B&M F7A 4265

Frankly, it's surprising with all the disposable income in the Bay State, one would have thought B&M fans would have pulled together the rather isolated, yet available B&M motive power and car pieces out there. The is an American Flyer coach available on the LIRR, these shell F7's, various wooden cars, cabeese, isn't there an RS3 somewhere? I don't think it would be to hard to pull together a very nice display site of Boston & Maine equipment. B&M was one of America's most popular road names prior to the Dark Times.

What are the Massachusetts B&M fans supposed to do with the stuff? Plenty of B&M equipment is already in the hands of preservation groups; these groups need resources, not "reinventing the wheel". Resources such as volunteers and funding, to insure that what exists now will continue to exist in the future.

In Connecticut, RMNE has two of B&M's first (1939) SW-1s, B&M GP9 #1732, B&M RS-3 #1508 (recently returned to New England from Michigan), numerous B&M freight cars (5 boxcars of three different types, two GS gons, two different cabooses, two different milk cars) and a wood B&M coach/combine. And a heavyweight Pullman obs car that was assigned to the Boston-Montreal "New Englander" in the 1930s.

And, in the "related family" department, RMNE also has a large number of Maine Central pieces--one RS-3, one crane, one baggage-RPO, three boxcars, one low-side gon, and one snow plow.

So, show up and help, or send a check. Either will be appreciated.

In answer to b&m1566, F-7a 4267 was traded to EMD along with F-2 4251 and the 4 BL-2's for GP-18's in 1961. The reason that photos of the 4267 are scarce is because she was badly damaged in a wreck in the rock cut at Mascoma,N.H. in November 1960, the 4267b survived the wreck, but the stainless steel grillework was destroyed on one side, that is why it had an F-2 looking, homemade, grill that can be seen in later photos of her.

Thank you!!! Is it safe to say that the 4267 was never used again after the wreck in 1960??? Or did the B&M repair it before it was traded in. It would be awesome to know if the 4267 is still around but finding that out is no better than finding a needle in a hay stack; that's to say if it is still out there (most likely renumbered).
According to this website (if I understand it correctly) the 4267 never made it to another railroad after the trade in http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/8400.htm but I don't know how creditable the site is (missing the 4268 for starters).

After the wreck at Mascoma, the 67a never ran again. It sat around the back yard at Billerica Shops until trade-in time. It is safe to say, that after using all of the salvagable parts to build a GP-18, the 67a was probably cut up for scrap. If you'd like to see some photos of 4267a, contact me at [email protected]. I have many in service photos as well as the official B&M photos taken at Mascoma.

I ran across this posting from last year re the 4265.

It is in Gorham, next to the active line of the SL&A...an old GTR line.

The old 4265 is owned by the small Gorham Historical Society in N. NH. It's currently undergoing renovation into a unique walk-through movie theater/ photo gallery with access to the cab, where one will be able to pretend that they are driving the diesel. Outside there will be a pulldown screen that will play the movie, as well as give someone a video tour of the engine, since it can't be made completely accessible. Tim Sappington, one of our volunteers and an architect, created the design. A NHDOT grant, coupled with GHS and other donations of funds, labor and materials has resulted in Phase 1 gutting and reconstruction of the inside and part of the outside. We are going after additional funding to try to complete the job in 2008/2009.

If anyone has good info on the 4265 or photos of what the inside of this diesel looked like when it was running, we'd really like to hear from you.

<[email protected]>

If you'd like to assist with the donation, via membership, donations or volunteering, let us know.

Thanks.
Reuben
President, GHS

I know this is an older thread but I thought I would provide recent photos of 4265 and its available sisters. These were all taken June 9, 2010.

I read somewhere that the 4268 was an EMD demonstrator, and that makes sense based on the linked article of EMD production serial numbers- 4265A, 4266A, 4267A are listed but not the 4268A, which must have been built earlier.

greenus90 wrote:I read somewhere that the 4268 was an EMD demonstrator, and that makes sense based on the linked article of EMD production serial numbers- 4265A, 4266A, 4267A are listed but not the 4268A, which must have been built earlier.

Explains the different style pilot perhaps?

B&M #4268A is the former EMD demo #930. Its serial number 9932 is out of sequence with the other 3 B&M F7As. It was built in 10/49 and sold on EMD order #6059. Diesel data from A J Kristopans EMD Serial Number website.

http://community-1.webtv.net/ajkristopa ... page3.html

p42thedowneaster wrote:

greenus90 wrote:I read somewhere that the 4268 was an EMD demonstrator, and that makes sense based on the linked article of EMD production serial numbers- 4265A, 4266A, 4267A are listed but not the 4268A, which must have been built earlier.

Explains the different style pilot perhaps?

Does anyone have a status update of this locomotive's refabrication?

Reader#108 wrote:Does anyone have a status update of this locomotive's refabrication?

I was just there on Friday. It's still on static display and looking like the pic above. You can climb up steps in the back and look in. It's completely hollowed out with only the cockpit intact. There is a graphic in front of it showing the planned movie theater, but no sign of work being done.

4266 is beautifully maintained at Conway Scenic. 4268 is looking a bit rough, but they were doing some work to the side panels, so maybe it's getting a facelift.

I was there in April....I think that they are having trouble getting someone to do the work....the idea is fabulous

and the folks at the Gorham Historical Society are very knowledgable and very nice

4268 is having the new panels put on, she was torn apart the last time I was there....at the very least she'll get a nice

paint job when installation is complete...

4266 is also having her panels replaced.....and you can see them bulging pretty badly...both locomotives at CSRR had new rear doors

installed last year, I would assume that 4266 will have the panels put on in the winter and receive a new paint job as well, but I'm

not privy....just assuming

Reader#108 wrote:4268 is having the new panels put on, she was torn apart the last time I was there....at the very least she'll get a nice
paint job when installation is complete...4266 is also having her panels replaced.....and you can see them bulging pretty badly...both locomotives at CSRR had new rear doors installed last year, I would assume that 4266 will have the panels put on in the winter and receive a new paint job as well, but I'm not privy....just assuming

When I was at CSRR last Thursday, 4268 had all side panels removed (what a mess inside!). When I rode the Bartlett Train out (the Maine Central "Mr. Miller" GP-7 pulling) there were people doing work around it and I could see that the side panels, leaning against it, were pretty beat up. I took some pictures and if I get a chance I'll post them here.

4266 was in the yard in between the Notch Train and the Budd Car. It was looking better than I've ever seen it so maybe they're done with the new side panels and paint! I know they're doing Railfan Weekend (ooooh, how I wish I could go, some year I will) in a couple of weeks, so I'm sure they're getting both ready. The Yellow Birds were looking real sharp, too.

Perhaps they can send some of the F7 parts they're replacing up to Gorham to put some clean up on 4265.

drvmusic wrote:When I was at CSRR last Thursday, 4268 had all side panels removed (what a mess inside!). When I rode the Bartlett Train out (the Maine Central "Mr. Miller" GP-7 pulling) there were people doing work around it and I could see that the side panels, leaning against it, were pretty beat up. I took some pictures and if I get a chance I'll post them here.

4266 was in the yard in between the Notch Train and the Budd Car. It was looking better than I've ever seen it so maybe they're done with the new side panels and paint!

4268 is currently a work in progress. There has been no work done to 4266 at this time.

Eric