Opinion: Bangor should bring back the Flying Yankee

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

Bangor once hosted a sleek, stainless steel, diesel-electric passenger train called the Flying Yankee. She was elegant and futuristic and fast, covering the distance to Boston in less than four-and-a-half hours. Hard to believe this train debuted in 1935. America used to have a railway system that was the envy of the world: a combination of long-distance trains, streetcars and interurban light rail. Almost overnight, we scrapped it, replacing rails with blacktop, and the more we extended and widened our highways, the greater the congestion became. The Flying Yankee is presently being refurbished in New Hampshire. The goal is to return it to running condition. Close your eyes and imagine the old girl slipping into Bangor. ~ Robert Klose, Orono