MEC 501

Hello all,
I was out taking a few pictures at my now closed Amtrak Station here in Whiting, IN and a westbound NS Freight came thru with 3 units on that head end. The middle unit was MEC 501 a four axle unit with a wide cab. MY question is..what it doing out here and why was it headed to Chicago? Also, it wasn't dead in consist, it was operating at the time.

Guilford has probably loaned it to NS to pay off horsepower hours. Guilford uses a lot of NS power on its coal trains, and thus owes NS a lot of horsepower hours.

MEC 501 is a GP40-2W, ex-Canadian National.

Ah, I see. That must be it, but it is rare to see that kind of power all the way out here.

At one time, NS GP40s were regular residents on NS's New Jersey locals (like on the old D&LW territory, etc.). Apparently they would just send a couple Geeps to the NS for "extended leave" in return for all the coal trian power from NS taht runs through all the way to Bow NH, Mt. Tom, etc...

Interesting. I know that the railroad I work for (South Shore) gets pool power from the CSX now sometimes on the unit coal trains. Always makes for nice photos under the wire.

Also, I like your Signature, reminds me of when i take our trains to work. lol

In many cases it saves a great deal of time to have power "run-through" from one carrier to the next. That's why many times UP power can be seen in NY on a van train, as well as the NS power that is always seen on the Mt. Tom coal train on Guilford.