MEC U23B
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- A wheezing, smoking Maine Central U23B works the M&L (Manchester & Lawrence) branch of Guilford between Lawrence,MA and Salem,NH (along RT.28) on 09/10/1992. Watch as the undermaintained GE junker slips its wheels and smokes. Video by the late Richard 'Moose' Ouellette. If you like our stuff, Please comment and/or subscribe!
The loco isn't the only thing undermaintained here. That wheel slip is being caused by all the weeds getting crushed on the rails. Some vegetation control would not hurt on this line.
This rail line in Lawrence and its branches lines are all abandoned. No trains have run through them since the 1990s.
It sure smokes a lot more than it should, but it's getting the job done! 1992 was still pretty hard times for a lot of railroads in the Northeast. Not as bad as the 70s, but still bad in some areas. I see the grade crossing signals don't work and the track is very weed choked. I'm sorry the guy who made this video is no longer around. Obviously his heart was in the right place. I'm glad he got out and took these shots. Thanks for posting. Further to the south in 1992, NJ Transit was over the 20 year mark with their fleet of U-Boats in commuter service. In a few years they'd all be gone. A lot of guys rail fanned them, one has been preserved. They were nice locomotives with a unique sound. I think NJ Transit's were better maintained. This one sounds as if it's got a miss in the engine. It's definitely tired.
I was four when this video was shot. It would've been cool to see this in person, and have a conscious memory. I know I've said it before, but I'm glad to have this channel so I can see all of these tracks I've always known as being abandoned... in use!
Judging from the bridge at 0:15, this line used to be double-track like a lot of the B&M. Hard to believe that such an important line would be in this shape by 1992 and be gone today. That happens sometimes because of mergers, but that is not the case here. Just the flight of heavy industry and competition from trucking for what was left.
I always wanted to see trains here when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s but was never lucky enough to catch them. But who woulda thought, someone was out there video taping and would eventually upload them to the internet! This is so cool. As I type this, I'm at the part where the train is going by ComputerTown! I bought several Macs and accessories there! And I'd always like hanging out in the parking lot as much as being inside, just in case a train would go by!
OMG, THANK YOU ever so much for getting the old Methuen train station in the video. Just as the train starts over that bridge, the grey building in the background was where my Father In Law worked.
The video footage was shot by my late friend Moose, I have tons of it to go through so you never know...keep watching! Craig
EARTH ANGEL. I REMEMBER THESE TRACKS WELL! I USE TO MEET THIS TRAIN AT DODGE GRAIN AT TIMES! ALSO USED TO SEE THE! DELIVER AT A PAPER COMPANY DOWN THE TRACK A LITTLE WAYS WHERE I WAS WORKING AT THE TIME.TRACK'SALL GONE NOW, ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY GONE FOREVER. RARE FOOTAGE, NICE VIDEO.THANKS FORTHE MEMORY TRIP.
Love the Lancaster & Chester boxcar at the 3:30 mark. That’s my favorite local railroad.
This video is amazing - Guilford at its peak crappiness
great . thanks. pure joy to watch.
Thanks for sharing this with us. 🙂
u-boats had their own sound that's for sure!
Is this for real? How un kept can an engine and rail be, before it breathes its last? Even people coming out to see
Wheel slip has nothing to do with being under maintained. It has to do with trailing tonnage on a curve and no doubt no sand. Obviously the unit is producing power to the wheels or it wouldn't slip. The engineer is using the independent air to control wheel slip and actually did well.
Enjoyed this one a lot; Thanks for your time and effort
It has a G on it that's what's wrong with it...
Man, those u-boats and the dash7's in my opinion are the best looking engines...
I read a story on the MBTA and at one time there were plans for what is now the Methuen Rail TrIl to be a commuter rail line with a stop at 213 where Nevins Farm is. Nice video. Sad that the railroads went through such a contraction.
Even before Guilford took over the B & M they were running smokers. Our fire department was always being called out for grass fires started by smoking, soot spitting F - 1's hauling the last of the B & M passenger trains.
No train horn at railroad crossings, poorly maintained track, crews that swear, this is the worst railroad ever
+Danny Campitello Even the Maumee and western don't moon people! Someone managed to out bad them.
+Shaun Morgan The MAW is gone. Now it's the ND&W.
Actually I thought Pioneer Rail corp took over.
