High Green Episode 19: The Memories of Loyd MacNair, Part 1
BM 3685 on train #72, the "Day White Mountains Express", southbound on the Connecticut River Main Line departing White River Junction, Hartford, VT - August 26, 1946. Albert G. Hale photo, Walker Transportation Collection.
In today’s episode of High Green, we hear the oral history memories of longtime employee Loyd MacNair, recorded October 1987. MacNair describes the start of his B&M career as a fireman on the Conn River Line in the 1940s. Additional topics of conversation include firing stoker and hand-fired steam locomotives, the steam-to diesel-transition, the floods of 1955, recollections of various passenger and freight jobs, and many colorful stories of railroading on the Boston & Maine during this interesting period.
Embellishing Mr. MacNair’s comments are authentic sounds of B&M steam, recorded by Preston Johnson from the record “Vanishing Vapors”.
