The Flying Yankee Association, the non-profit restoring the Boston & Maine streamliner, is hoping to raise $30,000 to rebuild the train’s traction motors. The model GE 721 traction motors are attached to the first two axles of the train and are considerably smaller than the ones traditionally found on a locomotive. 

The Flying Yankee was built by the Budd Company in 1935 and ran in New England for 22 years until it was retired in 1957. It was privately owned and displayed at the Edaville Railroad for 40 years until it was acquired by New Hampshire in 1997. Since then, a non-profit group has been trying to restore the train, first at the Claremont & Concord and most recently at the Hobo Railroad. However, in recent years, those efforts have collapsed and little has happened with the train, only the third of its type built in North America. 

Starting in the spring of 2021, volunteers updated and filed all the required state and federal documents to bring the group back into good standing and established a new name, the Flying Yankee Association. Along with that came a brand new board of directors, including several members with business and management experience. The train has since been sold to the non-profit. The Flying Yankee is presently in a “partially restored state” on the Conway Scenic Railroad. 

The Flying Yankee Association is presently looking at constructing a facility to restore, maintain and store the streamliner. In the meantime, the restoration will focus on parts of the train that can be sent out to various shops in the area. For more information, visit FlyingYankee.org. —Justin Franz