MAINE CENTRAL #RB-3 HOLDS IN THE SIDING - HERMON, MAINE - SEPTEMBER 29, 1981
For "Weather Wednesday" we see dark skies looming above eastbound train #RB-3, which is holding in the hole for westbound #BR-4 to get out of the way. While the "Battle of the Bagaduce" or any other U-18B is almost always a welcome leader, on this particular train it's not the right leader. The third unit would have been the right leader, as it's GP-9 572, which was the maroon heritage paint unit that was used for business trains.
Leader U-18B 408 is kind of different in that it's not named for a person, but for an event. The history of the Penobscot Expedition event is a long sad story, as the American's launched a massive 44 ship armada to attack and reclaim the coast of Maine from the British in 1779. For a variety of reasons, they were unfortunately stopped by one small British fort located where the Bagaduce River flows into the Penobscot River. That fort wouldn't give up for two months and the American's failed for two months to take it. Eventually the British launched a naval counter attack from behind, and the Americans suffered the worst naval defeat ever until Pearl Harbor. Including losses during retreat, the British reported 25 dead during the two month event, but the Americans had lost 474 people.
MAINE CENTRAL #RB-3 HOLDS IN THE SIDING - HERMON, MAINE - SEPTEMBER 29, 1981
For "Weather Wednesday" we see dark skies looming above eastbound train #RB-3, which is holding in the hole for westbound #BR-4 to get out of the way. While the "Battle of the Bagaduce" or any other U-18B is almost always a welcome leader, on this particular train it's not the right leader. The third unit would have been the right leader, as it's GP-9 572, which was the maroon heritage paint unit that was used for business trains.
Leader U-18B 408 is kind of different in that it's not named for a person, but for an event. The history of the Penobscot Expedition event is a long sad story, as the American's launched a massive 44 ship armada to attack and reclaim the coast of Maine from the British in 1779. For a variety of reasons, they were unfortunately stopped by one small British fort located where the Bagaduce River flows into the Penobscot River. That fort wouldn't give up for two months and the American's failed for two months to take it. Eventually the British launched a naval counter attack from behind, and the Americans suffered the worst naval defeat ever until Pearl Harbor. Including losses during retreat, the British reported 25 dead during the two month event, but the Americans had lost 474 people.