Maine Central
Maine Central ordered “two 3000 HP Diesel Freight Locomotives” on 20th November 1947, with for $645,300 each as their first diesel freight locomotives. The following month, until 671A&B and 672A&B, arrived; they were early Phase III “chicken wire” F3 units. Equipped with low roof fans, dynamic brakes and steam generators in all four units, they were used on the overnight Portland-Worcester run of the State of Maine and Portland-Bangor symbol freights, at that time numbering four in each direction.
The Class DF-3 was built with “chicken wire” grills and steam generators for possible use on passenger trains, but all Maine Central F3s spent most of their lives pulling freight trains on the mainline and Mountain Subdivision. Class DF-4 had the EMD F7-style grills and were sometimes called F5s. The F3s were traded in for EMD GP38s in 1966.
Green paint started in 1956, passenger service was just about gone so it’s believed that the steam generators would have been removed prior to receiving green paint.
| Number | Class | Type | Built | Serial | Retired | Liveries | Notes | Photographs | Modelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 671A | DF-3 | F3A | Dec 1947 | 4494 | Dec 1966 | Red until at least 1952. Green by May 1957. | Traded for GP38s | RR Pictures Archive | |
| 671B | DF-3 | F3B | Dec 1947 | 4496 | Nov 1966 | Red until at least 1952. Green by May 1957. | Traded for GP38s | ||
| 672A | DF-3 | F3A | Dec 1947 | 4495 | Nov 1966 | Red until at least 1954. Green by Aug 1961. | Traded for GP38s | RR Pictures Archive, RR Pictures Archive | |
| 672B | DF-3 | F3B | Dec 1947 | 4497 | Dec 1966 | Green by May 1957. | Traded for GP38s | RR Pictures Archive | |
| 681 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5695 | Dec 1966 | Green by Apr 1958. Pilot stripes were added by Oct 1958. | Traded for GP38s | RR Picture Archives | |
| 682 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5696 | Dec 1966 | Red until at least Jun 1966. | Last of her class to wear original maroon paint. Pilot stripes were added later, the only F unit with have pilot stripes and maroon paint. Traded for GP38s | RR Picture Archives | |
| 683 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5697 | Nov 1966 | Red until at least Jan 1955. Green by Aug 1961. | Traded for GP38s | RR Picture Archives | |
| 684 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5698 | Dec 1966 | Green with pilot stripes by Aug 1964. | Traded for GP38s | RR Picture Archives | |
| 685 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5699 | Jul 1966 | Red until at least 1951. Green by Jul 1962. | Traded for GP38s | RR Picture Archives | |
| 686 | DF-4 | F3A | Nov 1948 | 5700 | Nov 1965 | Green by May 1957. Pilot stripes by Apr 1964. | Wrecked and scrapped 1966. | RR Picture Archives |
More Information
- Marre, Louis. Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years – A Guide To Diesels Built Before 1972 (Railroad Reference Series No. 10). Kalmbach Books, 1995, pp. 90-94
- Melvin, George F. Maine Central in Color Volume 3. Morning Sun Books, 2008, pp.9,15.
- Robertson, E. B. (1978). Maine Central Diesel Locomotives. Westbrook, USA: Edwin B. Robertson, pp. 54-59.