Regarding a possible Irving takeover of the MM&A:

[url]http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/08/19/business-mma-sale.html
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I'm not sure how it works if one of the parties being sued buys the railroad, but I suppose it's one way to get some value for the lost money!

Steve Hunter

A court appointed attorney from Portland has been named.

And the CTA has ordered CP Rail to end their embargo on interchanging hazardous traffic:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/transport-agency-orders-cp-rail-to-resume-transferring-cargo-to-mma-1.1422164

This is still essentially life support, as MM&A's Certificate of Fitness extension ends 01 October unless a more permanent solution is found before then. However, loss of this traffic would pretty much kill the railway.

Richter Advisory Group is the court- appointed monitor for the Canadian operations:

http://www.mmarail.com/sections/news/files/MMA%20Press%20Release%208-7-2013%20English.pdf

Steve Hunter

Is the Bottom car body color of the #502 white?? So many, including the #557 BL2 look bright white in pics, contrasting the gray. Would love to know, the pics in this thread and others make it look white, Thanks !

BAR 502 has been spotted in transit from Derby shops. I know nothing official about the move except the name Johnson City has been mentioned and the locomotive is supposed to be moved for restoration. Again nothing official.
The photo is not mine, nor do I know who shot it.

502 is supposed to be operable but needs brakes and traction motors. I was up in the cab a year or two ago, and it's in very good condition.

Johnson City, that's Tennessee. Maybe the hope is to make a facsimile of one of the F3s that operated on a southern road? I'm sure once reporting marks are put up we'll be able to at least track where 502 goes...

There are several ex-GM&O F3s out there for sale that operated through the area, though ICG sent them through the Paducah rebuild program and they are now "FP10s".

As Mr. Glueck mentioned in his original post, this is the sister to the two Lackawanna F3A units in Scranton owned by the Tri-State Historical Society and the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society. According to my notes, Tri-State’s F3 cab-equipped A unit diesel locomotive was built in 1947 by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of the General Motors Corporation in La Grange, IL. The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad (BAR) originally purchased it as part of four ABA unit combinations, which were decorated in a two-tone grey scheme based on that of EMD's F3 demonstrator units, and gave it the number 504. In the mid 1960s it was painted in a solid blue BAR scheme and renumbered to 44. A stenciled “44A” remains painted on the inside frame over the door in the nose as a reminder of the engine’s heritage. BAR’s fleet was the last group of operating “chicken wire” early version F3As by the time they were retired around 1980.

Was 502 painted to the solid blue scheme, renumbered to 42, and then repainted to the two-tone grey scheme or has it always been in the two-tone grey? It would be interesting to see if it has a "42A" stenciled over the door.

502 was repainted from blue to the heritage scheme by Bangor and Aroostook at the same time as a BL2. Both made a number of passenger excursions at the time and were very celebrated. The BL2 is retired, minus traction motors, inside the Cole Transportation Museum, in Bangor. This museum is worth the price of admission, by the way.
502 was held with the idea of eventually rebuilding the systems needing attention, and running her as a special events locomotive. Alas, the economy changed, pulp and paper went offshore, spuds became "duds", and the BAR folded, becoming the Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic, which kept the unit stored under cover, as did Central Maine and Quebec. Now with CPR buying the leftovers and getting rid of tax liabilities, the F3A is going somewhere "for restoration". I hope they keep her in heritage paint. She deserves at least that.

With that approach in mind, what other equipment should we be on the lookout for, or might be in danger of scrapping on the property?

There aren't a great deal of BAR heritage pieces left up there. There were a trio of ex-CNR/VIA stainless steel coaches, but I'm told they came to a sad end earlier this year. I know of one classic steel box CPR snow plow. It was supposed to get cut up but somebody relented about three years ago. We do have snow up here! There's a turntable which was being retained, but who knows now? Most, if not all locomotives, are leases. I was also told the lead locomotive from the Lac Magantic disaster is to be torched, or has been. For a long time it shared a stall next to the F3A, in the old paint shop. There's a beautiful wreck crane and support flatcar which has been retained in BAR paint.
I'm afraid a great deal of infrastructure and support equipment has been sold off or simply turned into gondolas of scrap metal. I will say, CM&Q are nice people to talk and deal with. In matters such as history, many decisions have been made without preservationists in the conversation. What would you expect?

I've worked for CP for almost 23 years now. CP is an outstanding company with a proud heritage, and we also value the heritage of the railroads we acquire. There are a number of people at CP that want only the best for 502. There has been much discussion about its future. Trust me when I say that there is no danger that it will be scrapped - far from it. When the time is right, an announcement about 502's future will be made through official company channels.

Jeff Terry

Good to know, thanks for letting us know that she's in good hands.

Mr. Terry - Any new information available from CP on this?