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Fall Foliage Excursions

If you are considering a trip to New England to optimize fall viewing, consider taking a train. The fall roads are loaded with cars, and are basically the equivalent of Route One in the summer. You will be rewarded with incredible viewing without battling that traffic. And, the leaves in Maine are the first to turn.

Before the car began to dominate travel in Maine, railroads crisscrossed the state. Unfortunately, and many people think unwisely, the automobile put an end to that. However, those rail lines that remain offer some very interesting excursion runs.

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Company

The Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Company, based in Unity and Belfast, Maine, offers two fall foliage tours. This rail company is the country's sixth oldest continually operating railroad. Chartered in 1867, the original plan included extending the line from Belfast all the way to Moosehead Lake, in the North Woods region. However, after installing 33 miles of track, the company ran out of money and the rest of the line was never built.

The railroad became a local short line, carrying passengers to their connections with larger rail lines, until 1960, when the Maine Central Railroad stopped taking passengers. Today the railroad is taking passengers again, this time on enjoyable and creative excursion trips, either in one of its diesel locomotives, built in the 1940's, or in its beautiful Swedish built steam locomotive, the "Spirit of Unity", built in 1913.

The railroad's Fall Foliage Excursion is an all day rail tour, featuring exquisite scenery with views of lakes, streams, rivers and mountains. There is also a visit to Bryant's Antique Stove Museum and a special luncheon menu, available throughout the day in the Swedish dining car.

This railroad also offers frequent, two-hour scenic excursions, round-trip between Unity and Burnham Junction, as well as a whole series of special event excursions, dinner trains and mystery theater trains. Upcoming events include a Mystery Dinner Train in October, Halloween Train Shuttles for the whole family, the Thanksgiving Dinner Train and the Santa Express.

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Company
One Depot Square, Unity, Maine;
Front Street, Belfast, Maine;
1-800-392-5500