Maine Central
A westbound MEC freight led by two GP38s and a GP7 arrives at
Northern Maine Junction with several wood chip cars on the head
end to be set out for the Bangor and Aroostook. The BAR's tracks
curve off to the right behind the train order signal.
During the 1970's MEC's non-cushioned underframe box cars
continued to be painted green as shown by these 50' cars arriving
in Bangor on a train from Old Town.
1950 built GP7 number 563 was repainted in the mid 1970s into the
Harvest Gold scheme introduced by the GP38s in 1966. Number 563
sports it's unique version of the rectangular "Pine Tree
Route" nose herald in this shot at the Rigby Yard engine
house. This photo was provided by Cameron Green and I reccomend a
visit to his Maine
Central Page.
It's the early days of the Guilford takeover and Boston and Maine
GP7/9s have begun to appear regularly at the Bangor engine house.
The "Wood Job" pulled by two GE U18bs is about to
depart Northern Maine Junction for Waterville after picking up a
long cut of pulpwood cars from the Bangor and Aroostook. The rear
of the train consists of pulpwood loaded at Mattawamkeag and
various other points on eastern portion of the Maine Central.
This photo was provided by Warren Calloway who has a nice page
dedicated to the Seaboard
Air Line.
In this late afternoon shot taken at Bangor Engine Terminal in
the winter of 1966-67, three new GP38s await servicing.
Alco S4 switcher 316 works the Bangor yard in the late 1970s
still in the simplified green scheme in which it was delivered in
1954 (with the exception of the orange stepwells which were a mid
to late 1970s addition).
GP7 number 573 on a local at Northern Maine Junction displays the
one of a kind paint scheme which it received in 1963.
This overhead shot taken from the Bangor Brewer (Union Street)
Bridge shows the roof detail of steam generator equipped GP7 580
still in it's as delivered paint.
Alco S2 number 302 working Waterville yard in May of 1977
exhibits the pre 1953 B&M inspired black switcher scheme of
the MEC. The orange herald and stepwells are a 1970s addition.
Now working for Gilford's Springfield Terminal, a Maine Central
U18B and GP7 lead a Portland to Bangor freight past the Bangor
and Aroostook interchange tracks at the east end of Northern
Maine Junction in October of 1988.
Although by the 1980s most MEC units were painted Harvest Yellow
with Pine Green roof and black and white striped pilots, as shown
by this 1977 photo of GP7 number 576, in the mid 1970s several
MEC units were painted yellow with little or no green on the roof
and either a solid yellow or black and yellow striped pilot.
The simplified green scheme pioneered by the Alco S4 switchers in
1954 was applied later to several RS2s, RS3s, and GP7s as
exhibited by number 571 at Mattawamkeag in 1979.