highpeak Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 The problem with the sisters and the Notch train was a lack of dynamic braking. Conway Scenic was going through brake shoes at an alarming rate and needed a different solution. They bought a couple of small U boats which turned out to have either mechanical or electrical problems. From what I read they could have made one workable engine from the pair, but instead decided to trade the sisters to Guilford for the two GPs. MEC 252 has a lot of history on the Mountain Subdivision and makes a nice addition to the MECÂ GP7 and the 470 Club's F unit, Mr Mellon got some classy engines for his business train, railfans got something worth chasing and most people are happier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CPRAIL3000 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 A Rapido Trains FP9 in that scheme would look well. Hello Jason are you listening!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Boucher Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 According to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_Scenic_Railroad the two geeps are the primary power for the 'Notch Train' excursion through Crawford Notch.  252 was an original Maine Central GP38, and is an early-style GP38. See pic at http://conwayscenic.com/notch-train/  I noticed in your photo that the CSR scheme for the FP9s matched the old CN scheme, but with different colours (not the one they would have been delivered in) - see http://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nloco/nlocfP9.htm  Adrian  I don't know if it was intentional or not (assuming it was), but to me, the paint scheme was an attempt at merging 3 paint schemes. 1) CN as just mentioned. 2) The green "lower band" reminds me of the MEC green paint scheme 3) The maroon "upper band" reminds me of B&M maroon.  Whip them together, and you get what Conway Scenic did...  But, maybe its just a co-incidence... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 The GP38s were bought in 1966 (the F3s went in trade) to handle new business from three new paper mills that had been built. They ushered in the new yellow paint scheme that became more or less the standard until Guilford took over. 252 handled the last scheduled YR-1 from St. Johnsbury to Rigby (there were some special moves after 1983), finishing out the connection with the line that began with delivery. The engines were delivered two at a time to St. J by the Canadian Pacific. The units were started up in the yard, then shut down and hauled dead in YR-1 as far as Whitefield, NH where they were started up and connected to the rest of the power. Thus the point of delivery was NH and the ever-frugal MEC avoided Maine sales tax on the deal (details from George Melvin's Maine Central in Color, vol 3). Â The newness has definitely gone off the 252 in this late 70s scene hauling a fairly heavy train 324 (Rockland - Brunswick) into Brunswick, but the original paint job has held up fairly well for over a decade of Maine winters. Repaints got a smaller, simpler pine tree in a circle on the front in place of the rectangular logo. The Conway Scenic paint isn't quite the right shade but I think it comes close enough and kudos to them for keeping an important piece of MEC history alive. Â Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2013 Hi all, Â Good to see the amount of interest in Pan Am Railroads! Â Thanks to Highpeak for a photo of 252 in MEC yellow - it's one on my modelling list for Haston's relocation. Â Now have no excuse for not getting the model done. Â Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I have 252 and 254 in N-scale (Atlas) - bought at a ridiculously cheap price to provide mechanisms for other projects, but currently still complete and operational. They have the correct early-style GP38 bodyshell.  Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Did a bit of googling. They started life with CN. (6505 6516) Cascaded to VIA and sold to the Conway Scenic Railroad. Who swapped them with PanAm for a GP35 and GP38.  FP4 meets FP9?  Ok, not the units acquired by Pan Am, but an ex-CN A-B-A set that had passed to VIA Rail, seen leaving Toronto in 1979. At this time some locomotives still carried a mixture of CN and VIA markings, which I suspect may apply to the trailing unit.  (FP9 6526 + FPB 6625 + FP9 6533. Not the best vantage point - but it's a big station!)   Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 The first PanAm rail livery was lighter blue, a few GP40 2Ws were painted in it, along with quite a lot of boxcars The last light blue 'Smurf' http://drc930.rrpicturearchives.net/showpicture.aspx?id=3384301 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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