Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts
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The Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund

Mass Bay RRE established the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund in 2016 to support worthy projects to preserve historically significant railroad equipment, structures, information or artifacts in New England. One or more grants, generally not exceeding $5,000, will be awarded annually, funded by donations to the fund, income from the Fund's endowment and a grant from the Samuel L. Freeman Charitable Trust.

In 2026, Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund has awarded $65,000 in grants to 14 organizations, thanks to the generosity of our members and friends. Since its inception in 2016, the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund Grants has made grants totaling over $347,000 to help preserve New England railroad equipment, structures and artifacts.

2026 Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund grant recipients

  • The Andover Historical Society of Andover, NH will receive a $5,000 in support of the repainting of the “Potter Place” Northern Railroad Freight House. Built in the early 1900's, the freight house retains almost all of its original features and appearance. It is located a short distance east along the tracks from the Potter Place passenger railroad train station.
  • The Boston Street Railway Association of Boston, MA, $5,000 toward the ongoing restoration of Boston Elevated Railway Type 5 Streetcar 5706. No. 5706 was in a 50-car order placed with the J. G. Brill Company of Philadelphia on January 23, 1923.
  • The Branford Electric Railway Association of East Haven, CT, d/b/a Shore Line Trolley Museum, $4,800 to repair or replace the radiator on their General Electric 23-ton 4-wheel diesel-electric locomotive, known internally as “Atlas" after the company that donated it to the Museum. Atlas is typical of locomotives found in many industrial and power plants, mostly purchased as World War II surplus and found throughout New England and the country.
  • The Chester Foundation of Chester, MA will receive $5,000 to support the move of the former NYC Coach/Dining car from where it resided in Chicopee, MA for 40 years as ‘Bernie's Dining Depot’ to the museum grounds in late 2025. Work funded by the grant includes electrical work to connect the car to the museum’s power supply, and extensive repair and rebuilding of the car end doors. The car is still outfitted with tables and chairs and will serve Chester Station as an event venue.
  • The Connecticut Antique Machinery Association of New Milford, CT will receive $2,500 for the rehabilitation of a historic Denver & Rio Grande gondola car for conversion to passenger carrying service.
  • The Contoocook Riverway Association of Contoocook, NH, has been awarded $5,000 toward Phase 1 of the construction of an open-air canopy to protect their 1907 Boston & Maine coach. This first phase will encompass installation of 12 concrete light pole bases and steel sockets for the columns of the canopy. Later phases will install the structural elements – columns, framing, roofing, etc.
  • The Danbury Railway Museum of Danbury, Conn., will receive a $5,000 grant toward the restoration of the New York & New England Railroad Mill Plain Station. The station was built in 1881 by the NY&NE for their line extension to the Hudson River. The station featured a surrounding boardwalk and a long passenger platform connecting it to an adjoining freight depot. Mill Plain stayed in use until the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad ended passenger service on the line around 1928. The DRM acquired the 500 square foot structure in 2016 and moved it to the DRM campus. The exterior has largely been restored, and the Mass Bay grant will support interior restoration, including restoring the walls, ceiling, and floor.
  • The Flying Yankee Association, based in Nashua, NH, will receive a $5,000 grant for the installation of a Security System for Boston & Maine No. 6000, better known as The Flying Yankee. The Flying Yankee is currently being stored on Conway Scenic track in Conway, NH, awaiting construction of a building to house the train so its full restoration can begin. The Flying Yankee Association wants to install a security system to safeguard the train while it is being stored.
  • The Greenville Junction Depot Friends will receive $5,000 to install and finish historically accurate narrow-width oak flooring in Men's Waiting Room, the Station Master’s Office, and the Ladies Waiting Room of the historic 1889 Canadian Pacific depot, which has been transformed into a vibrant community meeting place. installing and finishing the floors will mark the successful restoration of the interior of their historic Depot.
  • New England Steam Corporation of Winterport, Maine, will receive $3,200 to turn and polish the booster journals on the trailing truck of Maine Central steam locomotive No. 470. Maine Central 470 is an icon of New England railroad history. Built by ALCO in 1924 and tasked with pulling the varnished name trains, the 470 wasn't just another locomotive; it was the pride of the fleet. No. 470 pulled the last steam passenger train on the railroad on June 13, 1954.
  • The Railroad Museum of New England of Thomaston, Conn., has been awarded a $5,000 grant toward the restoration of New Haven 529, a 1950 Alco diesel road switcher locomotive. New Haven #529 was built by American Locomotive Works (ALCO) at Schenectady, NY in August 1950. It is the only remaining locomotive from the “500s,” the 45 RS-3s operated by the New Haven.
  • The New Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad of Phillips, Maine, will receive $5,000 for the installation of a concrete floor pad for the railroad machine shop in a corner of the roundhouse building. With a solid floor under the machine shop they can produce high quality work restoring key parts of their fleet of historic and recreated Sandy River equipment.
  • The Thompson Historical Society of Thompson, CT will receive $5,000 toward development at the Airline Rail Line State Park, and particularly for technical support for the upcoming PBS movie about the history and the site today. The local East Thompson CT station was a key stop on the 'straight-line' (hence airline) and very important NYC and Boston corridor beginning in the 1860s through the 1930s. The legendary Ghost Train, painted white, traveled this stretch of track to great acclaim.
  • The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum of Alna, Maine, is receiving a $5,000 grant to support completion of the construction of Wiscasset & Quebec Coach 9. In 1894, the ambitiously named Wiscasset and Quebec Railroad (W&Q) began constructing a narrow gauge railway northward from the seaport of Wiscasset, Maine, towards Canada. The W&Q never completed its route to Quebec. Bankrupt, it reorganized as the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington. The WW&F Railway Museum’s mission is to restore and rebuild the operation and equipment of the 1894-1933 railroad as completely as possible. To that end, the WW&F is reconstructing Wiscasset & Quebec coach no. 2. The reconstructed coach, numbered 9 to honor its new construction, will complement Coach 3 and provide visitors an unmatched experience of the optimism and splendor of the Victorian era.

    • The application period for the 2027 Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Grants is NOW OPEN. 

    See the Preservation Page for details and application instructions.

    Donations to the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund are welcomed! Your donation will help us fund additional worthy railroad preservation projects. Donors may choose to designate their gift to the Preservation Fund Endowment or to be used to fund grants directly. Endowment funds are invested to provide an annual income to be used for preservation grants. Investment income will be supplemented each year with donations to Mass Bay RRE, including all donations designated for direct grants. All donations to the Mass Bay RRE Railroad Preservation Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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