Carl Weber's ConRail on the Boston & Maine

Throughout ConRail's tenure in the Northeast, they had a "working relationship" with the Boston & Maine and, later, Guilford Transportation Industries. Coal trains for the Public Service of New Hampshire coal-fired electrical generating plant at Bow, New Hampshire routinely alternated between a partial CR or all B&M routing, with CR power regularly "running through" onto the B&M. In the early 90's Guilford arranged to run several symbol freights (LASE, NASE, and NESE) over a partial CR routing with the trains interchanged in Worcester, MA. ConRail power regularly ran-through on these trains and Guilford provided several MEC SD40's to CR to balance horsepower hours.

In 1984, when CR was disposing of a large number of their older power, mostly GP40's, Guilford acquired 23 of these units, all but 2 units in the 3200 group. GTI also acquired 9 ex CR U33B's through Lessor ITEL and 6 U33C's. The U33B's were split 1 for 2 between the B&M (CR 2916, 2919, 2925) and D&H (2917, 2918, 2920, 2922-2924), with all the U33C's (CR 6845, 6856, 6860, 6862, 6864-66) becoming D&H 650-656. Evidently, the U-Boats were already "well-worn", since the U33B's went to Naparano by March, 1986.

X-CR 3258/BM 337 at West Deerfield, MA. on 6/15/85.

B&M 337, ex CR 3258, leads westbound POPY (Portland, ME.-Potomac Yard), aka "Popeye", at West Deerfield, MA. on June 15, 1985.

BM 191 (ex CR 2919) and 3244 at Montague, MA. on 6/23/84. (1)

BM 191, former CR U33B 2919, and GP40 3244 wait near Montague interlocking in Montague, MA. for an MERU on June 23, 1984. The two ex Cons will hitch on to the MERU's headend as helpers.

BM 191 (ex CR 2919) and 3244 at Montague, MA. on 6/23/84. (3)

Once the 191 and 3244 have coupled on, MERU boils out of Montague interlocking in Montague, MA. on June 23, 1984.

BM 191 (ex CR 2919) at Montague, MA. on 6/2/85.

B&M 191, ex CR 2919, in the trail position in MERU at the big curve in Montague, MA. on June 2, 1985.

BM 192 (ex CR 2925) at Deerfield, MA. on 8/3/84.

U33B 192, ex CR 2925, leads a Mt. Tom coal train, symboled as SP-1, southward on the Conn River line at Deerfield interlocking on Aug. 3, 1984.

BM 192 (ex CR 2925) at Montague, MA. on 4/28/84.

B&M 192, ex CR 2925, in BASE at Montague station on April 28, 1984. The 192 later went to the Lackawanna Valley as their #903, then to the RBM&N as their 3303. Sold to A. A. Merrilees/Canada, it was leased to a Quebec short line and finally scrapped in 2003.

BM 320 (ex CR 3227) at East Deerfield, MA. on 3/3/84.

B&M 320, ex CR 3227, in POPY at East Deerfield on March 3, 1984.

BM 321 (ex CR 3229) at East Deerfield, MA. on 4/7/84.

Ex Con 3229/BM321 in MERU at East Deerfield yard on April 7, 1984.

BM 321 (ex CR 3229) at East Deerfield, MA. on 5/26/84.

Ex CR 3229, BM 321, in SAED at East Deerfield, MA. on May 26, 1984.

BM 324 and 325 (ex CR 3234 and 3235) at East Deerfield East on 3/31/84.

A light engine move at East Deerfield yard on March 31, 1984 contains two consecutively numbered ex ConRail GP40's, the 3234/BM324 and 3235/BM325.

BM 3244 (ex CR 3244) at Miller's Falls on 3/3/84.

Ex CR GP40 3244 in MELA near Miller's Falls on March 3, 1984. The 3244 would become BM 335.

BM 325 (ex CR 3235) at Greenfield, MA. on 2/18/84.

CR GP40 3235 still wears it's "white-line" after going to B&M/Guilford. It is in train MERU at Greenfield, MA. on Feb. 18, 1984. It will be renumbered BM 325.

