Maine Central

The Maine Central EMPD SW7s were equipped with road-style MU and were painted in road colours, they were not intended for yard work. They entered service at Waterville in September 1950, breaking in on mainline locals, before moving to Bartlett within a month. Joined by SW9 334 eleven months later, the foursome took over local and helper operations on the Mountain, replacing Ten-wheelers on Mixed 377/378 to Beecher Falls, Mikados in helper service and working locals to Rigby and Gilman “in their spare time”. When SW9 335 arrived in January 1954, the last 2-8-2 in standby helper duty was shipped to Waterville, totally dieselising the Mountain Sub. The local schedule kept the handsome switchers busy: Bartlett local RZ-2 departed Rigby 9am Monday, Wednesday and Friday, returning to Rigby 8am the following day using a single SW. A pair would be called about 3 am to help RY-2.

Maine Central SW9 335 at Bangor, ME on 19 August 1976. © Frank Szachacz

Pine green with gold band. In the summer of 1984 they were renumbered to MEC 933 and MEC934 in order to avoid conflict with Boston & Maine’s former Conrail GP40-2s, and then became Springfield Terminal 1432 and 1433.

Maine Central SW7 332 and an identified sister a Bangor, Me. InJuly 1970. © D.S.Hutchinson Collection
Maine Central SW9s 334 & 335 crossing the Penobscot River after working the Bucksport job around 1971. © Richard Glueck
ClassNo.BuiltSerialLiveriesNotesPhotographsModelling
SW7331
(931)		Sep 195012370Delivered in Red with Yellow Stripes, retained until at least Dec 1975. Switcher Green by Jan 1977.MU initially on rear only, soon added to front. Renumbered to 931.RR Picture Archives, RR Picture Archives
SW7332 (932)Sep 195012371Delivered in Red with Yellow Stripes, retained until at least Oct 1964. Switcher Green by Jan 1977.MU initially on rear only, soon added to front.RR Picture Archives
SW7333
(933)		Sep 195012372Delivered in Green with Yellow Stripes, retained until at least Jan 1975. Switcher Green by Jan 1976.MU initially on rear only, soon added to front. Renumbered to 933. RR Picture Archives, RR Picture Archives
SW9334
(934)		Aug 195114754Delivered in Red with Yellow Stripes, retained until at least Oct 1980. Switcher Green by Jun 1981.Renumbered to 934.RR Picture Archives, RR Picture Archives
SW9335
(935)		Dec 195319044Delivered in Green with Yellow Stripes, retained until at least Aug 1976. Switcher Green by ?Renumbered to 935.RR Picture Archives, RR Picture Archives
Maine Central SW7 932 (formerly 332) in Switcher Green livery on a Boston & Maine local freight ED-5 at Erving, Mass. on 15 February 1987. © D.S. Hutchinson Collection

Modelling

  • Broadway Limited 3938 N EMD SW7, Paragon4 DCC Sound, Maine Central #332 (Trainworld)
  • Broadway Limited 3939 N EMD SW7, Paragon4 DCC Sound, Maine Central #333 (Trainworld)

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. 30-32.
  • Melvin, George F. Maine Central in Color Volume 3. Morning Sun Books, 2008, pp.10-11, 31.
  • Robertson, E. B. (1978). Maine Central Diesel Locomotives. Westbrook, USA: Edwin B. Robertson, pp. 24-27.