Oakfield’s railroad museum occupies a wooden Bangor & Aroostook station saved and rehabilitated in 1991. The station gives the collection a particular sense of place. Historical photographs, maps and tools tell the story of the company that carried passengers and freight through this part of Aroostook County. The Oakfield Historical Society cares for the building and its contents, continuing a community effort to preserve the working life once organized around the tracks.
A good place to start is with the railroad maps. Their network of lines explains connections beyond Oakfield, while the photographs recover the people and places associated with those routes. Telegraph equipment introduces a less visible form of traffic. Information about movements and conditions had to pass between employees long before the train reached a station. Lamps and signals served a related purpose at trackside, where reliable communication could govern how a crew proceeded.
The larger artifacts add another scale to the story. The society lists caboose C-66, a handcar, a motor car and restored mail carts. The caboose was part of a train crew’s workplace, while the smaller vehicles suggest the crews responsible for inspecting and maintaining the line. The mail carts evoke an everyday transfer between depot and train that made the railroad part of the region’s communications network.
One especially local object is the weather vane that once stood on Oakfield’s railway water tower. The tower was demolished in 1982, but the small surviving piece recalls infrastructure that was crucial when steam locomotives needed frequent water stops. Ask about the old tower’s position, then compare the preserved station with the views in historical photographs. The collection rewards visitors who take time to examine such details. Oakfield’s museum is volunteer operated and seasonal. Published opening days differ, so access is best confirmed directly before a special trip.
Visitor information
Researched November 2026.
Sources
More railroad museums in Maine
- Boothbay Railway Village Museum — Boothbay: Railway village and living-history museum
- Downeast Scenic Railroad — Preservation Collection — Ellsworth: Operating railroad preservation collection
- Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and Museum — Portland: Narrow-gauge railroad museum and operating collection
- Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad — Phillips: Narrow-gauge railroad museum and operating collection
- Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum — Alna: Narrow-gauge railroad museum and operating collection
- All 6 railroad museums and sites in Maine
Keep exploring
- All heritage sites — museums, stations and landmarks
- Northeast — the trains you can ride in the region