Bangor and Aroostook
In 1971 the BAR received it's first exterior post boxcars. The
200 cars numbered 5800-5999 had plug doors and were built by
Berwick. These cars introduced the new triangle logo which
represented the mountains, forests and seacoast of Maine. The
5800 series cars were painted International Orange with black
ends while the 5900 series cars sported a modern interpretation
of the classic Red,White, and Blue scheme. In the early 1990s
these cars were repainted solid orange without a logo.
After the 1971 order it was ten years before more new box cars
arrived on the BAR. The new cars, also supplied by Berwick,
arrived in International Orange and were numbered 4500-4582 and
5600-5749. These cars were to be the last new boxcars on the BAR
for more than 15 years and the last delivered with the triangle
logo. In the early 1990s some of these cars were repainted solid
orange without a logo.
In 1977 the BAR began what was to become a long series of
purchases of second hand exterior post box cars. The first 175
cars which became BAR 9500-9574 came from the Milwaukee Road and
BAR 9575-9674 from the Minnesota, Dakota and Western in 1977 and
1981 and were built by FMC in 1975 and 1979. A few of these cars
were repainted International Orange in the late 1970s but most
retained their simple faded light blue scheme until repainted
dark green in the mid 1980s.
The 1980s saw a flood of quickly re-lettered second hand boxcars
arrive on the BAR. These cars were numbered from the 5500 series
downward as they arrived on the railroad:
BAR 5500-5599 are ex Lamoille Valley cars built by Pullman
Standard in 1979
BAR 5400-5499 are ex Providence and Worchester cars built by FMC
in 1977
BAR 5300-5399 are ex Central Vermont cars built by FMC in 1979.
In 1998 these cars still operate on the BAR but have been
re-lettered YKR for the Yadkin Railroad.
BAR 5200-5299 are ex Upper Merion and Plymouth cars built by
Pullman Standard in 1981
BAR 5100-5199 are ex Illinois Terminal cars built by Pullman
Standard in 1974. In 1998 these cars still operate on the BAR but
have been re-lettered NOKL for the Northwestern Oklahoma
Railroad.
BAR 9700-9888 are ex Camino, Placerville, and Lake Tahoe cars
built by American Car and Foundry in 1978. In 1998 these cars
still operate on the BAR but have been re-lettered YKR for the
Yadkin Railroad.
BAR 8700-8799 (10' door PS-1s) ex Delaware and Hudson cars built
by Pullman Standard 1964-66. These appear to be the ex DHNY
"I Luv NY" cars rebuilt for the D&H with assistance
from the state of New York in the 1970s.
BAR 24000-24099 are ex D&H 24001-24150 cars built by Pullman
Standard in 1973