Maine Eastern Railroad (MERR) Discussion

papabarn wrote:

As I previously wrote:Anyone know if there are plans in place to address potential luggage issues?

gokeefe wrote:I don't think NNEPRA has any interest in getting into the checked baggage business but they may have to consider some kind of arrangements similar to bicycles, e.g. handling only at BON, POR & BRK or something similar to that.

I'll take that as a "I don't think they thought that far yet".

Probably not.

They'll likely wait for "connecting" ridership to develop before instituting any kind of additional service (such as checked baggage). In all honesty this may never happen, but I think the success or failure of any "connecting service" is more in Maine Eastern's hands than NNEPRAs.

Does ME even have any baggage cars? If not, how easy are they to come by with a 12-month advance window to work with (assuming the DE doesn't arrive in Brunswick until November and ME doesn't start meeting them until Spring '13)?

markhb wrote:Does ME even have any baggage cars?

Yes, apparently they do (or did...) at the Morristown & Erie storage yards in Rockaway, NJ. Several of these cars once saw service on the Vermont state sponsored Vermonter and Ethan Allen. There are also photos of some of them being scrapped but at least one #1851 was photographed as recently as January of 2012 and captioned as "stored" with no indication of imminent disposal.

One of those baggage cars was at Maine Eastern's Rockland Yard the last time I was up there (two or three years ago).

M&E also has a number of former Amtrak Material Handling Cars in its possession so should the need arise it could be met relatively easily.

Here are some photos of the Maine Eastern baggage cars:

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Reportedly they are being used for parts and were stored for a period of time on the siding near the old Warren depot. I'm having some difficulty understanding how useful those cars would be for parts, but perhaps "storing parts" what was meant. Regardless, there can be no doubt that ME does in fact have baggage cars available that might be available for such use if needed.

Anybody heard or seen anything new on the O'hara's siding/reefer situation in Rockland?

Was up in Brunswick on some family business and managed to catch the afternoon return/departure of the Maine Eastern train. Small train 488, Parlor Car Alexander Hamilton and coach Magnolia. They're using the new station and there's new, but not yet in service, crossing protection on Union Street. They dropped their passengers and then pulled down to wye the train. On the return they have an awkward reverse move forward then reverse over the crossing back down to clear the switch to come back forward to platform for the return trip. Does anyone know if there is additional trackwork planned or will this awkward situation persist for ME? I'm unclear where the planned Amtrak maintenance facility is located. Will they be using the wye at all and, if so, are any upgrades planned (such as crossing protection on the crossing on the wye legs)?

RS115 wrote:Was up in Brunswick on some family business and managed to catch the afternoon return/departure of the Maine Eastern train. Small train 488, Parlor Car Alexander Hamilton and coach Magnolia. They're using the new station and there's new, but not yet in service, crossing protection on Union Street. They dropped their passengers and then pulled down to wye the train. On the return they have an awkward reverse move forward then reverse over the crossing back down to clear the switch to come back forward to platform for the return trip. Does anyone know if there is additional trackwork planned or will this awkward situation persist for ME? I'm unclear where the planned Amtrak maintenance facility is located. Will they be using the wye at all and, if so, are any upgrades planned (such as crossing protection on the crossing on the wye legs)?

The Downeaster runs push-pull (I think I'm using that term correctly, at least), with the engine on one end and a cabbage on the other, so I doubt they'll need to use the Brunswick wye at all. If the Mountain Junction wye is built then the trainset will be turned on every trip to Brunswick anyway, and until then they can turn them as needed on the rebuilt Yard 8 wye near the Veteran's Bridge in Portland.

My understanding is that the Brunswick maintenance facility is going to be built here.

I believe the maintenance site is the location of the old Brunswick Yard from the MEC days. Not too far west from the wye. The station and the yard wre within walking distance. Did it several times railfanning the MEC before I could drive.

markhb wrote:

RS115 wrote:Was up in Brunswick on some family business and managed to catch the afternoon return/departure of the Maine Eastern train. Small train 488, Parlor Car Alexander Hamilton and coach Magnolia. They're using the new station and there's new, but not yet in service, crossing protection on Union Street. They dropped their passengers and then pulled down to wye the train. On the return they have an awkward reverse move forward then reverse over the crossing back down to clear the switch to come back forward to platform for the return trip. Does anyone know if there is additional trackwork planned or will this awkward situation persist for ME? I'm unclear where the planned Amtrak maintenance facility is located. Will they be using the wye at all and, if so, are any upgrades planned (such as crossing protection on the crossing on the wye legs)?

The Downeaster runs push-pull (I think I'm using that term correctly, at least), with the engine on one end and a cabbage on the other, so I doubt they'll need to use the Brunswick wye at all. If the Mountain Junction wye is built then the trainset will be turned on every trip to Brunswick anyway, and until then they can turn them as needed on the rebuilt Yard 8 wye near the Veteran's Bridge in Portland.

My understanding is that the Brunswick maintenance facility is going to be built here.

I doubt that Amtrak would be wye the Downeaster at all for one other aditonal comment. At North Station in Boston, the Cab car is always on the South end facing the bumper post at North Station. Their is a rule in effect that prohibits locomotives from tying down under the North Station train shed without permission from the dispatcher.

Does anyone have a fairly complete listing of the Maine Eastern passenger fleet that is assigned to the ME operation in Maine?

GP40MC 1116 wrote:Does anyone have a fairly complete listing of the Maine Eastern passenger fleet that is assigned to the ME operation in Maine?

That is probably a question best asked in the Morristown & Erie Forum.

GP40MC 1116 wrote:Does anyone have a fairly complete listing of the Maine Eastern passenger fleet that is assigned to the ME operation in Maine?

AFAIK, coaches Ash, Elm, Magnolia, and Pine; parlor car Alexander Hamilton; and whatever the dining car is. (I've forgotten the name, but I'm not even sure it spent the winter in Maine. Sometimes cars and locomotives leave the Rockland Branch and seem to vanish.) I believe the Comet car used as a spare or for heavy ridership is also still around. If I had the numbers for any of those, I'd share the info, but The Rudy probably has all that if anyone wants it.

MEC407 wrote:One of those baggage cars was at Maine Eastern's Rockland Yard the last time I was up there (two or three years ago).

Just drove by the Rockland yard this morning and saw what looked to be at least one baggage car tucked away on a siding (hard to tell while driving).