Following the Last Smurf (MEC 511)

Spotted MEC 511 at Bucksport around 0800 today, still paired with 381, joined by 506, with 340 as mill switcher.

511 was sitting by itself in Northern Maine Junction this morning. There had been somebody from PAR working on it for a short time.....

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 018211.jpg

Found 511 today in Waterville, positioned next to one of the shop buildings. Any one know its status?

Ruh-roh... next in line for a repaint?

Poor Papa Smurf!! Gonna get a dark blue dip.

It would be nice to keep it just the way it is. Twenty years from now, they're going to paint one in that scheme, and call it a heritage unit!!

Mebbe the heritage smurfing is already reserved for the 71? Think what an anachronistically sharp-looking hump/relief duo the 77 and 71 would make!

MEC 511 at Waterville today, paired with 344 working the Madison Job I think.
Still in her" Smurf" paint.

511 was the middle unit of a three-unit consist on a canned eastbound freight (looked like a PORU) at Leeds Jct. Wednesday afternoon. Still a smurf.
--ARS

Just wondering....How did the 500's come up with the name "Smurf"?...I hated running those engines...They were terrible for switching...Wouldn't stop in the snow and rode like a buck board and on top of all that...The refrigirater didn't work!

Smurf refers just to the 511, previously also included the 505, as their baby blue and charcoal gives a "smurflike" look and color to them...or so thats my understanding. :D

511 was trailing #3XX into NMJ about 4:30 tonight 11/30. Was the middle unit with 506 (?) being the last unit. It was in one of those really cool GRS/PAR1/PAR2 paint line ups...

I'd imagine they run similar to Santa Fe's GP60Ms when they came online. Rough as hell due to all that extra weight on a dual axle truck instead of like an SD60 on a tri....."Smurf" was one of the first things that came to mind when I first saw the Phase 1 Pan Am on the 505 and 511. I got the 505 in all three paint schemes, and hope for one more decent chase of the 511 before they paint it as well.

Its in the area, who knows how long it will stay here...I wish I'd had my camera but oh well.

yup, the 500's rode like crap. Trucks always seemed to hunt. But the cabs were decent compared to the rest.

511s was the lead unit on a train without a crew sitting by the office @ Waterville @ 6:15p on 12/4/11.

Was 511, 501 and 332. Too bad there aren't more of those Ph.2 units left, they look good with the railroad name written out imo...