I had heard it was stored, anyone now when it was last operated?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=164624

Joshua

The F3 has not run in at least 6 years. I last saw her stored outdoors at Northern Maine Junction, stacks capped, but brake rigging just hanging loose off her. When NMJ was "evacuated" before being sold off, the derelict fleet was towed away, including a few GP9's, for scrapping. The F3 is considered a treasure by the company officials, and we are told there is no plan to sell her off or release her from the MMA fleet. She's a genuine relic of the BAR, which never saved and steam locos. Too bad her BL2 cousin is stuffed and mounted indoors at Coles Museum in Bangor. Seeing her occupying a pit track makes me think shes going to come back to life, if only for inspection trains.

The last time the #502 ran was May, 1994 on a 470 Club excursion. During the Iron Road ownership of the B&A, she was moved around and placed on display a few times (Durby open house etc.) but never actually operated.

If it's true that MMA is looking in to working on the #502, that may be some of the best news to come out of northern Maine in a long time!

-Justin Franz