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Cruising on the Acadian Railway
Come ride the li'l train that's rolling down the track
By Hilary M. Nangle

As the sleek passenger train I'm aboard edges along Maine's Moosehead Lake, the theme song of a favorite, long-ago television show starts playing in my brain: Come ride the little train that is rolling down the track to the junction..., only this time it's Greenville Junction, Maine, that's our destination.

I'm on the Acadian Railway, a masterfully restored passenger train that puts joy back into travel. We left Montreal that morning bound, ultimately for St. John, New Brunswick, with a two-night layover in Greenville along the way. It's a leisurely trip, one where the journey, not the destination, takes precedence.

"I got the idea that somebody ought to use trains as a cruise ship, like they do in Europe and Canada," says Randy Parten, a soft-spoken Texan with a passion for trains. The Acadian Railway is his baby. "We want to take people out of the city and take them on a huge circle through the wilderness, then take them home. We're about looking out the window."

Which is exactly what I find myself doing while on board. That and enjoying the camaraderie of other passengers and savoring the fine dining experience offered.

The Three R's: Renovation, Restoration or Resurrection
The Acadian Railway comprises 10, rebuilt stainless-steel, streamline railcars constructed in the 1940s and 1950s by the Budd Company of Philadelphia. Parten began assembling the train in 1986, when Amtrak held a rail equipment auction. "It was put up or shut up," he says. Almost overnight he became the largest railcar owner in the United States. He owned 50 cars at one point; now he owns 39, but they're a "better set," he says.

Renovating the cars was "more resurrection than restoration," says Joe Pinnelli, a preservation contractor who worked on some of the cars. Parten admits to spending $250,000 to $750,000 or more on each car, and it shows. As Pinnelli notes, "each car is accurate to the period, with a little flair."

That flair manifests itself in upholstered seats that are well spaced to give passengers ample leg room and then some. I find I can stash my carry-ons behind the seat in front of me, stretch out full length, and still there's room to spare. Not that I spend much time in this comfy assigned seat. I quickly move to the rear car to snag a lounge chair, gab with friends and watch the world go by.

Eventually I make my way forward to the Parlor Car, where a spread of cheese, fresh fruit, smoked salmon and other goodies has been laid out next to the bar. I load up a plate, then wiggle onto one of the L-shaped bench seats at the invitation of a couple I have yet to meet.

I'm smitten by the friendliness of train riders. On airplanes, few passengers talk with one another. More often than not, the only interaction between passengers is disgruntled looks when someone lands in the middle seat that all were hoping would remain free or a child screams or someone talks too loudly on a cell phone. It's different on this. People are riding this for the fun of it, to relax, chat, enjoy good meals and watch the scenery.

"If I do my job right, I can keep people happy for nine to 12 hours," Parten says. I find he's right. My book goes unread; my laptop remains unopened; I resist the urge to nap. Instead, I chat with fellow riders, join the search for moose, deer and other wildlife, and oohhh and aahhh as we pass uninhabited lakes and free-flowing rivers. The train rumbles along at 35 to 40 miles per hour, just the right speed for window gawking. Silver, yes; silver streak, it's not.

Wild About Wilderness
Parten chose this route, he says, because "it's a friendly railroad with great scenery." It doesn't have the spectacular grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, he adds, but it does pass through a big chunk of wilderness that is otherwise unreachable unless you're willing to do some serious hiking or tackle rough woods roads that make a mockery of most SUVs.

The layover day in Greenville allows passengers the time to explore that wilderness. "I didn't know towns like this still existed," exclaimed more than one guest upon arrival in Greenville. It's a small town; the last outpost before civilization gives way to wilderness, tarred roads give way to dirt.

Most guests are lodged at the Squaw Mountain Resort, a modest motel with spectacular views over Moosehead Lake, and take their meals at the Iron Horse, a restaurant Parten purchased and renovated to meet the needs of his passengers. Some guests upgrade to one of the fancier inns in town, such as the Blair Hill, a spectacular bed and breakfast with multi-course breakfasts, fireplaces, down comforters and to-die-for views.

Guests can spend the day meandering downtown (such as it is) Greenville, browsing a handful of shops selling all manner of moose-related merchandise, chainsaw sculptures, quilts and woodsy-themed antiques. They can hike; one popular, easy trail leads to the wreckage of a B52 bomber, a more difficult trail climbs Kineo, a cliff-laced peak. Or they can opt for a handful of other add-on excursions: whitewater rafting, fly fishing, moose safaris or cruising.

I take a cruise on the Katahdin, better known as the Kate, a retrofitted 1914 steamship that is part museum, part boat tour. We cruise from downtown Greenville up the lake, Maine's largest, toward Kineo, site of the former Kineo House, one of the largest and grandest hotels of the last century. Capt. Ron Macomber ran this vessel when it was used to tow booms of logs across the lake in the years before the logging industry was mechanized. He's at the wheel now, pointing out highlights along the way, such as Katahdin, Maine's highest peak, in the distance.

Dining in High Style
It's a relaxing day, but I'm ready to resume my train journey; ready to pass through an area of the Maine woods known as the 100-mile Wilderness. This is the toughest and last section of the Appalachian Trail before it culminates on the summit of Katahdin. We chug through the rugged terrain passing over two gasp-producing trestles, by remote lakes and streams.

Eventually we come to a town, and once again, I find myself humming the theme song to Petticoat Junction, only this time, it's Brownville Junction. The route now takes us through an equally pretty but less remote region, where small villages dot the route. A friend and I try to figure out the towns we're passing through and to name the lakes we parallel. Parten tells me he's working on a map; and indeed, as we figure out a landmark, he notes the railway mileage marker.

I take it all in, spending as much time as possible in the elevated Dome Dining Car, where elaborate five-course lunches are served. The menus are reflective of the areas the train passes through: French-inspired cuisine on the journey from Montreal, game dishes in the North Woods, fish specialties in the Maritimes. There's always a choice of entree, and the chef accommodates special diets with advance notice.

When we stop for Customs, I know our journey is ending. St. John isn't far down the line, so I settle into my seat to savor every last minute. Already, though, I know I'll return. I'm already making plans to ride the Acadian Railway again, when it shifts its routes to northern New England to coincide with peak foliage. I imagine brilliant oranges, vibrant reds, deep greens and shiny golds all reflected in shimmering waters, the snap of a brisk autumn day; perhaps a dusting of snow on a mountain summit. Yeah, I'm ready to take it all in from the train; wondering just what little junctions await on that route.

If You Go:
The Acadian Railway operates from mid-June through mid-September from Montreal to St. John and back, with two nights spent in Greenville, Maine, in either direction. You can connect to Montreal out of New York City, riding private railcars attached to the end of the Amtrak train. From St. John, you can opt for a variety of Maritime tours or circle back to New York on a cruise boat. Five- to 12-day packages, including lodging in New Brunswick, Montreal and Greenville, begin at $1,399.

From mid-September through mid-October, the Acadian Railway operates one-way and circle tours highlighting fall foliage in northern New England, between Portland, Maine, and Montreal. Extended motorcoach tours in the White Mountains are available, as is a trip from Montreal to New York aboard the Lake Champlain, private cars attached to an Amtrak run. Three- to seven-day packages, including one night's lodging in Portland and two nights in Montreal, begin at $819.

For more information, call toll-free either 800-659-7602 or 866-918-7246.

Hilary M. Nangle is a full-time free-lance writer and editor specializing in travel. She lives in Waldoboro, Maine.