have cash handy).
When to Go
Additionally, I want to mention that Railway Village Museum is closed from late December and reopens in June. Because of that, I chose to book our trip towards the end of September, and it was a great choice. Not only was the summer rush over but also the heatwave. #notasummerfan Case in point, we didn’t have a problem getting in anywhere we wanted to go. While it rained one day during our visit, the rest of the time we were in town, the weather was in the mid-60s. So, just something to keep in mind.
Our Day at Railway Village Museum
That said, upon arrival, we were met by John Orne, their Chief Train Engineer at the back shed with our ride for the day – a 10-ton Henschel steam locomotive built in 1938 and later on, by his wife, Kathy. After that, he wasted no time putting our little train engineer to work whom I might add was more than happy to oblige! For the next few hours, they prepared the locomotive which meant they fired it up by adding wood to the firebox then coal once it was up to pressure. Following that, they throw the switches. Then they cleaned out the ash pan and oiled valve gears. Next, he got to top off the water at the water tank and fuel up with coal at coaling tower. Afterwards, John and Kathy drove the train engine to attach the passenger cars. Once that was completed, the train was ready, to pick up passengers at the station and you best believe it that we got on it!
Speaking of which, the train rides depart at the top of every hour between 11 am and 4 pm. It loops around twice this 35-acre property and there is a stop at the top where passengers can hop off to visit other areas or exhibits at the museum. So, while the railway is the centerpiece of the village, there are lots of things to see like the Town Hall, the Farm Equipment Shed, the General Store, the Car Barn and so much more. There’s even a duck pond and goats.
Naturally, after all that work, it was time for lunch!
However, since we did not have a car nor did the museum have a café onsite, our choices were very limited. The staff recommended grabbing hamburgers at the gas station across the street. Though, it’s not what we had in mind, we went with their recommendation. As you know, I’ve eaten a lot of hamburgers in my lifetime, and trust me when I say it was juicy, melt in your mouth good. It wasn’t greasy at all, too, and it totally hit the spot! What’s more, the fries were equally delicious. #iwishihadtakenapic
Following lunch, we waited at the station for the next train ride. This time, we hopped off at the top to explore a few of the exhibits. It is a great way to extend your day and we took our time with the displays.
After a while, our little engineer was ready to go back to his train so the hubs took him back down to the station. I stayed behind to walk around the property a little bit more.
Then, at 4:30 pm, he got to saddle up and ride in the cab with John and the hubs. He was so happy, and it was such a special time for him. I cannot describe into words the excitement on his face! Afterwards, he helped with parking the locomotive for the evening.
Final Thoughts
Even though we had an unexpected hiccup that almost derailed our plans, our time at the Railway Village Museum in Boothbay couldn’t have been more perfect. I am a firm believer of the saying everything happens for a reason and looking back, I truly believe the trip wouldn’t have been as memorable as it was if we had our rental car. Because of that, it really forced us to maximize our time at the Railway Village Museum and allow my son to have a complete day as a train engineer. He was able to work and talk to John the entire day with minimal interruption about all things train. In fact, he often asks when we are coming back and that my friends is what you call #missionaccomplished!
For more birthday ideas, check out:
Art Themed Virtual Birthday Party
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**Additionally, some items linked above are not the exact item shown because it is either old or sold out, but I linked similar items for those that are unavailable.
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