Rare move, very rare move... Last week, the Winnipesaukee Scenic Crew took a run, south, to Lochmere (Tilton) to pick up six loads of ties that were handed off to them by the New England Southern RR Crew. The ties are part of a huge NHDOT replacement project on their tracks from Lochmere to Thornton.

The big attraction, outside of the move itself, was seeing an almost 70 year old, first generation GP7, hauling tonnage. The 302 was originally built in August of 1950 for the Rock Island as their #438. (A year before I Love Lucy debuted on CBS). New England Southern bought it in 1985 and renumbered it to #302. Plymouth & Lincoln has owned 302 since 1997, and they chopped the nose for added visibility.

These days, 302 mostly resides in Meredith Yard, and used very very sparingly, as one of two back up options for the Winnipesaukee Scenic's tourist trains, but you can see, 302 is still a worker. 302 was last taken out for a job early last fall, when Crews brought up a operating Budd RDC-1 that was handed off to them at Lochmere, which was headed to the Hobo's Lincoln Shops for repairs and paint.

This picture was taken from the Grey Rocks Road overpass in Belmont, looking south.

Photographed by Jay Gadon, April 27, 2020.
Added to the photo archive by Jay Gadon, May 2, 2020.
Railroad: Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.

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