Historic Flying Yankee Train Aims To Ride New England Rails Once Again

Long before the Amtrak Downeaster carried passengers between Portland and Boston, the Flying Yankee was the ride of choice, and it is hopefully making a return after almost 70 years.

Flying Yankee

The Flying Yankee is a train like you have never seen before. Unless, of course, you were born in the 1930s.

According to Wikipedia, the Flying Yankee was built in 1935 for the Boston and Maine Railroad, which today has merged with CSX Transportation. It was the third train of its kind in the US and, like the Downeaster, it traveled between Boston and Bangor, making stops at many of the locations that the Downeaster does today.

Its Art Deco, streamlined design made it unique in New England, and was the easiest and fastest way to travel.

Top Speeds

To put the Flying Yankees' top speed in perspective, it's best to compare it to today's Amtrak Downeaster.

The Downeaster has a top speed of 79 mph, while the Flying Yankee could reach speeds over 100 mph, making it the fastest train on rails in New England.

The Automobile Made the Flying Yankee Obsolete

With the United States embracing the automobile, the Maine Yankee didn't stand a chance. With ridership down sharply, the train ceased operation in 1957, and the Boston and Maine Railroad donated it to the State of New Hampshire until it was moved to the Edaville Railroad, where it was put on display.

In April 2024, the train was sold to the Flying Yankee Association, which is in the process of restoring the train and, hopefully, running it on the Conway Scenic Railroad

The Flying Yankee, later in life known as the Mountaineer, moved to the Conway Scenic Railroad, where it sits today being restored.

Though it likely won't travel 100 mph on the Conway Scenic, it still will give a sense of what a unique train-travelling experience this is.