Servicing at Thorndike. Having completed all of the day's scheduled runs and having left the passenger consist at Freeport Station, Boothbay's Henschel #6 undergoes servicing at the pit just outside Thorndike Station. The Boothbay operation typically works with a 2-person train crew, consisting of an Engineer/Fireman and a Conductor. The Engineer is responsible for all servicing before and after the day's operation. Here, we see that the Engineer has attached the water tower's spout to the locomotive's fill-pipe and the tank, which resides between the frame rails and below the boiler, is now being filled. Shortly, the Engineer will walk around to the Fireman's side, and empty several large scoops of anthracite coal into the bunker just in front of the cab. After oiling around just a bit, he will then back the locomotive to the engine shed, which is on a little siding, perhaps 200 ft behind the location pictured here.
