Nostalgia & History > Maine Central Fog, Connecticut River

Maine Central's St. Johnsbury, Vermont to Portland, Maine, train symbol YR-1, crossed the Connecticut River the foggy morning of October 11, 1981 at South Lunenburg, NH. Maine Central Independence class U-18B 406 led GP38 254, U-18B 402 & 401.

I beleive this portion of the Maine Central's Mountain Subdivision is long abandoned. When did Maine Central give up this line - mid-1980's?

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Ron Johnson wrote the 470 Railroad Club book "Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division." From page 190, "Bartlett became a new hotspot for rail activity with the establishment of a local freight to Gilman, Vermont to serve the paper mill on November 9, 1981. Called ZO-2, returning as OZ-1, it was the first local out of Bartlett since the late 1950's. The St. Johnsbury-Crawford Notch YQ-1/QY-2 was abolished. The new local was called to leave Bartlett at 1:00 PM meeting YR-1 in the yard before heading up the Notch with several cars dropped off by RY-2 the previous evening. Sometimes if a pusher was needed for RY-2, the local's engine would be added to the headend power and operate to St. Johnsbury returning on YR-1 to Bartlett. This arrangement lasted for about a year and a half.

Traffic continued to be siphoned off the Mountain Subdivision and by 1982 it was sad to see only three locomotives handling about 25 cars with no trains operated on Mondays. In May 1982 the Maine Central abolished the regular runs of RY-2 and YR-1. They were shortly reinstated when Vermont's Transportation Secretary said the railroad violated a federal requirement by failing to notify the State at least 30 days before cancelling regularly scheduled freight service on its Mountain Subdivision.

The last RY-2 left Rigby Yard around noon on September 2, 1983. It met YR-1 coming down the mountain at Bartlett in late afternoon. RY-2 was well into Vermont before the last ray of sunlight gave way to deepening dusk.

The following day (Sept. 3, 1983) YR-1 made its last rund down through the Notch, leaving St. Johnsbury at 6:30 AM. Two freshly washed GP-38's led the twenty-five car train, pausing for photographs at Crawford Notch depot. Effective that day, the interchange with the Canadian Pacific was moved to Mattawamkeag."

I just needed time to locate the book.

Eastbound Maine Central train YR-1 (St. Johnsbury, Vermont to Portland, ME) had Independence Class U18B 406, GP38 254, U18B's 402 & 401 approaching the ball signals at Whitefield, NH, on October 11, 1981. Less than two years remained for MEC to operate this train and the Mountain Division.

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