Question about B&M/MEC passenger cars

This question is about where the stainless steel cars were used.
According to Wayner they were used on the Kennebec, Pine Tree and Fliyng Yankee. Now ... my New Haven Passenger TRain Consts books from early and mid 1950s the State of Maine had an consist of mixed interline cars (ie NH and B&M sleepers.) The books also say that the SOM carried a bag-coach combo and a coach. However, it doesn't say what those two cars were. Where they B&M stainless cars?

While I'm on the subject is there a B&M Consist book? And can you acquire one?

REplies are appreciated
Tom Curtin
Controller NHRHTA Inc.

Several books in my collection have photos of the combines in use on both the MEC Rockland
branch and the Mountain Subdivison trains to St. Johnsbury in the mid to late 50's towards
the end of passenger service on those lines.

In the first few years after delivery (1947), the P-S lightweight fleet (16 coaches, 2 combines) were normally assigned to Boston-Portland-Bangor trains, with some trips to Rockland ME on the MEC connection. As traffic declined they drew other assignments, including Boston - Montreal via CP and possibly CN. I think they saw use on the summer-only East Wind in its last years as well. Photos of them on the Conn River line are rare. Budd RDCs had replaced them on the B&M by late 1958; the MEC ran theirs a little longer. I think they also reached Saint John via the Gull.

The B&M Bulletin has published several articles on B&M passenger consists gotten from conductors' log books. I haven't seen any original or copy B&M system-wide consist books, but there are North Station train makeup documents for various different years in private hands. After WWII I'd guess 90-95% of B&M passenger trains originated or terminated at North Station.

Tom,

Check out post1492720.html#p1492720….has a downloadable version of the B&M’s January 1956 “Normal Consists of Passenger Trains” bulletin.

Re your question, during this time the State of Maine carried either a B&M or MEC ice-air conditioned heavyweight combine. The B&M’s two lightweight P-S combines were assigned to the Montrealer/Washingtonian. Not sure when they began that assignment, but it seems to have lasted into 1958, after which they were replaced by CN heavyweight cars, or occasionally a PRR streamlined combine. I’ve also read somewhere - can’t recall where now - that at least one MEC lightweight combine was leased by the B&M for this service, perhaps just short term while one of their cars was being shopped. I’ve seen on-line a b&w picture of the final steam powered Washingtonian at St. Albans with a lightweight B&M combine just behind the RPO.

The SOM did carry a B&M lightweight coach in the late fifties. This was replaced by an NH coach, presumably when the B&M sold their equipment.