ALCO S-2 & S-4 - Rhubarb Loop

Maine Central

Maine Central S4 locomotives 311–317 were equipped with multiple-unit (M.U.) controls on the cab end. Primarily assigned to yard service, they were often paired together on the Old Town Switcher, running from Bangor to the paper mill at Great Works and back.

Maine Central Alco S-2 No. 302 stands at Waterville, Maine, on 22 August 1978, carrying the less common rectangular pine tree herald on the cab side. One of the road’s long-serving switchers, locomotives like this handled yard and local duties across the system well into the diesel era. © Bill Rogerson

Maine Central No. 263 and Alco S-2 No. 302 stand on the turntable at Waterville, Maine, in July 1979. No. 302 carries the distinctive “Harvest Gold” cab emblem, reportedly unique among the switcher fleet. © Michael Shufelt

Maine Central Alco S-1 No. 303 switches cars at the Keyes Fibre plant on the east end of Waterville yard, likely in the mid-1960s to early 1970s. A cut of insulated boxcars, including Keyes-dedicated cars marked with the star emblem, stands ready for handling in this busy industrial scene. © Geoff Quadland

Maine Central EMD F3 No. 672 leads a road freight past S-1 No. 303 at the Keyes Fibre plant, Waterville, in the mid-1960s. The train includes a block of potato reefers on the head end, reflecting the seasonal agricultural traffic that dominated much of Maine Central’s freight business. © Geoff Quadland

Maine Central Alco S-1 No. 303 stands on the former main line alignment near Waterville, Maine, likely in the late 1970s. The locomotive carries a striking red-and-white striped nose scheme, contrasting with the standard pine tree livery along the body, as it works a local freight past a grade crossing and semaphore signal. © Geoff Quadland

Maine Central ALCO S4 312 is seen at Bangor, Maine, in March 1972. © K. Landess / TMB Collections

Maine Central S4 No. 312 at Jay, Maine, on 3 November 1974. © Phil Faudi, courtesy of Deane Motis

Maine Central S4 313 at Bangor, Maine, in July 1979. © Bob Dobrowolski

Maine Central S4 No. 314 working hard at Bangor Yard in 1980. © Michael Shufelt

Maine Central S4 317, an ALCO-built unit (serial number 81099, built September 1954), at Jay, Maine, on 18 October 1974. © Phillip C. Faudi

Maine Central ALCO S4s Nos. 316 and 313 at Bangor, Maine, in 1977. © Greg Taggart

Class	No.	Built	Serial	Notes	Photographs	Modelling
S-2	301	Feb 1949	76593		RRPA	Atlas 40004700
S-2	302	Feb 1949	76594		RRPA	Atlas 40004701
S-2	303	Feb 1949	76595	Beecher Falls	RRPA	Atlas 40004702 [Tony’s Train Exchange $159.95 25/11/20]
S-4	311	Aug 1950	78008	MU cab end only, sold 4/81	RRPA
S-4	312	Aug 1950	78020	MU cab end only	RRPA
S-4	313	Dec 51	79502		RRPA
S-4	314	Sep 1954	81096	Road service equipped.	RRPA
S-4	315	Sep 1954	81097	Road service equipped.	RRPA
S-4	316	Sep 1954	81088	Road service equipped.	RRPA
S-4	317	Sep 1954	81099	Road service equipped.	RRPA

Portland Terminal

S-4 1062 at Rigby on September 10, 1973. D.H.Hamley photo

Note that all the handrails are painted yellow, something that seems exclusive to this unit.

When first delivered, Portland Terminal’s ALCO switchers were finished in black with red and white stripes on the bonet. There were no pilot stripes and no yellow accents on the handrails at this stage. Soon after, black and white pilot stripes were introduced as part of this original paint scheme.

In later years, the pilot stripes were changed to yellow and black, giving the locomotives a slightly more visible and modern appearance. Only a few of the black switchers ever received the orange stepwell treatment, and very few carried the Portland Terminal herald on the cab before the adoption of the later “new image” scheme.

Some units showed evidence of quick repainting. For example, a yellow nose might be applied directly over the original red striping, leaving the rest of the locomotive in its earlier paint and lettering. In such cases, the cab carried the locomotive number while the full railroad name appeared on the hood. Close inspection sometimes revealed traces of the earlier striping, such as a sliver of the top red stripe still visible beneath the yellow.

All MEC and Portland Terminal switchers shared several distinctive mechanical details. Each was equipped with a box cooler mounted on the rear handrail and a sheet metal cover retrofitted over the sand traps, both characteristic features of these units in service.

A good example is PT 1062 all the handrails on this unit were painted yellow, something that appears to have been unique to 1062. The locomotive was one of three ex-D&H units, repainted by crews at the Colonie shops when purchased by Portland Terminal. Units 1061, 1062 and 1063 were all completed there, but 1062 was originally delivered without yellow handrails. They were painted later, after the locomotive sidestepped a car that had been left too close to a switch lead, bending at least four stanchions.

The “Igloo” cooler strapped to the rear handrail seen in some photographs was a replacement for the original box-type cooler used on other units

Class	No.	Built	Serial	Liveries	Notes	Photographs
S-2	PTM 1051	Oct 1941	69565	Black with B&M style red bonnet until at least Sep 1976, yellow bonnet by May 1980.	Scrapped in 1982.	RRPA
S-2	PTM 1052		70244			RRPA
S-2	PTM 1053		73902		Retired 1980	RRPA
S-2	PTM 1054		76596			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1055		78416			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1056		78417			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1057		78418			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1058		78419			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1061		78235			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1062		78239			RRPA
S-4	PTM 1063		78406			RRPA

Modelling

More Information

Melvin, George F. Maine Central in Color Volume 3. Morning Sun Books, 2008, pp.10-11,14-15.
Plant, Jeremy F. and George F. Melvin. Maine Central In Color Volume 2. Morning Sun Books, …
Robertson, Edwin B. Maine Central Diesel Locomotives. Robertson Books, 1978, pp. 18-23,84-91.