Official Maine Eastern Thread

I imagine they had a contract of some sort,how did Safe Handling lose it? Was Maine DOT fed up with them or did the contract expire?

It was a short-term contract. When Maine Coast decided to call it quits, MaineDOT put out the request for an interim operator until a long-term operator could be found. Safe Handling bid on the interim operator contract and won it. I assume they were welcome to bid on the long-term operator contract as well, but I'm not sure if they did or not. At any rate, several companies bid on it and M&E was the winner.

Safe Handling did indeed bid on becoming the long term carrier and lost. Also, see photo of switch installation at Brunswick, Maine

Switch Installation on the GRS Lower Road in Brunswick, Maine

Check this out:

http://www.lobsterfestivaltrain.com/

According to the site, they will be running with ex-Acadian Railway cars (those should be pretty darn nice) as well as an ex-BCRail diner car and an ex-Amtrak Heritage car, all powered by a pair of F40s. Can't wait to see it!

Does anyone know how much M&E bid? Who were other companies that bid?(besides M&E and SHR)

I know that Maine Eastern has the following locomotives in Maine: C424 # 4228, 2 M420's, and 2 F40's. I understand that the F40's are apinted for the "Lobster Train" Has anyone see this equipment and photographed it?

Any suggestions on best places to photograph ?

Where is this equipment kept? I am going up there in August.

Are the F-40's painted in a new scheme?

I don't think the C424 and the F40s have arrived in Maine yet. I live in Maine, and I probably would have seen them or heard about them. But I could be wrong.

4228 is enroute and I would expect it to arrive next week, but you never know what a Class I will do with a short line's locomotive.

The two F-40s are still in the paint shop in Morristown.

Sandy

John, Painting is under way into a new scheme.

Sandy

Caboose, you really taxed my web skills, but I was able to dig this post up from a the NERails list off Yahoo. Message was dates in May 2003

Brooks

MDOT announced today it has chosen Finger Lakes Railway, Morristown & Erie and Cayuga Railway Company as finalists is the bidding process for the Rockland Branch and Lower Road operator. Other bidders included current operator Safe Handling Rail, Robert Ames & Co. and Cascade Transportation and C&J Railroad.

It has been reported on another group that the Morristown & Erie has two passenger locomotives and two passenger coaches in transit to the Maine Eastern.

----- Original Message -----
From: "dano" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 14:46
Subject: [NERails] Maine East Heads Up!


>
>
> M&E is to be interchanging their 2 F40's for the Maine Eastern tomorrow
> for an NS routing via Allentown, PA North to the Maine East. They also
> have 2 coaches, unsure of which ones, also heading to Maine but via an
> Amtrak routing delivered to NJT's Meadowlands Maintenance Complex
yesterday
> by the M&E. Exact routing of these coaches unsure of at the moment.
>
> dano in jersey.

Yes, I am pretty sure the 2 F40's they purchased from Amtrak are going to Maine....One is already repainted!

Steve

Lettered for the M&E? e.g., Maine & Eastern

A photo of the 1st outshopped F-40 is posted on the New England Railfan Forum...