Battle of Perryville

Add links

Maine Central Railroad Class W locomotives were intended for heavy freight service. They were of 2-8-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or "1'D" in UIC classification. They replaced earlier class O 4-6-0 locomotives beginning in 1910. They were in turn replaced by class S 2-8-2 locomotives for the heaviest freight service beginning in 1914, but remained in use on lighter freight trains until replaced by diesel locomotives after World War II.[1]

Sub-classes

All were built in American Locomotive Company's plant at Schenectady, New York. The first nine built in 1910 (builders numbers 47732-47736 & 49207-49210) were 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) lighter than the infobox figure. Sub-class W-1 consisted of seven locomotives added in 1912 (builders numbers 50933-50939) and eight more (builders numbers 52989-52996) delivered in 1913. The last four designated sub-class W-2 (builders numbers 54564-54567) were delivered in 1914 and were 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) heavier than the infobox figure.[1]

Preservation

Class W locomotives were numbered from 501 to 528 as delivered. Numbers 501 and 519 were officially property of the European and North American Railway (E&NA) as a condition of the lease of that company by the Maine Central Railroad. They therefore avoided scrapping until Maine Central purchased E&NA to remove the lease obligation in 1955. Two locomotives survived; No. 501 is currently under restoration to operating condition at the Conway Scenic Railroad and No. 519 was on display outside at the Steamtown National Historic Site, exposed to the elements.[2][3]

Replacement

When the Maine Central began purchasing diesel locomotives, road switchers were numbered in the 500 series previously reserved for the W class.[4] ALCO RS-2s and ALCO RS-3s were numbered 551 through 557, and EMD GP7s were numbered 561 through 569 and 571 through 581.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Robertson, Edwin B. (1977). Maine Central Steam Locomotives. Westbrook, Maine: Edwin B. Robertson. pp. 44–47.
  2. ^ "Pictures of MEC 519" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
  3. ^ http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/2022/09/13/maine-central-501-on-the-move/
  4. ^ Plant, Jeremy F. & Melvin, George F. (1999). Maine Central in Color Volume 2. Morning Sun Books. p. 70. ISBN 1-58248-030-3.
  5. ^ Robertson, Edwin B. (1978). Maine Central Diesel Locomotives. Edwin B. Robertson. pp. 35, 41 & 49.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Central_class_W_2-8-0