Snapshot - March 2013

Railfanning the White River Division

The mid day B&M  passenger train arrives at Bellows Crossing with B&M's newly painted  F-2 set A-B 4225.

Newly painted B&M F-2's at Bellows Crossing

 Back on a warm fall day in 1957 I railfanned the White River Division arriving at Bellows Crossing, Vermont prior to the arrival of the passenger train. It was early afternoon and I was hoping to catch the CV through freight, the mid day passenger train and if I was really lucky the local arriving back into town.  As it turned out the local had already arrived and put the engine away. The engineman and conductor could be found discussing the days events out front of the station. The brakeman had already got into his shiny new red pickup truck and would shortly depart for home. I could hear the sound of what I thought were EMD's and hopefully F's coming from behind the trees. I had heard that a few B&M engines had been repainted in experimental schemes. Would I be lucky and see one today. As I scrambled to get my camera out the lead engine peeked out from behind the well kept station.

I had arrived just in time to catch a great shot of the old F-2's sharply painted in the new McGinnis blue and white scheme. What a find. These two engines were leading the mid day passenger train bound for Montreal from White River Jct. Today it had a express car and Pullman coach on the head end. Also included on the train was a CV coach and two American Flyer coaches, one from the B&M and the other from the NH. The train does make a short stop at the station giving me a minute to position myself just past the diamond for another view of the train and the neat looking engines. I did not have time to find the best spot for my photo as the train began to pull away from the station as I crossed the diamond, but any shot with this new paint scheme was a bonus. Although I missed much of the early days action seeing the newly painted F-2's made for another great visit to the White River Division.

I was just about to cross the diamond for a shot of the B&M trains departure when I thought this photo would also make a great view.

The lead engine crosses the diamond at Bellows Crossing on the White River Division after a short station stop in town.

The Prototype

15 freight F-2's came to the B&M in 1946. A few months later the B&M purchased three A-B sets with steam generators for use in passenger service. They were numbered 4224 A-B to 4226 A-B. In 1956 Patrick McGinnis took over the B&M and experimented with variations of a blue, black and white paint scheme. B&M 4225 A-B was a pair of engines that received this scheme. The F-2's left the B&M roster by 1966. The original 4225A was wrecked in 1949 and replaced with 4262.

 
The Model
A few years back Don Janes was able at acquire this pair of Athearn F units for me via ebay. Originally I had thought I had a pair on order but the engines never arrived due to some confusion. Anyhow I was happy to get the pair through Don which sound as great as they look and are fine running models. They both have factory DCC and sound included. I did not do much to the engines other than some light weathering to the trucks. I wanted these units to look new and lightly used on the White River Division...George Dutka