Wow, anyone need a handsome Swedish ten-wheeler?


Kelly Lynch

The 1149 certainly IS a great looking engine, no doubt about that. I've never heard the story/history of why the Swedish trainset was brought over. It must have been done at considerable expense...which begs the question why not restore something that was already here? Was a restoration ever a consideration? Which locomotives, if any, were candidates? Have any rail preservation groups in Sweden ever expressed interest in getting the 1149 back?

Money. Often, importing a working piece of equipment may be cheaper than restoring an existing piece of equipment-especially if the unrestored piece of equipment is older.

The B&ML certainly has a lot going against it. Most tourists are quite happy with riding the Maine Eastern, especially having a few hours to eat, sail and shop in Rockland. For steam the WW&F has the location and authentic feel to make for a great ride. Since the B&ML was evicted from Belfast you have lost contact with most casual tourists, and the current (well 2007) ride goes from almost nowhere to really nowhere. A few years down the road you will have the Ellsworth tourist operation running. I just don't see a good outcome for the B&ML.

1149 was purchased from the Swedish strategic steam locomotive reserve, along with quite a string of coaches. The Swedes apparently kept a large suply of locomotives in near operable condition, under cover too, for a long, long, time. Anyway, the man who owned the Unity Telephone Company, which was a fairly sizable network in central Maine, sold it to Verizon. Ca-Ching! He was a philanthropist with a deep love for his town, so from his estate, he gave a number of gifts to support the town and raise its profile. The B&ML was one of those gifts, along with the steam train, shops, turntable, stations, gift shops, vintage railroad equipment - the whole ball of wax. Unfortunately, nobody paid the taxes in Belfast and the railroad real estate was sought by lesser men, so the railroad got the boot. If you go to Unity today, the steam engine remains indoors, the tender outdoors, the ex-B&M Budd car outdoors and unservicable, all manner of ex-MEC and B&ML equipment in atrocious condition, and an occasional run pulled by a GE 70 ton switcher. The track rivals Guilfords for seriously flawed.

Who can say if track had been attended to, or if the clash with Belfast hadn't erupted, if things could have been different. The poor railroad took all kinds of crap from Belfast NIMBY's who didn't want "that noisy steam locomotive whistling and disturbing us". The company could have pulled in big dollars for both Belfast and Unity, but saving it now looks like another millionaire philanthropist is called for. It's all very, very, sad, not the least of which has been the efforts of good men and women to make it work.

1149 was part of Sweden's strategic reserve. Since they burned wood native to Sweden; they were stored in the event something happened to the locomotives that replaced. They were operational when they were put up, and I think they were covered with cosmolene, and "shrink wrapped" in plastic to preserve them.

When Sweden decided the strategic reserves were no longer needed, they were sold. Many went to museums and displays across Sweden, but several were sold to operations in the UK and Europe, and two to North America.

Since they were stored well in working order, little was needed in the way of restoration. One only had to pay for shipping, and a working steam locomotive was yours. They were not as large as a most American locomotives, either.

That is my understanding of the story behind it; I was not involved with it in any way. I'm sure others can correct it if needed.

I was in Belfast this afternoon and saw a flier posted on a hobby shop door. The assets of the B&ML are apparently for sale. The group that posted the flier wishes to purchase one of the stations on the line for some purpose, and is seeking financial donations to the tune of $60,000. I inquired as to whether they were just selling coaches and was told the whole railroad was up for sale, whole or in part. This was second hand information and I have not spoken to anyone who is/was employed by B&ML. There is a huge investment in infrastructure at Unity, so rescuing the beautiful engine house, turntable, and a variety of historic pieces of rolling stock would be first priority if the railroad as a whole is too far down the drain.

Belfast in 1875 (map from the B&ML website)

http://cprr.org/Museum/BMLRR/index.html

Belfast now (or when this overhead was taken)

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=44.42845 ... =0&src=ggl

Seems buildings are still there and large parking lot. All that time, money and effort down the tubes, makes me ill!