Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad Preservation Society to Close, Train Ceases Seasonal Operation

CONTACT: Larry Sterrs (207) 948-9988

February 5, 2008

The Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad Preservation Society will cease operations and is looking to sell its assets and equipment following two disappointing years of ridership and a lack of member support. The announcement follows several previous attempts to stimulate interest in supporting the 140 year-old railroad whose original charter was signed by Governor Joshua Chamberlain in 1867.

"We are grateful to our corporate sponsors and other members who have supported the Preservation Society as we provided special excursions, holiday and foliage tours, and special events," said Robert Lamontagne, Presdient of the Belfast Railroad Preservation Society. "We regret that the Society cannot continue running operations at a loss. We want to carefully review and examine our status with the state and other contractors in order to ensure an orderly transition, and hope to find interested buyers for equipment and station house facilities."

Under the ownership of several different organizations over the last 140 years, the railroad carried freight through Central Maine; following the decline of the freight business in the 1980's, it operated as a tourist attraction. The Preservation Society was formed in 2005 to run the railroad and operate a train museum, catering to tourists and railroad buffs alike.

According to Lamontagne, there was always great sentimental interest in the train from the public, but not enough financial support to enable the organization to simply break even. The nonprofit organization carries tremendous financial overhead due to the costly equipment and rail operations. Its dependence on grants and memberships was simply not a sustainable financial plan.

Because the railroad runs on tracks owned by the State of Maine, Preservation Society officials have met with representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation to agree on a transition plan for track maintenance and oversight. Following this agreement, the nonprofit organization will plan a responsible and speedy approach to closing down.

Please visit the website: www.unitytrainmuseum.org for updates on the transition.

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