BM 325 (ex CR 3235) at Greenfield, MA. on 2/18/84.

"White-lined" ex CR 3235 in B&M train MERU at Greenfield, MA. on Feb. 18, 1984. The 3235 would become BM 325.

BM 327 (ex CR 3139) at Montague, MA. on 2/25/84

B&M 327, ex CR GP40 3139, second out in MERU rounding the big curve in Montague, MA. on Feb. 25, 1984.

BM 330 (ex CR 3247) at East Deerfield, MA. on 3/17/84.

BM 330, ex CR 3247, in SEPO at East Deerfield East on March 17, 1984.

BM 332 (ex CR 3253) at Montague station in Montague, MA. on 3/3/84.

B&M 332, ex CR 3253, in SEPO at Montague, MA. on March 3, 1984.

BM 333 (ex CR 3254) at East Deerfield, MA. on 8/3/84.

Ex ConRail GP40 3254/BM 333 leads a mixed bag of power for B&M train BASE at East Deerfield, MA. on Aug. 3, 1984.

BM 336 (ex CR 3249) at Montague, MA. on 9/1/84.

Ex CR GP40 3249/BM 336 is second out on SEPO at Montague station in Montague, MA. on Sept. 1, 1984. Trailing is MEC 290, a former D&H U23-B which recieved a one-of-a-kind paint job of solid gray, earning it the nickname of "the gray ghost".

BM 337 (ex CR 3258) at East Deerfield, MA. on 2/18/84.

Ex CR GP40 3258 gets "shoved around" at East Deerfield West on Feb. 18, 1984 by the west end switcher, "class unit" SW-9 1220, still wearing it's "classic" maroon and gold B&M livery. The 3258 would be renumbered to B&M 337.

ConRail detours on the B&M on 8/3/84. (1)

ConRail TV13 heads north on the B&M Conn River line at Deerfield interlocking on Aug. 3, 1984. CR detoured several hot TOFC trains over the B&M due to a ballast train that wrecked at North Adams Jct. on the B&A.

ConRail detours on the B&M on 8/3/84. (2)

ConRail TV13 northbound on the B&M Conn River line at Deerfield interlocking on Aug. 3, 1984.

ConRail detours on the B&M on 8/3/84. (3)

ConRail TV9 "hangs a left turn" at Greenfield East Interlocking in Greenfield, MA., turning off the Conn River line and onto the Fitchburg/Hoosac tunnel route on Aug. 3, 1984.

ConRail detours on the B&M on 8/3/84. (4)

ConRail TV9 turning off the B&M Conn River Line onto the Fitchburg route at Greenfield East in Greenfield, MA. on Aug. 3, 1984. The Conn River line heads straight, at right, for "the arch" beneath Main St. in Greenfield, while the Fitchburg curves away to the left. Greenfield station used to sit in the triangle where the two lines separate.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/16/82. (1)

The 1994 brought an SPPO (SPringfield, MA.-POrtland, ME.) up the Conn River line from Springfield on Oct. 16, 1982. He left the train on the Deerfield loop and is on his way to the "pit" to get another locomotive before continuing the trip.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/16/82. (2)

Returning from the "pit", the 1994 has been turned and added B&M GP38 204, as they head back to the train on the loop.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/19/82. (3)

A few days later, on Oct. 19, 1982, the 204 and CR 1994 are back at East Deerfield yard with a POSP. B&M GP18 1755 is the west end switcher this day.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/22/82. (4)

This makes three trips to East Deerfield within a week for your "intrepid" (?) photographer. A POSP is seen here crossing the Connecticut River at East Deerfield East on Oct. 22, 1982, and....there's our "buddy", the 1994 again.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/22/82. (5)

POSP got to the west end of East Deerfield yard faster than I did, so he's already past the "railfan's bridge" or "dry bridge" as the B&M boys refer to it, and is shoving his drop back into the yard.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/22/82. (6)

POSP continues his shove back into the yard at East Deerfield West on Oct. 22, 1982.

CR 1994 at East Deerfield, MA. on 10/22/82. (7)

Once they've finished with the drop, POSP's power heads for the "pit" to drop off two of the locomotives.