Portland, ME
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum
Trip at a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-14- TypeNonprofit two-foot-gauge railroad and museum
- LocationPortland, ME
- Rating4.5 ★975 Google reviews
- Tickets & faresAdvance purchase is the safest choice. Regular, event, First Class, group, and Polar Express fares differ, and ticketing fees may apply.
About Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum preserves and operates Maine two-foot-gauge equipment on Portland’s Casco Bay waterfront. Its regular visitor ride is a narrated, approximately 40-minute, three-mile round trip in restored historic or replica passenger cars. The published 2026 season runs mainly Tuesday through Sunday through October 25, with Labor Day and selected autumn Mondays added; the live ticket inventory controls individual departures. Evening Ice Cream and Sunset trains remain after August 14, and the operator publishes 22 exact Polar Express dates from November 20 through December 28. The station has ticket sales, gifts, and two single-occupancy restrooms, but the railroad has no visitor parking of its own. Accessibility is car-specific: the platform has a lift and Combine Car No. 12 can take wheelchairs at Coach fare, while not every car or the halfway rest point can accommodate a wheelchair. The operator also says vintage diesel-electric No. 1 normally powers ordinary trains unless otherwise announced and explicitly refuses to guarantee steam, diesel, or a particular locomotive. This guide keeps regular rides, special events, museum preservation, parking, and equipment status separate so visitors can plan without turning a dynamic heritage operation into a fixed promise.
Choose your waterfront train
Choose the visit that fits your groupFirst-time visitors, families, rail historians, photographers, and travelers fitting a train ride into a Portland day
Narrated waterfront train ride
The core 40-minute, three-mile round trip in historic or replica two-foot-gauge passenger cars, with Casco Bay views and onboard Portland and railroad interpretation.
Families and groups seeking a relaxed summer-evening train experience
Ice Cream Train
A Friday evening waterfront ride with a complimentary ice cream served from the station before or after the approximately 40-minute trip.
Couples, families, photographers, and evening visitors who want changing light along Casco Bay
Sunset Express
A Saturday evening ride with a station-served beverage; family choices and age-21+ canned alcohol options are published, but the drink is not served onboard.
Holiday families prepared for advance tickets, exact boarding times, class-specific fares, crowds, food allergens, and a separate terminal plan
The Polar Express™ Train Ride
A roughly 50-minute theatrical fundraiser departing from Ocean Gateway on 22 published 2026 dates, with three service classes, timed boarding, cocoa, cookie, and live performance.
Schools, tour groups, clubs, reunions, organizations, and private-event planners
Group or charter visit
Advance arrangements for groups of 15 or more and private occasions, with group prices and a wheelchair-lift limitation at the halfway rest point.
Upcoming Events
Official schedule information
2026 special-event calendar
Schedule information was checked against the linked official source. Dates, availability, and operating conditions can change. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- SeasonRegular narrated trains operate mainly Tuesday–Sunday through October 25, plus Labor Day and selected autumn Mondays. The live ticket page controls actual availability.
- Trip LengthApproximately 40 minutes and three miles round trip along Casco Bay, with onboard narration about waterfront landmarks, Portland, and Maine two-foot railroading.
- ArriveTrains leave exactly on time and will not wait. Build in time for paid parking or street parking, walking to the station, ticket questions, and lift boarding.
- ParkingThe railroad offers no parking and does not select a lot for visitors. Hourly street parking and paid lots are available nearby; City of Portland rules control.
- AccessibilityThe station platform has an access lift. Combine Car No. 12 can accommodate wheelchairs and accessible seats are charged at Coach fare; not every car can take a wheelchair.
- RestroomsThe station has two single-occupancy restrooms with baby-changing tables. The operator does not promise an onboard restroom.
- DeparturesThe published regular schedule lists 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.; special events can alter it.
- TicketsAdvance purchase is the safest choice. Regular, event, First Class, group, and Polar Express fares differ, and ticketing fees may apply.
- Regular FaresPublished non-event Coach fares are $18.85 adult, $16.75 senior, $14.65 child age 3–12, and free age 2 and under. First Class is $24.10, $22, $19.90, and free respectively.
- Event FaresPublished ordinary event-train fares are higher. Polar Express starts at $35 Coach, $65 First Class, $105 Presidential, and $5 for lap children, with $5 premium-date increases.
- Halfway StopThe group-visit page says there is no wheelchair lift at the halfway rest point. Confirm whether your selected trip requires or permits leaving the train there.
- SeatingCoach is general admission with side-facing benches, classic 1×1 seats, and warm-season open-air cars. First Class offers a reserved place and individual padded seats.
- Food And DrinkIce Cream Train includes a treat served from the station. Sunset Express includes a station-served beverage that may be carried aboard; alcohol choices are restricted to age 21+.
- PetsWell-behaved dogs are welcome only in Coach Open-Air cars on ordinary service. Dogs are not accommodated in First Class; confirm special-event and service-animal rules directly.
- RefundsThe regular visitor page says tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-exchangeable. Check the exact event and ticket-provider terms before purchase.
- Weather And ChangesMechanical issues, events, weather, and operations can change the schedule. Check email and official social channels on the day of travel.
- GroupsGroups of 15 or more can request advance discounted visits. The station platform has a lift, but the group page says the halfway rest point does not.
- ContactCall 207-828-0814 or use the official contact form for accessibility, groups, equipment, museum, parking, or same-day service questions.