+Shaun Morgan it did
15:03 listen to that Detroit Diesel scream for its life lol
this loco had ring problems,,and some cylinders dodnt work well..the smoke goes out very alternate,,nort continuous, the slipping is by a lot of causes.mainly is generated because the resistant force is bigger than the traction force. the sollution:keep out somwe wagons,or check the rails,,,in some countries crazy persons put oil over the rails. nice capture,,,congratulations-
Thanks Rob-O, Moose did some great video! Craig
Hi Rob-O, Unfortunately in this part of the country there are a lot of anti-railfan railroad employees......I have several friends that work for some of the area RR's and they hide the fact that they like trains or know anything about them! I also know some great local railroaders, too. It seems to me when I go to other parts of the country, the railroaders are more friendly. Craig
EARTH ANGEL😇 OMG🤩. THAT was MJY. The 👍🚂😘. NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!😍😀😊😘👍😍 I MISS ALL OF YOU GUYS SO MUCH!😥😍😘
well done..i enjoyed this a great deal
NICE TO SEE OLD GE LOCO STILL CHUGGING ON OLD TRACK GGRRR8 CATCH
Thanks Ruben, Glad you liked it! Craig
I just finished watching this video again, I had my sound turned up more this time to hear the locomotive better and I was disappointed at what the crew said at approx. 14:36. I hope that they were not saying that to Moose. Most railroad employees that I have encountered over the last 38 years of train watching have been good people with the exception of a few pieces of trash like these guys in the video. I have really enjoyed this great footage though. Thank you
It was a rough time for railroaders in those days, long hours, terrible pay and benefit. If they even had a job to go to since many railroads where in terrible finical shape.
Yeah they were talkin to Moose
They were honestly probably embarrassed
Those tracks have seen better days
That Ford 9000. Had a 671 Detroit diesel engine.
That Grillsmoke oups! Sorry....Guilford unit seems in good shape ! Crew would have made a fortune putting fish and pieces of meat on top of exhaust for smoking with a lovely flavor of diesel and oil sooth...
Can´t hear what they said about Moose at 14:36.
Thanks to him, and you for showing us that past.
That was a cool video. Just look at the deferred maintenance.
Thanks for the response Craig. Your most recent vid with the U18B was really good as well as the GP9 at Lawrence Yard.
They are on life support. Geez.
this engine in it's good days was D&H 2309 before guilford raped the railroad of it's best equipment and sent it to the b&m and mec where the motive power and properties were subsequently run into the ground as witnessed here .... before guilford, the D&H U-boats and GP39-2's were still very good power and well-taken care of ... As late as May 2014, MEC 288 [ex-D&H 2309] still existed, but in Canada on the Quebec Central Rwy .. She was intact at the time in 2014 but had been a victim of some cannibalism
absoluteauthority08 Wow, That's cool, didn't know that it survived Guilford...not much did. Craig
+nhrrman what happened to this locomotive? was it sold to another railroad?
I remember railfanning the M&L as a kid. I don't remember any U-boats and thankfully no mooners or rude crewmen! Then again, that was likely because I was a kid!
I live in the city were the rail yard and that branch line are from, Lawrence mass, and it makes me sad to see this running, because today the branch line no longer exists and the crossings after that bridge are gone, there's no hope for the return of that line
Great Sound an Video, thanks for sharing!
U-Boats sound like they would die on the rails at any moment.
I my self can remember a few times stopping to buy 50 pounds bags of Sand at Home Depot and or Lowe's to dump in the sand box on the Sperry Cars when I worked on them. Some of the Guilford Crews also used to do the same thing on occasion as well too.
Notice how the engineer is stopping wheel slip by applying the independent brake instead of using sand? I wouldn't be surprised if the sand boxes were empty. To this day, Pan Am has a habit of not filling sand boxes (and coolant water tanks for that matter.)
Now thats company spirit! Its tough if you have to bring your own supplies, Craig
remember seeing the main ctr' in st j VT and n' haveral NH , gulman VT and up through to Lancaster NH,,all sadley gone now,,,good old video.
I think I can I think I can I think I can ...
Great video! I miss those 'boats.
Yup shes gone....yeah Moose was a great guy. I do have another video of this line coming up soon. Craig
Wow! I thought the Salem to Swedesboro NJ tracks were bad (they fixed up the worse spots not to long ago). Deferred maintainence indeed! Try modeling that railline like that. Again, he took a great video! Wish I could of met him in person!
Is that line abandoned now in 20130
Been long abandoned bike path now
Glad you like 'em, Craig
Gulford at it best,don't fix anything and rip up rails. Gulford should be called a scrap company. not a RR. here in ct they scraped most of the rail they got from Conrail so they no longer have their own route south to NH and most branch lines were taken out when they no longer could maintain service to customers because of bad track and bad time tables, I think they did it on purpose maybe there is more money in scrap then running a RR
The economy didn't help either. Manufacturing is not like it use to be back in the 1960s or earlier in New England. There is not much industry left in the region that requires rail transportation. Trucking has really put the screws to the railroads. For most companies it is cheaper to ship by truck than rail since they don't have the volume to save with transporting by rail, and the railroad won't keep up the track for low volume customers.
