Surviving equipment

How many ex-Boston & maine stuff atill exist?

Freight cars?
Cabooses?
Engines?
Passenger cars?

B&M steam engine at White River Jct VT, one in Lowell with the B&M historical society, and one down in Steamtown. Diesel equipment up in North Conway. There are blue B&M covered hoppers out there on Guilford's rails, along with some very nasty looking blue boxcars with McGinnis logos. Not sure if Guilford's white B&M boxcars count. Maybe parts of their wreck train also. They used to have a B&M snow plow parked at East Deerfield.

That's all I know. Can other's add to the list? Be more specific?

The few GP9s remaining on Guilford's roster are original B&M units.

Yup, that RMNE, never gets any respect from the Boston folks (cause CT is somewhere around NY, right?).

B&M stuff at RMNE:

SW1 1109 & 1110, GP9 1732, 3 outside braced 1929 boxcars, 2 1941 drop bottom gons, 1 1894 wood coach/combine, 1 narrow-cupola wood caboose 104406, 1 1959 steel cupola caboose #472, 1 1957 PS-1 40 ft boxcar, 1 50 ft PS-1 boxcar. That's 13 pieces. Probably a few more than are at N. Conway. And you all though we only did New Haven, right?

Then we go to the MEC stuff-- RS-3 557, 3 40 ft PS-1 boxcars, 1 1939 low-side 40 ft gon, a 1914 steel baggage-RPO, and Portland Terminal #198 locomotive crane PT was joint B&M-MEC, so this could count twice!). Seven items here.

Oh, one last thing: B&M 1508, an Alco RS-3 built 4-1954, is on the way back to New England from Michigan as I write this. It was in Selkirk on Saturday morning, and we hope it gets to CT in the next few days.

So, total of B&M/MEC stuff at RMNE: 21 locos and cars.

Nells, don't forget the B&M 0-6-0 #444 on display at Dunkirk, NY (where it was built by Alco). It was a Fletcher Quarry engine, like the 410 was. It's a bigger engine though.

And the 3666 is still in the river, right?

some old RDCs, converted to coaches on the Hobo and Winnepesaukee Scenic RR in NH, two RDCs in bad condition, still lettered for Boston and Maine outside of North Station, visible by Orange Line to Oak Grove. I went to the Cape recently, and notcied as the bus stopped in Hyannis, there appeared to be an RDC on the yards of the Cape Cod Central. Several B&m Cabooses (and some in active service) can be found sprinkled throuought the Hobo and Winnepsaukee's yards in Lincoln, Meredith, and Northfield, and I believe a few in Conway, but not sure. I know theres a boxcar outside the Plymouth, NH station. Are any of the two passenger cars in Lowell from the B&M? That's all i can think of,

Joe

Whoops, forgot about MEC snow plow #70!!! After all, how can ya be a "New England Rail Museum" without a snowplow??!! And it does get out and plow, too.[/img]

Reading the roster, Seashore has a decaying caboose, and a gas powered inspection car # 500.

Oh, and maybe the RDC at Bedford Depot Park? There is also at least one RDC up in Bellows Falls VT. But I am only assuming these were original B&M units.

And I didn't forget about CT, I just haven't been there yet so the roster isn't fresh in my mind. I'm still rather new at this!

I think IRM has a few B & M items, bud car, two wooden passenger cars.

Nells:

When you're ready to venture south of the MA-CT border, to visit Greater Downtown Thomaston, call a few days in advance. Or PM me. That way, we can make sure you get the"inside" tour. If you want. And maybe a cab ride. If you want.

B&M mogul #1455 is at Danbury, CT.

Seems like most of the surviving B&M equipment is in Connecticut. That hardly seems fair. We don't have tons of New Haven equipment up HERE. Anything south of the Boston & Albany is like being south of the Mason-Dixon Line as far as we "North Shore" folks are concerned.... foreign territory.

Do you need a passport to go there?

Well, Steam, nice attitude!! The B&M/MEC stuff was out there for the getting; RMNE started "getting" over 20 years ago. Where were the "real" New Englanders then? Last time I looked, CT is still part of New England. Until 1993, RMNE was the only non-profit museum group in the region actively collecting New England equipment. Edaville? A for-profit amusement park, and you see what happend to that. CSRR? Again, a for-profit company, and in 1980-92, no real "preservation for it's own sake".

The B&M stuff at RMNE is in good hands; if you are concerned about it, come on down and pitch in; you'll be welcome, with or without passport! We have Mass, New Hampshire, Ct, NY, NJ people all participating.

I was KIDDING, of course....

Seriously... I'm happy when any equipment is preserved... anywhere. It just seems too bad that there was not more effort to keep the "local" stuff in it's own area.

Most folks north of Boston always seem to gravitate northward for whatever reasons. Going south seems like going to New York or New Jersey.... places that seemingly hold less interest.

We realize that's mostly habit and perception. Still it's ingrained and difficult to overcome. That invisible "line" stretches across Massachusetts from end to end, about where the B&A is. Folks north of there seem to have little interest in railroads south of there, and visa versa. No logic to it, but it is "real".

Sort of like the way many American railfans have no interest in anything foreign.

In any event, best wishes to all who actively are working to preserve railroad history... no matter where. And a big thank you.

The MBTA owns a couple of ex-B&M plows (they also go out to do actual plowing). And a number of years ago I did ride the North Shore Scenic railroad in Minnesota on an RDC-9. And since the B&M was the only RR to operate that type of RDC, it would have to be an ex-B&M!

Don't know if they are still there.