Find the Depot
The Trains
The museum collection preserves locomotives, passenger cars, cabooses, freight equipment, work equipment, and a rare railbus from Maine’s two-foot lines and later preservation history. The current visitor page says vintage diesel-electric No. 1 normally powers regular trains unless otherwise announced. The collection page identifies Bridgton & Saco River No. 7 as restored but still carries a 2025 steam-date sentence; No. 8 is out of service and housed offsite; Monson No. 3 is currently operating at the reestablished Edaville Railroad; and Monson No. 4 is offsite awaiting its federal rebuild. Combine No. 12 “Katahdin,” an Edaville-built reproduction restored in 2023, is the wheelchair-accommodating service car. Other equipment is displayed, stored, loaned, restored, or operated in different ways. No ticket guarantees steam, diesel, a locomotive number, a particular historic car, museum-floor access to every artifact, or the location of offsite equipment.
History
The Sandy River Railroad opened, beginning the era of Maine two-foot common-carrier railways.
The Monson Railroad, the last of Maine’s original two-foot common carriers, closed.
Ellis D. Atwood moved major surviving Maine equipment to the Edaville Railroad for preservation and operation.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum was founded as a nonprofit educational organization.
A major group of former Edaville equipment arrived in Portland and formed the core of the collection.
Bridgton & Saco River No. 7 returned to service after a restoration lasting nearly ten years.
Combine No. 12 “Katahdin” completed an in-house restoration and continued as the accessible service car.
See full history
Maine developed a distinctive two-foot-gauge common-carrier system beginning in the late nineteenth century because the smaller track and equipment could reach remote communities over difficult terrain at lower cost. Five principal Maine systems ultimately laid roughly 200 miles of line: Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, Bridgton & Saco River/Bridgton & Harrison, Monson, Kennebec Central, and Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington. Automobiles and improved roads displaced them, with Monson the last to close in 1943. Ellis D. Atwood preserved a major group of surviving locomotives and cars at Massachusetts’ Edaville Railroad beginning in the 1940s. When the original Edaville operation closed, much of that collection returned to Maine. The Portland nonprofit was founded in 1992 and today preserves and operates historic equipment on about 1.5 miles of two-foot track beside Casco Bay. Its mission is explicitly both operational and educational: keeping Maine’s unusually small common-carrier technology understandable through rides, interpretation, preservation, restoration, and public programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maine Narrow Gauge a real public train ride or only a museum?
It is both. The nonprofit preserves historic two-foot-gauge equipment and sells public narrated waterfront rides plus special-event trains.
How long is the regular ride?
The operator publishes an approximately 40-minute, three-mile round trip along Casco Bay.
Where do regular trains board?
Regular trains depart beside the station at 65 Thames Street. Polar Express uses the nearby Ocean Gateway Marine Terminal and has separate arrival instructions.
Does the railroad have parking?
No. The operator says it offers no parking and does not recommend a specific lot. Use current City of Portland street and paid-lot information.
When should I arrive?
Allow time to park and walk. Trains leave exactly on time and cannot be held; Polar Express asks riders to be ready at least 20 minutes before departure.
Is the train wheelchair accessible?
The platform has a lift and Combine Car No. 12 can accommodate wheelchairs at the Coach fare. Not every car is accessible, and the halfway rest point has no lift.
Will my train be steam-powered?
Not necessarily. The operator says diesel-electric No. 1 normally powers regular trains unless otherwise announced and does not guarantee steam or diesel on any trip.
Can I choose a historic car?
Coach is general admission and the consist can change. First Class reserves a place in that service level, not a guaranteed car number or photographed vehicle.
Can I bring a dog?
Well-behaved dogs are published as welcome in Coach Open-Air cars on ordinary service, not in First Class. Confirm special-event and service-animal rules directly.
Are there restrooms?
The station has two single-occupancy restrooms with baby-changing tables. The operator does not promise an onboard restroom.
What regular tickets cost?
The source-checked non-event Coach fares are $18.85 adult, $16.75 senior, $14.65 child age 3–12, and free age 2 and under; First Class costs more. Fees and event prices differ.
What special events remain in 2026?
After August 14, the official ticket surface lists Ice Cream trains August 21 and 28 and September 4, Sunset Express August 15, 22, and 29 and September 5, and 22 Polar Express dates November 20–December 28.
Is the Pumpkin Train listed for 2026?
Not in the current live ticket catalog reviewed on August 14. The standalone Pumpkin page still shows undated October 19–20 and 26–27 information that aligns with an older season, so no 2026 dates are invented.
Are tickets refundable?
The regular visitor page states that tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-exchangeable. Check the exact provider terms for a special event.
Has the operator confirmed this USA Train Rides page?
Not yet. It was independently source-checked on August 14, 2026. The operator can request a correction or confirmation review through USA Train Rides.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 14, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official narrated ride and hours page for 2026 season, departures, trip length, fares, seating, pets, refunds, access, station, restrooms, parking, and equipment-assignment caveat
- Official live ticket catalog for regular trains, remaining Ice Cream and Sunset dates, Polar Express inventory, times, and price ranges
- Official Polar Express page for all 22 exact dates, departure times, service classes, fares, terminal, arrival, duration, food, allergen, and ticketing guidance
- Official group-visits page for group threshold, advance prices, narration, platform lift, and halfway-rest-point limitation
- Official mission page for nonprofit preservation, operation, education, safety, accessibility, and community commitments
- Official history page for Maine two-foot context, five original systems, Atwood and Edaville preservation, Portland founding, route length, and nonprofit identity
- Official collection roster for locomotive, passenger-car, caboose, work-equipment, accessible Combine No. 12, storage, loan, and restoration context
- Official contact page for public phone, station address, and direct inquiry form
