"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

[690]

Keep in mind that it's a fairly curvy route, mostly following the Kennebec River, and that there are also quite a few grade crossings along the way. Not to mention they probably weren't doing 59 MPH through Augusta, Hallowell and Gardiner.

[CN9634]

Some advice to those who may care -- give it up. Unless Bangor metro grows to a pop of a half mil or so.... not worth it. A study for $500K is idiotic much less insane.

[MissTheMEC]

While I realize that this may not be entirely on-topic, given that anybody who is seeing the trains referenced here is experiencing hallucinatory issues, the timings may be of interest to some. Train 18 did not make many stops: flag stops at Newport Jct and Pittsfield, then Waterville (2 minutes for traffic purposes), Augusta and Brunswick (2 minutes).
The pre-war Flying Yankee (according to the 1939 timetable) beat that 3h 15m time quite handily. Running on the Back Road, the train covered the slightly longer run (138.9 miles) in 3h 05m, leaving Portland at 1:55pm and arriving in Bangor at 5pm with stops in Lewiston, Winthrop and Waterville. The return trip was not quite as fast. The train left Bangor at 5:15pm and reached Portland at 8:30pm with the same station stops. The day which began with a noon departure from Boston saw the train back at North Station at 10:30pm.
Maine Central also connected Portland and Bangor with motor coach service. In 1939 the trip took about four and a half hours.
If you were pressed for time in 1939 Boston and Maine Airways would get you from Portland to Bangor in about an hour and a quarter with intermediate stops in Lewiston, Augusta and Waterville. A one-way ticket was $7.
Before returning you to the wonderful slow-motion District 1 world of today, I couldn't help looking for a comparison between the 1954 timetable and the current Downeaster. Perhaps the closest comparison is between today's train 685 and yesteryear's 19. Train 685 leaves Boston at 5pm and gets you to Portland by 7:45, Brunswick at 8:30pm. Number 19 left Boston at 4:45pm and reached Portland by 6:55pm, Brunswick by 7:47pm with a 15 minute stop in Portland. Number 19 had two fewer station stops between Boston and Portland

[gokeefe]

Before returning you to the wonderful slow-motion District 1 world of today, I couldn't help looking for a comparison between the 1954 timetable and the current Downeaster. Perhaps the closest comparison is between today's train 685 and yesteryear's 19. Train 685 leaves Boston at 5pm and gets you to Portland by 7:45, Brunswick at 8:30pm. Number 19 left Boston at 4:45pm and reached Portland by 6:55pm, Brunswick by 7:47pm with a 15 minute stop in Portland. Number 19 had two fewer station stops between Boston and Portland

I think that is more a statement about the B&M's track conditions between Plaistow and Boston along with current MBTA dispatching practices than anything else.

Thanks for the comparisons. In general I think it is helpful to continue to remember that conventional operations of freight and passenger service in Maine could be better on existing Rights of Way.

[fromway]

Saw lots of Chip cars in Oakfield today from I95 bridge. Also, lots of other rolling stock.

[KSmitty]

321 cleaned out the Rumfudh Branch of its derelicts. Should have been symbol RIWA.

321 led:
a 2 bay x-DH scrap tie hopper.
a B&M scrap tie gon.
8 CRLE's, 5 MEC Ballast cars, and 2 grain cars, the CRLE's were spacing, with 1 between each hopper.
an RBOX,
a gray Gbox,
a smurfy PARbox,
a Pan Am plow and a marker on the rear.

They were east of 147 at ~12:30 4/29.

[690]

They were identifying it as Waterville extra over the radio. Came through Oakland around 3:30. POWA came through about an hour later with the 517 leading.

[gokeefe]

321 cleaned out the Rumfudh Branch of its derelicts. Should have been symbol RIWA.

I see the unofficial company motto still applies: Pan Am: "New England's most interesting railroad".....

Perhaps WA-X or something that appropriately conveyed the lowest possible priority on the railroad totem pole.

That consist reads like a list of every possible near junk status piece of rolling stock on the railroad.

At least they're doing something about it. I also have to give credit where its due, Pan Am continues to operate and maintain those Russell plows with several of them still carrying MEC paint. That in of itself is an impressive feat when other railroads no less than Union Pacific have built, used and scrapped snow removal equipment several decades younger than the Russell units.

[BostonUrbEx]

They were identifying it as Waterville extra over the radio. Came through Oakland around 3:30. POWA came through about an hour later with the 517 leading.

Seems that anytime an unusual move occurs they flip-flop between the given train symbol and the crew's symbol.

a Pan Am plow and a marker on the rear.

What did they use, a flag? There's no coupler on the plow's front end, right?

[gokeefe]

What did they use, a flag? There's no coupler on the plow's front end, right?

They actually do have couplers on the front end that stick out through the plow.

[KSmitty]

What did they use, a flag? There's no coupler on the plow's front end, right?

They actually do have couplers on the front end that stick out through the plow.

Righto, the air line comes down off the roof of the wedge instead of the normal along the coupler pocket. I'm not sure if some have them and some don't or if they are retractable, or removable, and are placed away when working and out front when in transit. But the only time I've seen a plow without a front coupler is when its doing what it was built to do.

Edit:
Not sure if this will be visible to everyone, hopefully though.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You can see the air line coming off the front of the roof of MWS80, and it obviously has a front coupler.

[690]

POWA east past 121 just now.

[KSmitty]

Pan Am ran NM-1 to Keag yesterday. The first ST job east of Old Town since Dec. 21, 2014. 519 and 514(?) and ~20 or so for the tie chipper either scrap ties or empty chip gons. There are ~15 empty tie cars and loaded chip cars at 'Keag to come home, no clue when that move will happen though.

[hh660]

2:35 pm, Tuesday-PanAm 377 with 5 empty (?) high side gons headed west past mp 195.
GDX113, GDX???, GDX 128, GDX 116, GDX 100.
These cars were in tough shape they could have constituted the scrap themselves.
S

[BostonUrbEx]

2:35 pm, Tuesday-PanAm 377 with 5 empty (?) high side gons headed west past mp 195.
GDX113, GDX???, GDX 128, GDX 116, GDX 100.
These cars were in tough shape they could have constituted the scrap themselves.
S

Probably from Grimmels, I would assume?