Bangor and Aroostook
F3A number 42 serves as a shop switcher as it pulls MK 5001 onto
the Northern Maine Junction turntable while shop forces examine
the unit's Swiss built prime mover.
F3A number 49 accelerates south out of Oakfield as it begins the
tough climb to Dyer Brook only a couple of miles ahead.
GP7 number 68 leads train 212 north through Squa Pan. The wye
just ahead marks the divergence of the line to Madawaska from the
line to Presque Isle and Caribou.
Two GP7s and an F3 wait on the ready track at Northern Maine
Junction.
The BAR purchased it's last new ice-cooled refrigerator cars from
Pacific Car and Foundry in 1955. These cars were numbered
8000-8349 and are represented here by 8208 at Houlton. All BAR
ice reefers were retired in 1979.
During the mid 1960s, the BAR purchased and rebuilt several
groups of second-hand ice reefers from both Merchant's Dispatch
Transport and from Pacific Fruit Express. Shown here in storage
at South Lagrange are number 8913, an ex MDT car, and number
8719, an ex PFE car.
Train 212 heads north near Ashland with the afternoon train for
Madawaska.
The Searsport local has just arrived at Northern Maine Junction
with two carloads of road salt destined for Aroostook County.
These three bay 50' hoppers were originally used to haul coal
from Searsport to the paper mills before the switch to oil and
then in the 1960's were modified with side extensions and
tiedowns for canvas covers as shown here to transport raw sugar
from the docks at Searsport to sugar beet processing plants in
the Presque Isle area.
GP38 number 91 purchased second hand from Conrail and an original
BAR GP38 stand next to a stored F3A at the Northern Maine
Junction engine house.
Examples of the first cars to be painted in the "State of
Maine Products" scheme 1950-53 built 40' insulated and
heated 2000 series boxcars rest in storage next to Smyrna Mills
potato houses which they used to serve. These cars were purchased
to carry potatoes in the winter and paper products the rest of
the year. This particular sub class, the 2500 series were
modified with in floor conveyer belts to carry loose bulk rather
than bagged potatoes.
BAR GP38 number 366 is an example of the railroads latest paint
scheme which is based on the blue and gray livery of the 1950s.
Number 366 is an ex Conrail unit which originally served on the
Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines. It's 1997 rebuilding
included the addition of ditch lights, a snow plow, and dynamic
brakes.
BAR 6724 was originally delivered to the BAR by Pullman Standard
in 1970 in boxcar red paint with a large BAR lettering and number
in white. Here it is shown in the latest (1997) BAR boxcar
scheme.