Nostalgia & History > Maine Monday

Train RS-1 passing picking up orders at Yarmouth Jct, ME on June 21, 1978.  Rigby Yard would send out several trains in daylight hours, so choosing what to follow was a difficult choice.  This train ran via the "Low Road"  which ran through Augusta.  For those unfamiliar, the MEC's primary freight main to Waterville and Bangor was via Lewiston on the "Back Road'.  At Royal Junction, a short distance outside Portland, the lines split for each.  The Back Road crossed the CN/Grand Trunk New England at Danville Jct., while the Low Road crossed the CN/GT here at Yarmouth Jct.  Most, if not all, interchange was at Danville. The Low Road was downgraded early and portions between Augusta and Waterville were removed years ago.

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A photograph of the MEC map from an Official Railway Guide dated February 1971.  This should help clarify things a bit.
 

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Photo 1 has so much to look at. Endless model details. 
A nice railroady scene.

Rick Z

Nice shots, thanks for posting.  I'm wondering if this train is really "picking up orders."  The order boards are green which indicates to me this is some sort of consist information.  I can be corrected on this guess.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Nice views from places I've never been.  Thanks for sharing.

Looking closer, in the first shot it looked like the operator on the ground was holding a hoop, but that object may have been something in the background.  The train did stop and pick up 3 cars seen on the head end in the third shot.

thebluecomet Wrote:
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> Looking closer, in the first shot it looked like the operator on the ground was holding a hoop, but that object may have been something in the background.  The train did stop and pick up 3 cars seen on the head end in the third shot.

To me it looks like an employee is hanging out the fireman's side of the engine.

Brian

If you enlarge the picture, you can clearly see he's holding a whoop.  It appears to be one with wire "arms" instead of wood.  I would guess he's whooping up waybills and/or switchlist.