Maine Central Steam Locomotive #470 Discussion

Look for us in the Better Living Center at the Springfield Train Show!

Our new shirts will be available and you can join, renew, and ask questions.

Section 18, Tables F & G

We will be at Westbrook Train Show, April 06, Westbrook Community Center. A huge number of old railroad poster style calendars for sale, signed and numbered prints of the New Haven, going way back into the 40's in some cases. Some great RR books and memorabilia, including lots of early Amtrak material. All this courtesy of the the family of the late Sam Vaughan. Everything priced to sell or you make a reasonable offer. This is stuff you will not find again in this good condition, and at these prices. One original NYC print of "The Centuries Pass at Night" in original frame.

New England Steam tee shirts and hats. Please come out and support the ongoing restoration of Maine Central 470!

Thank you, everyone who attended the Southern Maine train show in Westbrook! You got some great bargains and supported the restoration of former Maine Central 470. Our next major event is "Touch A Train", on June 22nd, 2019. This is a family event and not a regular train show. Children and their elders can sit in the locomotives and cars, and much more. You will be able to look over the restoration which is underway indoors. We hope to see you there!

Touch A Train will be held at Washington Junction yard, June 22nd, 2019. The address is 8 Railroad Siding Road, Hancock, Maine. This is 5 miles north of the intersection of Main Street Ellsworth and Route 1A. This year combines the 135th anniversary of the first passenger train on the old Calais Branch, the 10th anniversary of the Downeast Scenic Railroad, and the start of the third year of restoration of Maine Central steam locomotive #470. Caboose-hop rides, a hot riveting demonstration, model trains, complimentary ice cream and cookies from two of our sponsors. Bring your cameras, your questions, and especially your kids! TAT runs between 9AM and 1PM, so come early.

Keep a visit to 470 in your summer plans this year. We are usually present at the Hancock shops, each weekend. If you are planning a visit to Acadia and passing through Ellsworth, we are 2.4 miles north on Main Street. Drop me an email at [email protected] before you come, so somebody will be able to host you.

Dues in New England Steam Corporation are scheduled to run October to October. This is a great time to either renew or initialize membership in NESCO. A new issue of "The Booster" is coming together, full of information about historic Maine Central as well as progress on the 470.
Remember, this locomotive is being preserved for the state of Maine and for all Americans to enjoy a locomotive brought back from the brink. Single membership is $35, $25 for Seniors. Our website has many levels of membership and every penny goes to the restoration.
Your support is greatly appreciated. You'll be please to see how your dues are used.

Thursday evening October 1oth, at 6PM, there will be a presentation at Peakes Auditorium, Bangor High School, on 470 and the "Bar Harbor Express". In coordination with Bangor Adult Education, admission is $10 . Questions and answers will be taken afterwards.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a young train enthusiast (age 10 and up), you might go to the New England Steam Corporation website (www.newenglandsteam.org), head to the store, and order the new book "The Bar Harbor Express and Maine Central 470". Written by Richard Glueck and illustrated by Peter Zimmerman, it's a close look at the one time "fastest overnight train in America".
$20 + $3 media postage! All profits go to the restoration, not the authors!

Also - Order the 2020 New England Steam Corporation calendar, available now!

A number of former Maine Central Diesel locomotives now exist in preservation, so I thought this might be a good contribution.

www.newenglandsteam.org/diagrams

Use the link to go to the New England Steam Corporation website and under "resources" find the PDF. These drawings and technical data cover every class of Diesel operated by the Maine Central from 1939 forward. The note book came from the estate of a retired shop superintendent and has all manner of tech data on these locomotive.

New England Steam Corporation is restoring Maine Central #470, at the shop in Hancock, Maine. Please check out everything about the big Pacific and its re-birth.

An important milestone has been reached in the 470 restoration. Details are noted in the attached PDF file.
Millinocket Fabrication and Machining has been contracted to build the new tender body. A contract has been signed, and the contracted unit has been promised in approximately 12 weeks.
Thank you for your determined support during the funding effort, over the past two years. We hope to have regular photo updates as they become available.

Will the old one be scrapped?

Interesting question. The old tender is badly rotted out and has little value other than it is an artifact. We are going to remove everything that can be salvaged for the new tender, such as grab iron stanchions, ladder, and a few other pieces. This will further perforate the body and deck. I suspect the interior plumbing will remain a point of interest, but nobody should get into that tank without breathing masks and similar protective gear. Several people have asked if they can have it as a lawn ornament, and other members of our B.O.D. believe it should be retained for some display purpose. Another individual believes it is one example of a specific tender construction unlike others remaining anywhere else.
So to answer your question, it's undecided.

What do you think should be done with the old tank, and why? We'd like to hear what you have to say.

I know we railfans hate to lose any piece of historical equipment but let's look at the reality of things. Money will be needed to stabilize and maintain it for display. Money is a commodity always in short supply. Good blueprints will tell you more details about the design than a static display can.

What do we want to see more? An old rusty tender sitting on a track or 470 running? I think you need to keep your eye on the prize, getting 470 up and running. Retaining the tender will drain cash from the restoration of 470, scrapping it will generate cash for the restoration of 470. This is as much about economics as it is about historical preservation. Remember, we can't save everything, we have to save what's really important. I think that is a fact that gets in the way of a lot of preservation efforts. I know that is the case here in New Jersey.

I know it sounds cold and anti-railfan but we live in the real world. Reality is still reality.

I agree with Kilroy. We don't want this to turn into another Flying Yankee debacle. The fiasco with the Winton engine basically killed the project — "should we save the engine? should we run it? should we make it a static display? should we scrap it? should we sell parts of it to collectors? no, let's restore it! no, let's not restore it. no, let's restore it and run it! no, let's make it a static display. no, let's sell the bits and pieces on eBay"...

We would have a restored, operable, running Flying Yankee today if they had simply pulled the Winton and installed a modern working engine in its place. Instead we have a monument to ... well, I'm not sure what.

Take that as a cautionary tale.

(Let me be clear: I DO NOT think that will happen with the 470, thanks largely to the people who are involved with the 470 restoration.)