I have pursued this topic several times in other threads and have found great information and answers. I certainly don't know as much about this subject as many other members here do but I find it interesting to try and chase to the ground the history of these units. It isn't always that well documented and at times there is conflicting information. One of the great challenges I have always tried to answer is whether or not there are any remaining F3 or E7 locomotives that once were owned by the Maine Central still in existence today. Up until now I had never been to find a roster which consistently stated one way or another what the disposition of these units were. After some research I was able to find the following, which by no means is definitive but certainly is far better than before.
Maine Central Diesel Roster compiled by Mr. Ken Houghton:
http://www.trainweb.org/trains/MECROS.HTM
Furthermore, not that Wikipedia is definitive but they claim, with some apparent knowledge, that other than PRR E7A #5901 there are no other surviving E7As. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania makes the same statement from a more informed point of view.
Wikipedia EMD E7 Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_E7
Railroad Museum of PA, PRR E7A #5901
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/e7.shtml
There is also further information regarding the F3s on Wikipedia (perhaps more so than the last time I looked a few years ago).
Wikipedia EMD F3 Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F3
This seems to definitively indicate that no former Maine Central F3s survive, which agrees with the information on the Ken Houghton roster. However, there are a surprising number of New England related locomotives, including one former B&M B-unit which survives to this day. An earlier search a year or two ago turned up a roster which seemed to indicate that one of the units had been sold to the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MP/MoPAC) and rostered as #54. Per a roster compiled by a Mr. R. Craig this information appears to be incorrect.
Missouri Pacific Diesel Roster complied by Mr. R. Craig:
http://www.thedieselshop.us/MoPac.HTML
However there is information indicating that most of Maine Central's passenger rolling stock was sold to Missouri Pacific in 1960.
Maine Central Passenger Car Roster compiled by Mr. James VanBokkelen:
http://faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/mecrr/mec_pass.html
I was surprised to see on the Ken Houghton roster that the E7s did not have steam generators. I had always understood that the E7s were used in passenger service but this fact leaves that idea in doubt. Did Maine Central have passenger equipment that didn't require steam or, as apparently indicated, were the E7s never used in passenger service?
[EDIT:Spelling]
Maine Central Diesel Roster compiled by Mr. Ken Houghton:
http://www.trainweb.org/trains/MECROS.HTM
Furthermore, not that Wikipedia is definitive but they claim, with some apparent knowledge, that other than PRR E7A #5901 there are no other surviving E7As. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania makes the same statement from a more informed point of view.
Wikipedia EMD E7 Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_E7
Railroad Museum of PA, PRR E7A #5901
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/e7.shtml
There is also further information regarding the F3s on Wikipedia (perhaps more so than the last time I looked a few years ago).
Wikipedia EMD F3 Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F3
This seems to definitively indicate that no former Maine Central F3s survive, which agrees with the information on the Ken Houghton roster. However, there are a surprising number of New England related locomotives, including one former B&M B-unit which survives to this day. An earlier search a year or two ago turned up a roster which seemed to indicate that one of the units had been sold to the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MP/MoPAC) and rostered as #54. Per a roster compiled by a Mr. R. Craig this information appears to be incorrect.
Missouri Pacific Diesel Roster complied by Mr. R. Craig:
http://www.thedieselshop.us/MoPac.HTML
However there is information indicating that most of Maine Central's passenger rolling stock was sold to Missouri Pacific in 1960.
Maine Central Passenger Car Roster compiled by Mr. James VanBokkelen:
http://faracresfarm.com/jbvb/rr/mecrr/mec_pass.html
I was surprised to see on the Ken Houghton roster that the E7s did not have steam generators. I had always understood that the E7s were used in passenger service but this fact leaves that idea in doubt. Did Maine Central have passenger equipment that didn't require steam or, as apparently indicated, were the E7s never used in passenger service?
[EDIT:Spelling]
Last edited by gokeefe on Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
gokeefe