For the uninitiated "393" was a northbound freight on the old Grand Trunk back in the days when their world began on the Portland waterfront. When the SLR took over, 393 was retained at least in number. In the more recent past this train began at Lewiston Jct., or Danville Jct. where the GRS interchange is located, depending on where you count the start. Eventually this train would make its way to Montreal for CN connections to the mid-west and Canada. The counterpart 394 arrived back early in the morning, often before sunrise, so 393 was a favorite with railfans. The long summer days were great for chasing this train well into New Hampshire before the sun gave out.
Sadly, with recent closures of paper mills in Berlin, Groveton and elsewhere, traffic is down enough that 393, and its counterpart 394, is no longer run. According to chatter on the web, the train has been reduced to a local on the same route (516/517?). Too bad. With traffic booming and track expanding in Auburn, it's too bad to see this turn of events.
The top photo is from July 2006 while the shot below is from December 2006. There was a time when "matched" power was a big deal for us fans. Yes, 804 is a slug unit and the GWI paint scheme is common now, with the occasional lease unit for spice.
BC
2 comments:
Sad news indeed.I enjoy chasing # 393 when I'm in L.A.Lets hope it's only temporary.
November 6, 2008 Update:
The SLR list is saying that it is confirmed that 393/394 have returned. It was indeed temporary. Maybe it's only for sentimental reasons or there's enough business to go back to "through train" status (if they ever were). Doesn't matter. Now I know what the number means again.
BC
Post a Comment