just was curious if anyone is modeling Guilford. I am slowly getting into them. I have done afew railfan trips and this time I met some cool people at the and one guy said what makes Guilford unique is that they use older power. I have to agree. But also maybe because I have seen them up close & in action is maybe another reason why too. The same goes for the Housatonic line, which right now I am working on doing their Canaan main yard on part of my layout. also mixing in some CSX… & others…
but just wanted to see if there were any Guilford modelers out there …
Hi Mike, I am planning on modeling parts of New England RR’s and the main line from Worcester through the Berkshires, and I would also like to include the Hoosac Tunnel into North Adams. I may also incorporate the line from Vermont central. I have to see how the room goes.
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after being at east Deerfield a few times, at the moment I think my main yard might be modeled after the yard at East Deerfield, well not the whole entire yard… have to see how it goes…
Not too many people model Guilford. They are not unlike Penn Central, but without the charm.
And before folks jump on me, I do live in southern New England, and a Guilford modeler is hard to find around here. There are more, of course, in northern New England…but not that many (poor benighted souls that they are). [:)]
Guilford has a real attitude problem. They are run as if one of the old school robber barons owned the place. They merged the B&M, MEC, and I think D&H into the Springfield Terminal (a former trolley freight short line) to kill the unions. They have one of the worst paint schemes, and some of their equipment is so unique that it can’t be easily modeled. They fought for years against Amtrak running the Downeaster at 79mph because the rails were “unsafe” at that speed, never mind the fact that the B&M itself was running faster on jointed rail with steam power. Did I mention that the states paid for the RoW upgrades to permit 79mph?
Also, Guilford has a mean streak. I remember that they petitioned to abandon a line in downeast Maine. Afterwards, a scrap dealer started to sniff around the old RoW, planning to set up a scrap yard that would produce several carloads a day. A local regional RR offered to buy the line from the abandonment proceedings to service the scrapper. When Guilford heard about it, they withdrew the abandonment plan, and then refused to re-open the line. The scrapper was forced to move elsewhere, just because Guilford didn’t want to give a competitor access to a line it didn’t want.
Finally, they have some of the worst trackwork I’ve ever seen. I make a yearly trip to Danville Jct., and the rail in that area is just sad. It’s all peened over, with long jagged flakes just hanging off the head. Burn marks are common, and the ties may as well be made from sponges.
Guilford? No thanks. Give me P&W any day of the week…(now there is a class outfit).
I love guilford. I’m too young to remember anything else, so that’s why. And I’ve never been around the country enough to see any real railroading. Except for amtrak and MBTA, which I don’t even consider a real rr- more of a rapid transit system. And I agree with you Paul, they do have some BAD trackwork. trying to nap on the downeaster is harder than on a green line train negotiating sharp curves while sitting on a plastic seat…Anyway, I don’t really model guilford, just the equipment. I have four atlas engines, 2 geeps and 2 GE’s, all MEC. and I’m waiting on an SD26, which i’m hoping will pop up on ebay soon.
Dave,
I am waitng for an SD26 too…there is just something about Guilford, that has drawn me toward modeling some of there stuff… like I said must be because lately I have seen a lot of them…
still have to concentrate on one part of the layout at a time…
They are evil and only provide passenger service when dragged kicking and screaming into it. Maine started running passenger trains from Brunswick up to the lobster festival in Rockland. But try getting from Portsmouth up to Brunswick to make the connection from the Downeaster. Guilford is refusing to cooperate and extend a matching service. http://www.lobsterfestivaltrain.com/welcome.php
For anyone outside of New England, Guilford Rail Systems is a 1600 mile regional railroad that runs from a connection in northern Maine with the New Brunswick Southern (NBSR) thru the major cities in Maine connecting many branches that serve the paper mill industry thru New Hampshire across northern Mass and connect with the CP and CSX in New York near Albany. They are one of the strangest run businesses you will ever see, they run locomotives that are old, but can be fixed. Many of the decissions made by management have never been for the good of the railroad or the communities which it runs thru but only for the bottom line of the owners.
Personally I model the Maine Central before Guilford bought them in 1982. I grew up with Maine Central and love the colors they painted their equiptment. Most of my family worked for Maine Central and took a lot of pride in the company.
If any one wants to know more about this “intresting” railroad their website is www.guilfordrail.com but be warned, its old and not updated very often much like the railroad itself.
Mike, where exactly is the train yard in East Deerfield? I have traveled up route 5 and 10 from Yankee Candle many times, but have never seen the yard that is depicted in the photos.
I’ve got Guilford tracks within about a half mile of my house. However, I’m modeling 1950s central New England which is over 30 years before Guilford came to town. I have a good friend that worked for them last year and he would agree with the comments regarding a strange company.
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you have been so close to it… it is on Rte 5 & 10, you have to take a right on to River road, if you go past the railroad bridge to your right you have gone to far. River road is in the same location where the bridge is. It comes out of nowhere… once you get on it, you will have to take a left, and that will be the little bridge over the west end of the yard. If you go past a house with all lawnmowers ( white house) you have gone to far, it is just before it,
Thanks Mike, I really was surprised when I saw the pictures, I had no idea of the size of the yard, I saw RR tracks alongside the road, but never saw a train times I was there. What are the best days/times of day to observe action?
Gordon, the times I have been there have been in the early afternoon and there was some things going on there… but from what I have heard, it is a busy place…
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I still really haven’t figured out or found out when are good times, I just joined a yahoo group that is just on Guilford Rail sightings… give you some good info & other things…
I model a freelance line in Maine. I don’t specifically model Guilford, but have built up a couple of locos for GRS and St Lawrence and Atlantic, and will probably do something in Maine Eastern and MMA.
Mike, I went onto MapQuest and pulled up River Road, I see where it is. I was surprised that MapQuest did not show the train yard though. With all those sidings, I would have thought they would have shown multiple tracks…we will be headed out that way soon, and I will definitly stop by with camera.
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I plan on making a few trips there when I can… nice drive and you can always take route 2 west… I want to chase a train from North Adams to East Deerfield… or from Ayer to East Deerfield…
Mike, I was out in So Deerfield today, found the old B&M yard ( now Guilford RR) off River Rd. no problem. Got some pics of action. I also continued down River Road and turned left onto another road that brought me to the bridge over the CT river. I climbed up the embankment and found that I was at the far east end of the yard, with the bridge over the CT river just behind me. I walked to the bridge and got a couple of pics of the river and bridge…the river was at flood stage but receeding, you could see where it had been about 3 feet higher. I heard a train whistle east of me and got all excited, I thought I was going to get a great shot of the train coming over this long span bridge…however, the train was actually a NE Central on the tracks east of here headed for the Diamond at Palmer, Ma. [:(]
Thanks for the directions Mike, very easy to find.