Eastern Railroad Discussion > Guilford 1985

On my first trip to New England from the Pacific Northwest in 1985 my plan was to shoot some Guilford trains with all the unusual power they were running. While at East Deerfield I was told to head to Pennsylvania as trains were running under Starrucca Viaduct and over Conrail during a detour while the Beldon Hill tunnel was being rebuilt.

So, not having the foggiest idea of where I was headed I managed to find places like Lanesboro and Oakland, PA. Weather was great and the trains were running. These are a few of the pics from that trip. First is the e/b PYRP at Lanesboro, PA with D&H 452/BM 335/BM 323/MEC 229/GTI 280 at 2:25pm on 9-19-85. I hope you enjoy these.

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On the same day I caught w/b ABEB at Oakland, PA on Conrail at 3:10pm with MEC 290/D&H 7407/BM 314/D&H 7319

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Brian, Thank you. Great Pix's, send more. Jim

BrianA wrote:
>
> On the same day I caught w/b ABEB at Oakland, PA on Conrail at
> 3:10pm with MEC 290/D&H 7407/BM 314/D&H 7319

Great shots! What's the story on the albino U-Boat? I've never seen one in this scheme, only the golden yellow/orange paint.
Thanks!

I had completely forgot about this unit. While the markings are Maine Central, the U23B is former D&H and the paint was applied by D&H as an experiment I believe. It looks to be in the Lightning Stripe scheme but all in gray! I have more pictures and will post some in a couple of days.

OK, here is a photo of MEC 283 and you can see the striping is the same on it as the 290. Only the 283 is in proper D&H colors, only lettered for MEC now.

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Are these the same picures in the Guilford book? They look very familiar! But very good! More!

...that paint scheme was unique. It was known as the "Grey Ghost." I recall seeing it in the notorious East Binghamton Dead Line in December 1987.

GREAT PICS! Please post more! I was just a little kid during the early Guilford days so I didn't get to see the vast rainbow of paint schemes. Keep the photos coming!!!!

A footnote: D&H's U23B's were the first ever made by GE.

They were 'transfered' to MEC ownership as part of the big G's rape of D&H in the 80's. These units, along with MEC's U18B's, MEC's ex-Rock Island U25B's, an ex-Detroit Edison U30C and some miscellaneous ex-CR U-boat junk, provided an interesting sideshow during the 80's and 90's.

The U30C was the last of its kind to run anywhere, and ran into the mid-90's. I used to see it often here in Biddeford/Saco, Maine. Likewise, the U25B's were outlasted by only a couple of CSX's ex-L&N units, and not by much.

Just a few months ago, the last three U's on Guilford, U18B's 404 and 407, and ex-D&H U23B MEC 288, were stored at Waterville. They likely will not see service again. I was once told that one reason the last few lasted so long was the large stash of parts from the others that was available to keep 'em running.

It's wall-to-wall GP40's here now. I'd love to see those U23's again!

jwchenard wrote:
>
>
>
> The U30C was the last of its kind to run anywhere, and ran into
> the mid-90's. I used to see it often here in Biddeford/Saco,
> Maine. Likewise, the U25B's were outlasted by only a couple of
> CSX's ex-L&N units, and not by much.

Not true, as the LS&I still has U30Cs in regular service to this day. If not, they at least lasted until 2000, which is much longer than ol' 663.

I rather see the GP40's anyday. Those UBoats did and still do suck. They are ugly as sin, and sound like my bowels the morning after Mexican food.

Wall to wall GP40's? Have we forgotten the GP35's, GP38's, the 2 SD45's, and the 2 SD39's?

"The U30C was the last of its kind to run anywhere, and ran into the mid-90's. I used to see it often here in Biddeford/Saco, Maine."

The B&M 663 (aka S.S. Bickmore) may have been the last of its kind in New England, but the LS&I fleet still runs. I photographed several of them in April and there is no indication of their having been replaced.

Last I knew, Detroit Edison still had a handful of U30C's at the Monroe power plant for pulling coal trains through the dumphouse there, too, though they were withdrawn from road-haul service during the mid-1990s. The U30's were to be used at Monroe for handling coal trains whose modern road power is too big to go through the dumphouse. But I don't know for sure that this is still being done, since there's no public access down there.

And this lone U30 on Guilford why was it assigned the the B&M?

BN had some U30Cs which ran until the late 90s/possibly early 2000s into BNSF era. Ran 5383 once. Junk, the C30-7s were better.

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One year before the stuff hit the fan....