The Heber Valley Railroad has purchased three former Boston & Maine GP9s from Pan Am Railways.

Heber Valley Chief Mechanical Officer Michael Manwiller tells Trains News Wire that the locomotives will help standardize the Utah tourist road’s motive power fleet. In 2015, the Heber Valley acquired a former Union Pacific GP9 and ever since Manwiller has been looking for more locomotives like it.

Manwiller says the locomotives are perfect for the Heber Valley because they provide the right amount of horsepower, parts are still readily available, and they’re appropriate for the steam-to-diesel transition era the railroad is trying to recreate. The GP9s are also a favorite among the Heber Valley’s operating crews.

“These locomotives are a good fit for us,” Manwiller says. “Business is growing and we really need the motive power.”

Among the locomotives included in the sale are Pan Am’s two heritage units: Maine Central No. 52 and Boston & Maine No. 77. Pan Am painted the two locomotives for its predecessor roads in 2011. The third GP9, No. 72, is in Guilford Rail System gray-and-orange. All three locomotives were built in 1957. The locomotives are currently stored at Pan Am’s facility in Waterville, Maine.

Manwiller says the locomotives will move to Utah by rail and then be trucked to the tourist railroad’s facilities in Heber City. A date for the move has not been set.

It is possible that one or two of the GP9s will operate in their current MEC and B&M schemes until the railroad finds time to repaint the locomotives, Manwiller says. It is likely that the locomotives will receive a Denver & Rio Grande Western-like paint scheme, a tribute to the Heber Valley route’s original operator. With the arrival of the GP9s, the Heber Valley’s former U.S. Army MRS-1 will be retired.

From Trains News Wire


So is the MRS-1 the only operating locomotive at the moment? When I visited in August the RS-4-TC was tucked away in the back, and nothing else looked like it had been started up in a while.

I guess I am surprised that the best option was to purchase some clapped out Geeps from the other side of the country? Nothing closer? Also sad these historic Geeps are leaving New England, they only ever operated for one owner their whole lives...

http://railfan.com/new-england-geeps-in-twilight/

-otto-

They weren't "clapped out" based on the thorough mechanical inspection given to them before a purchase was negotiated.

Otto, do you know how to inspect a GP9? Have you bought a locomotive? I mean a "real" road locomotive, not an industrial one? Any idea what the market is like? Your complaints make you sound like a foamer, rather than someone who knows how to run a tourist railroad, or is realistically involved in railway preservation.

I am going to jave to give Otto this one unless it was a third-party inspection I would not trust the report.

Hope this doesn't spell death for the MRS-1, they never seem to have any luck in preservation or tourist use.

Bad news, guys. I've been outed as a foamer. Please disregard all posts. Thank you.

—Mgmt.

Oh god, did I just read what I think I did? Oh my gosh. This is hilarious. Otto Vondrak a foamer?

Oh god, did I just read what I think I did? Oh my gosh. This is hilarious. Otto Vondrak a foamer?

See this is the part where I can't tell if Wilkins is joking or he genuinely has lost his mind. May god help that man.

Admission is the first step to working on your problem. I hope you get the help you need. I think there are support groups, though no medical remedy just yet. Recovery will be a long tough road. I wish you luck.