Three Maine Central U18B "Baby Boats" in Harvest Gold and a single GP7 in the classic Pine Green lug their way out of Rigby Yard in South Portland, Maine in 1977
Three Maine Central U18B "Baby Boats" in Harvest Gold and a single GP7 in the classic Pine Green lug their way out of Rigby Yard in South Portland, Maine in 1977
Maine Central class leader #400 goes for a spin on the turntable at the old Bangor, ME roundhouse. Maine Central got into the Bicentennial spirit when they ordered ten of the Baby Boats in 1976, and they were all labeled the "Independence Class". They also named each one after Revolutionary War generals and battles from New England. The #400 is General Henry Knox, for example. They were also given an eagle logo on the nose of the short hood, instead of the usual pine tree, but the eagles were prone to peeling off and, like in this case, were replaced by the pine tree again.
The #400, still wearing the eagle decal, passes by the station at Crawford Notch on the Mountain Division.
The GE U18B remains an odd favorite of mine. The last of the GE Universal Series to be introduced, it was also the smallest and least powerful, earning the nickname "Baby Boats". It was 6 feet shorter than even the U23B and generated 1800hp from a unique V8 7FDL engine (the 2300, 2500 and 2800hp models used a V12, and the 3000, 3300, and 3600hp models used V16s) used only in the US by the U18B. The V8 7FDL also produced a guttural, tractor-sounding exhaust noise that made them popular with railfans. Unfortunately, when the U18B was introduced, railroads were moving onto the 3000hp building block concept and weren't particularly interested in 1800hp road switchers for branch line usage. If the U18B had been introduced 10-12 years earlier, when it would have gone head to head with the EMD GP18 and the Alco RS-11, it might have been popular, but by 1973 it was obsolete. Maine Central bought only ten, while Seaboard Coast Line bought 105, including some "lightweights" with trucks off traded-in Alco RS-3s and smaller fuel tanks. Texas Utilities purchased two, which was still a larger fleet than that of the adventurous Providence & Worcester, who bought exactly one (according to some, P&W #1801 was the last U-boat built and had some Dash-7 features incorporated into it as GE made the switch).
Two MEC Baby Boats and two GP38s make their way out of Rigby Yard. While GE intended the U18B to be used on branch lines, both Seaboard and Maine Central tended to run them in all sorts of different services. Along with the U18B, GE also catalogued a U18BT, which was supposed to be a heavy end-cab transfer switcher with U18B running gear. Zero were sold. GE also catalogued a Dash-7 replacement for the U18B, the B18-7, and again, zero were sold.
Two MEC U18Bs and a GP7 cross the Penobscot River at Bangor after spending the day switching the paper mill at Bucksport in the winter of 1988. Catching three Maine Central units still in Harvest Gold this late into the Guilford era was a helluva catch.
The P&W's sole U18B at Worcester Yard. The P&W had an odd roster in it's independent years, including ex-D&H RS-3s, the sole MLW M420s sold to a US railroad, and a single U18B.
Two of Seaboard's 105 U18Bs rattle away with a phosphate train. Seaboard was an early proponent of GE and bought a lot of 4-axle U-Boats from them, including U18Bs, U30Bs, U33Bs and U36Bs. Also, like Maine Central, Seaboard tended to just shotgun them out into whatever assignments they could.
The engineer aboard Guilford #407 looks slightly concerned that his Baby Boat is spitting fire.
MEC #408 Battle of Bagaduce and two GP38s roar up through Fabyans on the MEC Mountain Division. It's fortunate that Conway Scenic Railroad was able to step in and save the Mountain Division after Guilford Rail Systems decided to dump the line.
One of the ex-Seaboard units in CSX MoW orange.
While the U18Bs have vanished from all the Class Is, the Pickens Railroad shortline in Georgia scooped up quite a few from CSX after retirement and keeps them running. They like the small size, light weight, and gentle fuel consumption that they offer. Pickens Railroad also has some of CSX's "B20-8"s, which were B40-8s that were turned down from 4000hp to 2000hp for yard usage.
The Pickens Railway also runs into SC and I see #9500 here in Anderson frequently. I know they have several U18B's but #9500 seems to always be part of the power team. They aren't specific about who their customers are but I have seen them working near Michelin, First Quality Tissue, and (I think) Electrolux.
Pullman car.
Little off topic, but if you find yourself in upstate NY with a coupla hours to kill.
Someone bought up the tracks we used to run and turned it into a business. We'd pack up camping equipment, a chainsaw for dead falls and of coarse bear repellents (hand guns). Ours had a Honda 9hp for tired old guys and out running wildlife.
In reply to 914Driver :
Were you guys running out of Thendara or Tupper Lake?
In reply to 914Driver :
Yeah, the state reactivated the line from Thendara north to Tupper Lake as consolation for tearing up the rails from Tupper Lake north to Lake Placid, so now they are running trains from Utica to Tupper Lake and are running the rail bike services out of Thendara and Tupper Lake. Honestly, it was a pretty poor trade, in my opinion. Saranac Lake to Lake Placid was reported to be the most scenic portion of the line, and Tupper Lake isn't really a terrific destination. Once you get off the train in Tupper Lake, there really isn't much to do within walking distance and the layover time.
I believe the eventual purchaser of the ex-D&H/CP/Saratoga & North Creek line from Tahawus south to North Creek is planning to run rail bikes during the day, with freight service at night. Not sure of the exact status of that sale though, since another group had bid on it first and got caught out on not having the down payment in time and then was disputing the sale. But even if the freight movements don't materialize (and the engineer on the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson, which operates the southern part of that line had his doubts) the nice thing about the rail bikes is that the rails have to stay, so there is the potential for regular trains to return there eventually.
Just a few months old, New York Central S-1 Niagara #6000 gets her fire cleaned at the Englewood engine facilities in Chicago.
New York Central S-1a Niagara #6008 pounds over the grade crossing at Oneida, NY on August 19th, 1953. The Niagara was not long from being forced out to Lines West, which would only buy it a year or two's respite before retirement. The four-tracked mainline went right through the middle of Oneida, and the NYC crews did not observe any sort of reduction in speed. Passenger trains behind Niagaras and Hudsons would go roaring through at 80+mph on a regular basis. Less than a decade after this photo was taken, a New York Central passenger train, moving at 80+mph, would strike a fire truck that was responding to a call, killing the crew. A family member of one of the fireman and the city of Oneida would both sue New York Central over the incident, with the railroad saying that the firetruck was at fault for entering the crossing, while the city suggested that maybe the NYC's passenger trains shouldn't be doing 80mph through the city. The lawsuit was essentially a draw, with it being determined that there wasn't any sort of marked reduced speed limit on that section of tracks but also that fire trucks and police cars did have the right to ignore crossing warnings if they were responding to a crash. In the end, the New York Central decided to relocate their mainline out of the city, in the process permanently discontinuing any and all passenger service to Oneida, NY.
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