Freeport, Maine, August 13 and 14

Arriving in Freeport	Welcome to Freeport, Maine!	Exhibit Train this way
We shared the space with other exhibitors	Three of the Exhibit Train team at our table	Pan Am Railways' vintage office cars were attached to the exhibit cars in Freeport

At Freeport, we were happy to be joined by volunteers from TrainRiders/Northeast (TRN) and Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), two groups that have been vital to the establishment of the popular Downeaster service linking the towns of southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire with the greater Boston metropolitan area. Towards the back of the Exhibit Train, a few of the display cases contain memorabilia from the first day of Downeaster service.

Visitors were also lucky to have the opportunity to walk through two vintage Office cars owned by Pan Am Railways, over whose tracks the Downeaster runs in Maine. Dressed in an elegant blue livery, the cars took on a beautiful sheen as the sun cast down its rays. TRN members, many of whom volunteer as hosts on the Downeaster in order to provide travelers with information on the towns and sites along the route, were kind enough to donate their time to help staff the Exhibit Train.

The 116 mile Downeaster route is financially supported by the federal government and the state of Maine. NNEPRA manages the budget, contracts, promotion, and customer services while Amtrak operates the train. Popular with commuters, students, and vacationers, the Downeaster ranks as one of Amtrak’s fastest growing services.

As they say, the railroad never stops. After enjoying a steamed lobster dinner overlooking Casco Bay, we headed inland to Burlington, Vt., where we’ll be parked at the head of Main Street right by the shore of Lake Champlain. See you this weekend!

--PK