ABOVE Boston & Maine GP40s have migrated north into the heart of Maine Central territo- ry near Gardiner, Maine by October 1982. LEFT: One of the state's principal commodi- ties is highlighted in a night shot of GP35 No. 214 in February 1994. The former Maine Cen- tral roundhouse in Bangor and many of the yard facilities are gone, so this local is tied up behind a shopping center. The “yard office” consisted of an 8x8 crossing equipment shan- ty with a fax machine. BELOW: On that same trip in 1994, MEC and CP trains shared track- age in eastern Maine. Chasing a CP freight al- lowed some time to catch up with the crew on the joint trackage between Mattawamkeg and Danforth, near the Canadian border.


tripods and flashbulbs, came out to greet us and offered to bring out the rail- road’s 44-tonner, still kept around for emergencies, and probably more than anything, sentimental value. “Would be good to get her started up anyway; she don’t run much anymore.” Well, she re- fused to start, but just the idea of someone being willing to start up and show off a locomotive, at night, with the temperature at 28 degrees below zero (not including the wind chill factor) is testament enough. Unfortunately, the 1980s were not kind to the state of Maine, its railroads, or its railroaders. Driven by a souring economy, Wall Street


finally caught up with


“Maine” Street, and, although most ob- servers would grudgingly admit the economic necessity of the resulting wave of sales, buyouts and spin-offs, they cut right to the heart of the system. For ex- ample, the combination of Maine Central with the Boston & Maine and Delaware & Hudson under Guilford Transporta- tion Industries was acrimonious, and I


45


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