June Maine Visit

Hello fellow HAPTers!

In seeing Billy Leazer's post I thought I would post my happenings when I visited back at the beginning of June.

I headed up north on 6/7 and of course from PA I have to take I-290 thru Worcester (WOOS-tah! in the local tongue). Being the lunch hour by the time I got there I refreshed at the local Way of the Sub and went over to the old station, known locally at the haunt of the W.F.P.T. to watch some of the local traffic.

Saw Q-116 arrive, drop most of his train, back on to what was left (about 3 spines of CSX containors) and off the Boston he went.

Also caught the WB Lake Shore Ltd. and the 2:00pm MBTA outbound and inbound. Also WB merchandise freight went by just after the Amtrak.

On to Maine....

Stopped at Danville Jct. shrine of the HAPT, and found the temple of Maine's desperate railfans, rather deserted and deliciously quiet. A nice relaxing evening was spent in that area. SLR 515 showed up and with a pair of slugpairs switching. I stayed and watched that for an hour or so and off to fellow HAPTer's Paul Lodge home for some well deserved shuteye (had been up since 3:30am!)

No railfanning until Tuesday, 6/10. Paul Lodge and I went out to catch some of the local action on a warm sunny day. Caught up with 512 at S. Paris and watched him switch New England Public Warehouse, S. Paris and hang out at the S. Paris station!

Followed him down the McFalls where he was held up by some MOW folks so we went in search of more game and hit a Maine jackpot!

4 trains all meeting at the same location!!!!!!!!

At Leeds Jct. EB EDRI was awaiting a recrew at the crossing. In fact the train was just that much TOOO long so they split up the engine pair, putting one unit on the north side of the crossing while the other was attached to the train on the south side of said crossing!

Along come EDNM rumbling thru, then NMED minus train. Seem NMED had 7 cars derail at Waterville so they left the whole train there and proceeded light to Danville Jct. to make the pickup there (and have a reasonable chance of making some destination before recrewing!). Then comes along RIED after recrew shows up. They take train to Rumford Jct. where they will then be taxiied back to Leeds Jct. to take said EDRI with splitting headache to Rumford.

A nice coup!

The fun continues

Thursday 6/12 - Time to head back to PA with some stops along the CSX main heading west towards NY.

Chester NY - saw a WB autorack.

Washington Hill Cut - saw an EB autorack

State Line tunnels.

Saw previously said WB autorack, both directions of Lake Shore Ltd., local freight , 2 EB Merchandise and rumored another train east of tunnels but by that time it was 1800 and I HAD to get home or risk falling asleep on the road.

Good trip!

Next trip next week (7/8 to 7/15)

Hoping to Maine Eastern and I never got a chance when I was living in Maine before.

Happy Railfanning

Charles Kadyk
Northwood films