Hey brother, I would love to! Every time I've railfanned away from the east coast the people have been awesome. The only reason I stay here is family. Craig
Crap diesel, crap tracks, crap railroad. Guilford won't be missed.
They are still around, now just renamed to Pan Am railways to try to throw some of the stink off them. Though they have gotten better in the last 10 years.
friscobob56 pan Am ain't any better.
@@jamesdauphinais2705 Wonder if things will improve under CSX auspices.........
I have a decal set for that Lancaster boxcar I think I will paint one up now it aged really nicely,:D
Love the smokers. Great catch!
Wow, talk about a neglected rail road.
Oh those U boats. Not long for the scrap line. Geez.
Yeah, they used to follow those GE's around putting water in them....occasionally, Craig
It's a real bummer that the M&L branch his gone :(
Sounds like someone's delicate little sensibilities were bruised by bad words. Grow up. Slipping wheels are also caused by pulling cars around a tight curve, the engineer was using the independent brake to keep the wheels from slipping, a common practice.
Thanks!
And they pick on ‘ALCO’S’. ? 👽
Nice video. I hope that engineer got fired for swearing at the wrong person. If you don't like my camera block your face! Did you notice the full moon?
+Scott Taipale That's inconsiderate of you :(
Not when the engineer give the public the finger and shows his ass. Should have been fired immediately
Scott Taipale I can agree with the ass thing, not everybody wants to see that. I personally find that really funny though XD
But hey, maybe he was having a bad day :(
Scott Taipale the train wheel was slipping on the right rail and the Brake slid was anyone a whiteness to that?!!!
and did not sound the Horn at the Grade Crossing either?!,No excuse!,they should have Fired the entire Train Crew!!!,5:45
sadly these tracks are abandoned now judging by google earth
Man shes burning alot of oil...
I thought it was a coal burner.😂
Thanks
Wow, fantastic video-thank you for posting this :) I've seen the old tracks in Salem scads of times, and I wondered for years how long it had been since they were used. By any chance do you have any footage between Manchester and Rockingham Junction in Newfields? That line is long gone of course, but as I kid I remember walking the rails from Exeter to Newfields and seeing the diamond. I'd love to see video of that in operation. Thank you in advance, and thanks for the memories!
-CJ
Yeah, I had a car like that once
that poor u boat is prolly in the scrap now :(
I found pictures of MEC 288 dated as late as 2002, so I'm not sure if it's still in service myself.
You wouldn't happen to have any footage of the Manchester and Lawrence segment from the Manchester yard to Manchester airport, would you?
well at least theres no traction motor issues
Come to Texas trespassing laws are rarley enforced and we are railfan friendly. That is just post 9/11 on the East Coast
What is wrong with the cylinder that it produces so much smoke?
Worn rings?
If the gates do not operate, remove them. Then you need not flag the grade crossing.
Time for an overhaul
Is all trackage gone now?
La locomotora esta para el desguace.
No hay en USA otras en uso de segunda mano.
I agree!
at least it sounds amazing lol
Why didn't they blow for the crossings
AllertorSiren05. Horns broke watch for finger.
I recon this motor is LONG trashed & scraped.
U.S. "THUMPER" with scads of CLAGG!!
Someone needs to mow the grass and get a weed eater around there.
Great vid. Those U-units are ugly as sin!
chuckm632
Why are they still running old equipment or get something that does not smoke as bad. I say park it !
Hi Chuck, That old girl is long gone! Craig
You do what you've gotta do as money permits. You get by with what you've got and keep your fingers crossed!
True that!
***** I'd agree with that. I'm a firm believer in keeping the old stuff going as long as possible. I admire China for hanging onto steam as long as it did.
you mean "still hanging on to steam" right?
Rule violations galore, and crappy/unsafe conditions. They could barely pull out of the yard. One hopes the railroad is bankrupt, they sure acted like it.
Well it's a branch line, They hardly get any attention
Guilford is long gone, that railway is run by Pan-Am now.
Jeff Rogers I know this.
Jeff Rogers it's still guilford, only named pan am now. same company new name..
Why so much smoke ?
Do that with you car and you will end up in some kangaroo Court ?
nice,0:03
Junkie GE
Great video! It's funny how inefficient that pile of scrap is yet they keep running it? It's gotta be costing them money either way.