PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 1, 2024
How is it that the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, located on the east end of Commercial Street, is allowed to operate either their 2-stroke engine or the coal-fired one within a yard of a public walkway? I have been told that the 2-stroke engine is grandfathered in and the coal-fired one is under the authority of the Railroad Administration and neither the City of Portland’s sustainability office nor the state environmental agency has the power to do anything about it. I have watched the rail operation fire up the coal engine, with black smoke coming out of the stack, to take riders on the less-than-a-mile long “amusement” ride while allowing the engine to run at idle in excess of eight hours. ~ Dan Milligan, Portland