The first full weekend I was in Augusta, Maine, I took some time on a Saturday to drive north to Waterville to see what, if any, railroad action was there. Well, I came across the ex-Maine Central yard north of town, complete with shop buildings and MEC 470 stuffed & mounted at the south side of the yard (but in pretty ragged shape). After several months of seeing the latest six-axle motive power hauling all sorts of tonnage over Sherman Hill, this was a complete change of pace- unmodified first-generation Geeps hauling locals thru the woods. Here's what I found: GP9s 52 and 77 on the point of a train in from Bangor. Looks a lot like a local freight- most of its consist was boxcars (but then again, this is paper-mill country). Ex-Santa Fe SD26 643 on the ready track at the shops. Behind this old beast were several GP40s- next to it was a dead line with quite a few GP40s and one GP35 stripped for parts, or awaiting repairs for return to service (most likely they'll be stripped down to scrap metal). Side shot of chopnosed GP7 12, on point of a switch job to a paper mill south of Skowhegan. Shot it at Shawmut, north of Waterville. Behind this engine are two GP9s. ST GP9 71, the third engine in the power consist. Speed limit here was about 20 MPH, but looking at some stretches of the track it looked like there are some 10 MPH spots.
Nice photos, Bob. If you take any in the next few months, you'll remind me why I was happy to leave New Hampshire in March of '56. They used to say the weather in winter was "Still and Clear"...Still Snowing and Clear up to your A**!!!!
The weather may remind me why I'm glad to be a resident of Texas..........but hey, long as I can slog to the next railfan spot, it's all good.
Interesting to see that ex-ATSF SD26 so far from home. I wonder if it is still operational? Would love to be there, so I could hear the old Geeps chant their song! Boxcab E50
It's somewhat ironic- here they are using first-generation, untorbocharged 567-powered Geeps as power, yet in the deadline are 645-powered, turbocharged GP40s sitting dead & decrepit. "Isn't it ironic......don't you think?" - Alanis Morrisette
Hmmm. Interesting. Perhaps if you are there long enough, you can make a friend or two in the shops, and ask why?? Boxcab E50
Weather permitting, I'm supposed to be in Lewiston at the local mdoel RR club's operating session. I'll see if I can get the local scuttlebutt on Guilford, as well as the MM&A, St. L&A, and whatever else I can find. Looks like I'll have until March to do it.
I did find out one thing- the word "Guilford" will bring a scowl to the aces of railfans in these parts. I got this much from some railfans I met around Lewiston Jct. shooting some StL&A power being serviced. I have found out that Guilford/Springfield Terminal/whatever it is runs 4 trains daily up the Back Road thru Lewiston & Winthrop to Waterville. The Lower Road is out of service, and track is either removed or paved over from Augusta north. SL&A is a Genessee & Wyoming line operating the ex-Grand Trunk line in these parts. It uses GP40s, GP15-1s (ex-Conrail, still in blue), and GP40X/slug sets, with daily service from Lewiston Jct. north, and as-needed service from Lewiston Jct. south. The Lewiston business has really taken off since SL&A took over and G&W bought the line from the original owners. G&W colors are seen more & more, with orange & black slowly covering the yellow & black. Soon as I can, I'll upload pics in another thread, which will be 100% GoofyRail free.
Yeah when I lived in those parts, railfans were "persona non grada" Guilford was the worst. My favorite haunt Deerfield yard had a large chain link fence errected around it so taking pictures was next to impossiable. A lot of us New Englander railfans that remember the GTI take over and strikes of 1987 don't like GTI. I'm surprised to see those GP9s, I wish GTI would let me paint them in the Blue Bird paint cause I always thought the GTI scheme made the NS scheme look exciting Conrail was cool, and New England Southern let me walk around the property as long as the checked my scanner for Conrail and their frequencies. GTI, Railfans were like bad Trekkies for them.
Friscobob, let me know where your at, if your near the NH/VT area there are some neat shortlines. The old New Hampshire & Vermont were using Alco RS11's when I left in 1998.
Well well well........'bout time you showed up here! (It's OK, folks- I know John from Sherman, he's my landlord. Also a CGW modeler, IIRC) I won't argue about 567s, but dang if they aren't getting harder & harder to find, esp. around Sherman since DGNO is shedding themselves of active 567s. Most of what I've been shooting around Loveland, CO and Connersville, IN are dead.
