Maine Eastern F-40s

New Haven? Does this mean they are the ones that could run on a third rail?

Yes ... they are the only true "diesel-electric" locomotives ever built .... that is, until the P32AC-DMs (AMD110s) by GE for Amtrak.

-JH

I just Googled "EMD FL9" and found a site that has a good history and explanation of the FL9:

http://www.answers.com/topic/emd-fl9

shadyjay wrote:Yes ... they are the only true "diesel-electric" locomotives ever built .... that is, until the P32AC-DMs (AMD110s) by GE for Amtrak.

What about those fugly dual-mode diesels that Long Island Rail Road has? DM30s or something like that?

The FL9's the ME has have had their third raill gear removed (as I believe all the remaining MNCR units have had too...once the GE's where large enough in number to protect GCT service, the FL9's were relegated to diesel only).

So, they're really F-9's with HEP, and six axle rear trucks now.

I believe the 488 and 489 were Amtrak units. They have the headlights and other marker lights that AMTK put on their FL9's.

MEC407 wrote:What about those fugly dual-mode diesels that Long Island Rail Road has? DM30s or something like that?

Oh yeah, guess I plumb-tuckered forgot about those

-JH

David Telesha wrote:So, they're really F-9's with HEP, and six axle rear trucks now.

Nope. Still FL-9's. The L did not denote anything with regards to the electric capability.

Sorry...speaking figuratively. All I meant to say is that they're mechanically just straight diesels now.

Didn't the L denote a lengthened frame?

octr202 wrote:The FL9's the ME has have had their third raill gear removed (as I believe all the remaining MNCR units have had too...once the GE's where large enough in number to protect GCT service, the FL9's were relegated to diesel only).

So, they're really F-9's with HEP, and six axle rear trucks now.

I believe the 488 and 489 were Amtrak units. They have the headlights and other marker lights that AMTK put on their FL9's.

Yes, the 488 and 89 were Amtrak units and before that many other things back to New Haven. They were in Morristown and Erie Colors but were recently painted to Maine and Eastern Colors as you see here.

nick11a wrote:

octr202 wrote:The FL9's the ME has have had their third raill gear removed (as I believe all the remaining MNCR units have had too...once the GE's where large enough in number to protect GCT service, the FL9's were relegated to diesel only).

So, they're really F-9's with HEP, and six axle rear trucks now.

I believe the 488 and 489 were Amtrak units. They have the headlights and other marker lights that AMTK put on their FL9's.

Yes, the 488 and 89 were Amtrak units and before that many other things back to New Haven. They were in Morristown and Erie Colors but were recently painted to Maine and Eastern Colors as you see here.

Yeah I remember the M&E (Morristown and Erie) colors before going to ME green and white. I have to admit, I liked the homage to the C&O.

are the M&E units same as the C&O units ??? Morristown&Erie ownes 6 ex Amtrak FL-9's so are we sure these are same 2 units ??

Same ones as the C&O, the numbers match.

I believe these were the engines that were on the passenger extra that went through Palmer last Saturday. My father got a few good pics as I collected our lunch. This is the 2nd time I've been in line and a train comes through. I'll post the pics as soon as I get them (my father lives in NJ) sent to me.

Based on the pictures we've seen, the new units look great in the M/E color scheme, but I don't care for the "modernized" headlight. Patching over the original headlight opening and sticking in those 2 vizored lights looks like, ...well, you know.
Other than that, they look slick! Hopefully they plan to run them back to back and not in the push-pull mode such as the F40s were used last year. I guess we'll see.

Someone is posting (as I type) some photos of a Maine Eastern charter called the Mystic Valley Special. Looks nice, but the little banner on the front of the engine ruins the photos

SpecialK wrote:Here's the deal for June 18th, Saturday (all times are approximate - - and yes, this is an Amtrak move all the way from NY to Portland):

-Light engine move from NYP to Hudson to pick up consist (0600 dept -0635 arr)
-Dept Hudson 0735, arr NYP 0755 with consist.
-Dept NYP 0830, arr New Haven at 1000 hrs
-Dept New Haven, CT at 1015 hrs
-Arr Springfield, MA at 1130 hrs
-Dept Springfield, MA at 1145 hrs
-Arr Beacon Park Yard at 1415 hrs
-Dept CSX prop. via Grand Jct at 1430 hrs
-Arr Portland at 1700 hrs

3 engine, 7 car consist.
1 Amtrak electric locomotive from NYP to New Haven
-Switch head end power at NHV
1 Amtrak diesel locomotive from New Haven to Portland
2 ME FL-9's (ME 488/489)
7 cars, the Pine (AMTK 800851), Magnolia (AMTK 800500), Ash (AMTK 800545), Elm (AMTK 800546), Alder Falls (AMTK 800004), Ohio River (AMTK 800228), and Mt. Vernon (AMTK 800708)

Enjoy taking photographs, but please do so from a public area, and please be safe!

Someone directed my attention to this posting, which I find amusing.

Budd lightweight bedroom lounge car MOUNT VERNON (PPCX 800708), which is stored on the Morristown & Erie in Whippany NJ when not in use, was never intended to move (and did not move) from Morristown & Erie to Maine Eastern. As of today (Friday July 8th), MOUNT VERNON is in Portland OREGON (a long way from Portland MAINE) attending the NRHS 2005 convention.

MOUNT VERNON's closest approach to Maine this year will probably be the AAPRCO convention special train from Chicago to Sydney and Halifax and return in October. Although there was a desire to operate the eastbound special train on the x-CP mainline across northern Maine, this was disapproved, so Via will provide an all Canada routing for the convention special train.


Jack Deasy
Dominion Rail Voyages, LLC
(owners of private car MOUNT VERNON)
http://www.dominionrailvoyages.com