Over the holiday weekend, the roundhouse windows finally received some much-needed attention! Picking up from where we left off last fall, when we cleaned out the metal frames we have now replaced broken panes on the rear wall of the roundhouse—where falling ice has been a big problem. Out of 17 panes that needed replacement, only two remain (they’re odd-sized and need to be custom cut). The rear windows were done mostly from the ground, with the upper panes reached using a step ladder. We used Plexiglas for the replacements, hoping it holds up better against falling ice and snow. In the photos, you’ll see new volunteers Roger and Gale working on the side windows. These are 20-pane windows and take some effort. On the trackside, three broken panes were replaced. In another photo, Leza is also hard at work on the trackside windows. The three side windows have now been primed, and word is, “We need to wait a few weeks before painting them green.” On the riverside, three more broken panes were removed. These windows are even higher than the trackside ones! Elsewhere on the railroad, the switch has been ballasted and leveled. Next up: the installation of the throw rod and switch stand. A huge thank-you to our volunteers—new and returning—for helping us preserve history one window (and one rail) at a time! (fb)

2025 Schedule June: Saturday & Sunday 14-15 (Fathers Day Weekend, Blacksmith shop open both days) JULY: Saturday & Sunday# 5-6, (4th weekend) Saturday & Sunday# 19-20 Saturday 26 (Civil War day) August: Saturday & Sunday# 2-3, Friday, Saturday & Sunday# 15-16-17 (Old Home Days) Saturday & Sunday 30-31 (Labor Day Weekend) September: Saturday 5 (NO TRAINS! track laying all day join us!) Saturday & Sunday# 20-21 October: Saturday & Sunday# 4-5 Saturday & Sunday 11-12 (Columbus Day Weekend) Saturday & Sunday# 18-19 Other Things to Do When Visiting Us to Make it A Day: Farmer’s Market Saturday’s 8-2 p.m. Community Center on Depot St. (the old S.R. & R.L. car shop) next to the Phillips Sta. JustA Field Golf “Step above cow pasture golf” as described by a member, in its 22nd year now. - 3 Greens, 18 T-boxes, 18-holes, 5-7 iron course. Scramble Sunday’s 10.45 a.m. $10 Yearly memberships are available. Phillips Historical Society-Railroad room’s 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month 11-2 p.m. (# Dates P.H.S. and the railroad room is open) Free activities to do within a few miles of the S.R. & R.L. station: -On special event days as noted, Ambleside the Seward Dill home, an investor and promoter of the Sandy River railroad in the 1870s. -Our blacksmith shop, which is equipped with actual Franklin & Megantic railroad blacksmith tools rescued from the Kingfield Station cellar before it was torn down. Days the blacksmith shop is operational will be noted online. -You can walk part of the Fly Rod Crosby trail along the Sandy River on S.R. & R.L. property. Should you get tired after a walk you can get a train ride back; tickets are good for all day. -In Phillips, Dagget rock on Wheeler Hill Road, about two miles from the railroad station on 128 Bridge Street. From Wheeler Hill road it’s about a 1300 foot walk to the boulder. -In Madrid, north on Rt.4 (10.1 miles) is Smalls Falls, a State of Maine-operated picnic area in Madrid, which is the outflow of the Sandy River Ponds and the start of the Sandy River. Even Smalls Falls has a S.R. & R.L. connection - the wooded flat area on the left was the location of the Gray’s Farm pulp loading operation. -2.4 miles beyond Smalls Falls is the Piazza Rock trailhead, part of the Appalachian Trail system. Google Piazza Rock for information, photos. -In Weld, down Rt. 142 is Mt. Blue State Park offering camping, hiking, biking, and swimming. Details can be found online. (fb)