The Lion locomotive, a commanding presence in the museum’s entry area for decades, moved temporarily out of the building recently.

The Lion’s move was necessary for renovations to the museum’s inner lobby that will better accommodate visitors and provide an improved entry point for new exhibitions on the main floor.

How do you move a nine-ton locomotive and tender (the car pulled by the Lion and carrying its wood fuel)?

The Cote Corporation of Auburn, under the supervision of foreman Todd Belaire (above left), first built a gantry to carefully lift the Lion boiler off its chassis. The chassis, pictured in the center of the above photo, was then placed on metal rollers and pulled by a winch from the museum’s main floor.

The Lion’s boiler was the next large section of the locomotive to be moved. Below, the Cote crew keeps eyes on the boiler’s position as a winch pulls it toward a waiting flatbed truck. 

The Lion and its tender will return after the museum reopens. Plans call for them to be exhibited in a new, more spacious place on the first floor.

There, the Lion’s dramatic and fascinating story, including its important connections to Maine’s woods industry and the evolution of steam technology, can be better told and illustrated. Stay tuned!