Queenpost Turntable. The most recent addition to the infrastructure on the grounds of the WW&F Museum has also been one of the most impactful. In the fall of 2016, the volunteers constructed a replica of the Queenpost Turntable which used to exist in the original WW&F Yard in Wiscasset. Located approximately 4 miles north of the original site, this new turntable in the museum yard now permits any piece of their rolling stock to be turned, including the locomotives. This capability seriously enhances operations as there are times when it is advantageous to have locomotives facing north. During the museum's recent Victorian Christmas event, for example, a day-long snowstorm made it an operational necessity to have #9 facing north, because the northbound run is upgrade and that locomotive's sanders are not effective when running in reverse. In addition to the operational advantages, the ability to turn equipment has opened up a vast array of new photo opportunities for camera-toting history buffs like myself.
In this photo, the WW&F crew is seen turning #9 at the beginning of a service day. As is obvious, the turntable is "hand-powered", giving rise to the name "Armstrong Turntable." Of particular note in this image is a museum building that does not often appear in photos. The structure in the upper left is the Percival Residence. This was the home of the late Harry Percival, the man who was most responsible for the revival of the WW&F in the 1980s. Harry's home, with its distinctive tiled roof, is now the headquarters of the WW&F Museum and is the place where food is prepared and the volunteers are fed during the museum's spring and fall work weekends.
