Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Flying Yankee, Boston to Maine

Description

"Many children of the 1930's and 1940's were in awe of the 'Flying Yankee', with its green and gold locomotive, nickel-plated cylinder heads and brass name plate at its front. The nonstop express raced through Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine on its daily run in both directions between Boston and Portland. Averaging 51 miles-per-hour throughout its entire trip of 114.6 miles, the Flying Yankee began its test runs in April, 1929, roaring through Wakefield on its way to Boston at 8:14 p.m. and making its northbound appearance at 9:45 a.m. The entire trip, between Boston and Portland, took two hours and 15 minutes. The upper part of its great boiler jacket, 'surmounted by the steel dome and sand dome, steel turrets, and the locomotive bell' was painted green to match the grass on New England hills. Below that, the running gear was a darker green, matching the color of New England pines. Both were striped with gold. A stripe of gold matched the running board and ran the entire length of the engine, and the tender, painted the darker green, bore the name of the Boston & Maine railroad insignia in gold. Below the cab, also in gold was the 'Flying Yankee'." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1997

Photo courtesy of Bourdon Studios.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Boston and Maine Railroad

Railroad trains

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

18 x 26 cm.