Opening Weekend 2026
The museum will launch its 2026 season on June 20 and 21. Our trains depart from Sanders Station located at 128 Bridge Street in Phillips, ME. This is about one half mile outside of the village. Trains will depart on the hour from 11 AM until 3 PM both days this weekend. The roundtrip is 55 minutes with two stops. The first stop is our picnic grove overlooking the river and the second is our roundhouse complex. You are welcome to depart on one train and return on another should you wish to bring a picnic lunch or spend more time exploring our collection. The last train departs the picnic grove at 3:30 PM and the roundhouse complex at 3:45 PM.
Visit Franklin County’s Unique Narrow Gauge Railroad
Railroads with a two-foot track gauge in the USA were unique to Maine. At one time there were four such railroads operating within the state and the Sandy River was the largest and most successful of them. A combination of events in the early 1930s, including the great depression and the proliferation of automobiles and trucks were the death knell for these railroads. Luckily some of the locomotives, rolling stock and buildings have survived to this day.
Today the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation dedicated to the preservation and restoration of one of the original two-foot narrow gauge railroad that operated from Farmington to Kingsfield and Rangeley. Phillips was the center of this railroad. Our museum offers the largest collection of authentic Maine two-foot rolling stock and railway structures to be found anywhere.
Community
Our Community in Franklin County is an integral part of who we are. Our commitment to historical preservation could never be a success without the support and volunteers we have met and who have worked with us toward the mutual goal of youth involvement through education Read More
Become a Member
This is where your commitment to preserving these treasures begins. Please join our efforts and become a member: Sign up at the Museum Shop and check out all the benefits we offer! Go To Shop