ABOVE: On the railroad’s second-to-last day of regular excursion service, the eastbound train crosses Mill Creek in Thomaston, Maine, with FL9 No. 489 providing the sole power. RIGHT: The “cement shuttle” returns to the Dragon Ce- ment Plant in Thomaston from the barge trans- load on the Rockland Waterfront. The small train is passing Dicaperl Minerals, one of the railroad’s three freight customers. TIM HAIRSTON PHOTOS BELOW: Maine Eastern conductor Hen- ry Groth takes a moment to fill out paperwork on November 3, 2007. JOEY KELLEY PHOTO


maintenance. Never one to pass up a good deal, Morristown & Erie acquired three former Bangor & Aroostook units at an auction where the assets of the defunct Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway were sold. Two former Santa Fe GP7u locomotives were immediately sent to New Jersey. The third unit, former Bangor & Aroostook 100, was assigned to the Maine Eastern.


The End


The announcement that Maine Eastern operations were coming to a close was made at the beginning of fall foliage season. A full schedule of excursions was run through the end of October. With the new operator taking over on January 1, many wondered how MERR would mark its final days. A highly publicized “Last Run?” A photographer’s special? None of the above. The final revenue trips on the Maine Eastern were a series of eight excursion


30 FEBRUARY 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


runs on December 12 and 13, 2015. All of the proceeds went to charity. The Candy Cane Train was a yearly fundraiser for the local Maine Tri-County Literacy organization. Beginning in 2005, Tri- County Literacy, the Maine 3-Railers Model Railroad Club, and the MERR joined forces to do something good for the communities around the railroad. The crew was somber as the last train returned to Rockland, almost as if a dear friend had died. In many ways, this was true. According to the official press release, “Morristown & Erie will be refocusing its efforts” on its New Jersey operations. With grace and style M&E’s


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