The Greenbrier Express C39-8 pair have been sold to the Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic. As of this morning both are in Landsdale, PA awaiting transit to their new owner. Luckily the MMA is a GE friendly road, so they will still be with us.

With the sale of these two locomotives, does this mean the end for the Greenbrier Express?

My understanding the project is still going forward, but the equipment is going to be moved via Amtrak's Cardinal.

As seen in New Hope, PA on Memorial Day:

Bummer. Was hoping they'd hang around the area long enough to fall into the hands of a preservation org.

Oh well!

As far as I know, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic is an operating railroad and not a scrapyard......... you may still have your chance.....

We have found better power for the Greenbrier Presidential Express and thus the 3 C39-8's were no longer needed.

The Montreal,Maine&Atlantic has been recently blessed by a surge in traffic ( mostly unit oil trains coming from the Baken fields bound for New Brunswick) and badly needed more power so it worked out well for both parties.

All 3 C39's have been sold to the MMA and will soon be in service for them. The remaining 2 on the PNE will remain there and are used daily.

We will be posting a progress report on the project after Labor Day with photos.

Thanks for your interest.

Ross Rowland, President&CEO
Greenbrier Express Company, Inc.

And that better power is...............??????

Six...........Four............Teen

Like^

An earlier post hinted that the new power is going to be Amtrak's "Cardinal". It's like the time that, due to overhead wire work, the electricity was shut off one night somewhere between New Haven, Conn. and New York, N.Y. A Diesel engine was needed to pull the overnight train and its electric locomotive thru that section. One could be borrowed from a push - pull shuttle train, but the locomotive was facing the wrong way. Instead of turning it, Amtrak just used the entire shuttle train, cab car leading, to pull the regular train! In a similar way, Amtrak's relatively short Cardinal should have enough extra power to pull the Mr. Rowland's Express. But, that won't do much to help bring Kodak out of bankruptcy.

I believe the MMA is putting them in service on the CP crude oil train into New Brunswick either delivering to the Irving Oil Refinery in Saint John or, depending on how heavy they are, they may not go any further then Maine. NBSR's SD-40s and GP-38s will take the train into NB from there if there is a weight issue. A first of July MMA/CP delivery had 2 CP units sandwiched between 2 ICE units. Leader was ICE (The city of Welcome) No.6450.

Everything is still in a state of flux so consistency isn't hasn't entered into it yet.

Carroll

Carroll Cameron
Keswick Ridge NB, CA

Carroll is correct. They are intended to be put into unit oil train service once they arrive and recieve a mechanical going over.

Ross Rowland

As of 5pm July 18th, 2 units were in Lansdale and the 3rd was still sitting in Warminster, waiting to be shuttled over to Lansdale for a CSX Pickup.

Those engines were hideous looking! Not the kind of power one would expect to see on a luxury passenger train where looks count.

Looking forward to future updates, Ross!

I think a C&O steam turbine would've been a nice choice had one survived. Capable of speeds over 100 mph with a descent consist in tow. Do you think it would've bypassed CSX's current no steam policy, lol.



/Mitch

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/331685/
How about the C&O 490 at the B&O Museum?

Ryan