Wreck of BAR BL2 #54

[jadebullet2]

Hello everyone. I am writing to inquire about a wreck of one of the B&A's BL2s, #54, that caused it to become a dead engine. (AKA, the wreck was fatal.) My brother in law worked on engine 54 a few years back when it was in Honesdale, PA, and according to the owner of the locomotive, it had been involved in a fatal wreck while on the Bangor and Aroostook. The locomotive had, of course, also been involved in a wreck at Millinoket in '79 that had left the one side of the locomotive completely destroyed, and resulted in it being repainted into the orange black and grey, but there were no fatalities in that wreck. Also, there is evidence of repaired damage on both sides of the locomotive, though the other side might have been from the '79 wreck, though that side was only lightly damaged.

I was just wondering if anyone knows any information about any other wrecks #54 was involved in besides the '79 wreck? I know that the locomotive is rarely seen leading, and that apparently crews never wanted to run the engine in the lead as it was a dead engine. I just can't find any information on the wreck. (Other than the '79 wreck.)

I also can't find any information on the wreck that damaged one of the F3s and resulted in that being repainted into orange grey and black either. (Other than mention of it in BAR in color V1)

[fogg1703]

Not sure of any info other than the 1979 Golden Road wreck involving BL2 50 and 54. I will keep digging. Here is a link with a brief description of what happened as well as some great pictures. It shows some heavy damage to the side of BL2 54 as you had mentioned.

http://www.katahdingateway.com/train/

[jadebullet2]

I thought that it was 57 that was in that wreck, not 50, which resulted in the Orange Black and grey for 54, and the as delivered white and yellow for 57/557.

Interesting web page. The truck driver was very lucky he bailed in time.

[Tom coughlin]

As I recall, 54 was scheduled to be the one painted in the original scheme. The repairs after the Golden Road wreck took longer than expected and their were fantrips scheduled for the summer of 1980. I remember seeing it in the Northern Maine Jct. engine house during the spring that year. It was waiting for a new radiator. 57 was then selected to receive the original livery. It debut in May of 1980 and ran for about a month without the "American Railfan"name it now wears. 54 was used on a fantrip in the new scheme in May 1981.

Tom Coughlin
Stow, MA