Maine Eastern Railroad: See the Seacoast in Art Deco Style
Come to the Mid Coast region of Maine between Memorial Day weekend and October each year, and you might see the Art Deco-style cars of the Maine Eastern Railroad chugging along the Maine coastline. Between Memorial Day weekend and late June, passengers can take one of two round trips per day between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine; from late June to October, the Maine Eastern runs two round trips daily from Wednesday to Saturday and one round trip on Sundays, with special holiday trains that run in December.
The path taken by the Maine Eastern Railroad passes along the scenic Mid Coast between Brunswick, about a half hour north of Portland, and Rockland for a leisurely two-hour trip along the 57-mile coastal route. Passengers are treated to the luxury of vintage parlor class railway cars restored by Maine Eastern and the staff of its parent company, the Morristown and Erie Railway Company of Morrisstown, N.J.; each of the coaches on the Maine Eastern are 54- and 58-seat streamlined stainless steel railway cars in the Art Deco style. The diesel locomotives that run on the line were built in the 1950s, except unlike some of the passenger coaches the locomotives have remained in mostly constant use.
Passengers on the Maine Eastern also have access to a restored 1940s/’50s-era dining car that serves snacks and beverages cafe style along the route. This allows visitors in the parlor-class coaches the opportunity to meander around the train while viewing the natural and historical settings out the big viewing windows in every car.
Perhaps the best part about the Maine Eastern is that you don’t have to board at Brunswick and depart at Rockland. There are a total of four stations along the route, with Bath and Wiscasset being the two stations in between Brunswick and Rockland. Your ticket, either purchased previously or bought onboard, is good for a boarding and departure at any of the stops along the Maine Eastern line.
Though the leisurely trip along the Maine Mid Coast region is reason enough to jump onto the Maine Eastern Railroad, there’s also a number of special packages that you can purchase in conjunction with your rail tickets. These packages include “Rail and Spa,” a combined trip along the Maine Eastern and a spa treatment at the Rheal Day Spa on Main Street in downtown Rockland, and the Historic Homes Tour in Wiscasset among many others.
Posted on Apr 22, 2011 by Matt Delman
