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Vermont MAC Attack

SD90MAC's Working on the Green Mountain Railroad

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This section was set up on October 23, 2001.

With business along the former Rutland Railroad booming throughout Vermont, the Vermont Railway System (heir to the Rutland and owners of the Vermont Railway, Green Mountain Railroad and Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad) went looking for bigger power to meet the needs of its growing freight trains. During the summer of 2000, the big railroad news in New England was the leasing of 4300-h.p. SD90/43MAC "convertibles" by VRS. On July 8, 2000, Frank Etzel and I spent a day satisfying our hunger for big locomotives on a rural railroad with a Vermont MAC attack.

After a nearly all-night drive, we catch up with our MAC pair, CEFX 138 and 139, at a rural grade crossing near Cuttingsville. The train is heading south toward Bellows Falls.

TT3601

At East Wallingford, the southbound crosses the main street into town.

TT3602

From the overhead bridge of Route 103, we see the MAC's as they head through Gassetts.

TT3603

After holding north of town for the Green Mountain Flyer passenger train to clear, the freight passes the classic brick station in Chester.

TT3604

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