1432, 1433, 1435, 1439, 1441, 1443, 1446, 1448, 1450, 1455, 1465, 1468, 1481, and 1487. Six of the MP15s will be assigned to the Delmarva Central Railroad, Carload Express’ newly leased former NS track on the Delmarva Peninsula. Seven of the MP15s are being prepared for
anticipated service in central
Pennsylvania, and one MP15 will be assigned to the Ohio Terminal Railway. Carload Express has also acquired two late-model former Conrail GP38-2s from Metro East Industries in East St. Louis, Ill., which is remanufacturing all major components on the diesels. The GP38-2s will also be assigned to the new Delmarva operation.
Bangor & Aroostook Heritage Tribute Loco Unveiled by CMQ
Just two years after launching its new operation, Central Maine & Quebec Railway has completed painting of all ten of its six-axle former Canadian Pacific
“Red Barn” SD40-2F road locomotives, bringing a uniform look to the company’s trains operating between northern Maine and Canada. Nine of the locomotives now wear the corporate blue-and-gray paint scheme applied in a style resembling the 1960s CP gray-and-maroon scheme. The tenth locomotive was chosen to wear a tribute scheme to honor the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad. CMQ operates on former BAR and CP routes and the schemes were chosen to pay homage to those predeces- sors.
The group of ten six-axle locomo- tives will primarily operate between Farnham, Que., and Brownville
Junction and Millinocket,
Maine,
providing service to the road freights. Additional four-axle locomotives will be arriving after rebuilding and painting at American Motive Power in Dansville, N.Y. —KEVIN BURKHOLDER
New York & Atlantic Contract Renewed
At the end of 2016, New York & Atlantic signed another
contract with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority to
ten-year continue
operating freight over the Long Island Rail Road. Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions, a NIMBY action group on Long Island, is protesting the MTA’s decision to renew the contract on account of several safety violations the railroad was cited for. The group also complained the railroad operated “outdated” locomotives and wanted them replaced. The railroad has since replaced some older GP38 locomotives with new rebuilds, but otherwise has continued with business as usual. An affiliate of Anacostia & Pacific, NY&A was formed in 1997 to assume the freight operation franchise on Long Island which up until that time was operated by MTA subsidiary LIRR.
Improvements for Reading & Northern
In November, the R&N announced a “significant program” of spending and hiring to accommodate an increase in freight and passenger excursion traffic. Even though coal shipments are down, freight traffic was up as a whole; the railroad reported its freight traffic has
exceeded its record-setting 2015 base, and rose nearly 15 percent, according to a company press release. To accommodate the growth, the railroad has hired more than 20 full-time freight railroad employees. The railroad also added six more locomotives to its fleet, bringing it roster 36 locomotives total. Two EMD GP39RNs were acquired for excursions out of Jim Thorpe, Pa. On November 14, R&N announced the construction of a new $2 million passenger facility in Reading, Pa., to be called “Outer Station” (the original Reading Outer Station burned in 1978). R&N recently closed on the acquisition of 156 used steel open-top hopper cars, bringing its total fleet to 1,179 cars. The R&N is expecting an increase in coal traffic for 2017.
While most railroads are reducing signals, R&N crews installed 15 miles of signal system on previously “dark” territory to allow for safe handling of freight trains.
Providence & Worcester folded into G&W &
Genesee
Wyoming Industries
announced its intention to acquire New England regional Providence & Worcester last summer in a deal valued at $126 million. Following stockholder approval on October 26, P&W became a wholly owned subsidiary of GWI on November 1, 2016. Thanks to P&W trackage rights on Metro-North’s New Haven Line, GWI’s headquarters in Darien, Conn., will finally be able to observe one of its railroad’s operations first-hand. —O.M.V.
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Adirondack Scenic’s Lake Placid Line?
Last Train on
The last official train to ply the former New York Central Adirondack Division between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, N.Y., trundles past the Ray Brook depot on November 9. Operator Adirondack Scenic Railroad operated one last cleanup train to remove all remaining equipment and material to bring back to Utica. New York State plans to remove these tracks and build a controversial 34-mile recreational trail in its place.
PHOTO BY MIKE SCHAFER
14 JANUARY 2017 •
RAILFAN.COM
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