THE HISTORY OF MAINE CENTRAL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #470
BY: David Albert, Railroad Historian

Locomotive 470 along with identical sister engine 469, was built by the American Locomotive Co., in Schenectady, N.Y. in 1924 for the Maine Central R. R. They were the last of 21 “Pacific” type passenger locomotives with the 4-6-2 wheel arrangement on the Maine Central.

The 470 was built to handle the heavy 10 or 12 car passenger trains between Portland and Bangor. She operated on such trains as the “Flying Yankee”, “Pine Tree Limited”, “Bar Harbor Express”. “The Kennebec”, “State of Maine Express” and the “Gull”, an overnight Boston to St. John, New Brunswick train. The 470 also hauled trains on the Portland to Boston route over the Boston & Maine RR when the two roads were under joint management. It was not uncommon to see the 470 and other Maine Central locomotives at North Station in Boston during the period 1932 to 1953.

The 470 remained in this service until replaced from mainline trains by diesel locomotives in the early 1950’s. The 470 and 4 other of her class were assigned to the Portland to Rockland passenger trains. The arrival of the last of the new diesel locomotives in early 1954 placed them into retirement.
In the spring of 1954, the Maine Central decided to operate a special passenger train to commemorate the final steam run from Portland to Bangor and return. Because she was the last passenger locomotive delivered to the road and in good mechanical condition, the 470 was selected to haul the train. In May, the 470 was taken from storage at Rigby Yard in South Portland to Waterville Shops to be reconditioned for the final trip.
On Saturday June 12th, 1954 a shiny 470 steamed out of Waterville at the head of a local freight to Rigby Yard in order that she would be in Portland for the next day’s Special. On Sunday June 13th, 1954, the 470 and a 10 car train with over 700 people aboard including Maine Central president, E Spencer Miller and then Maine Governor Burton Cross seated in the cab, left Portland Union Station for the round trip to Bangor.
The special train traveled eastbound over the Back Road mainline via Gray, Danville, Auburn, Lewiston, Winthrop and Oakland to Waterville. Hundreds of people lined the roadways, crossings and station platforms to wave as she whistled by. The event was widely covered by television, radio and newspapers.

After a coal and water stop at Waterville, the train proceeded east to Newport where a crowd of some 600 people greeted the 470 at the brief stop. Arriving at Bangor, a diesel yard engine with television and movie cameramen on board, paced the train on an adjacent track nearly a mile to Bangor Union Station. While the passengers had lunch, the 470 was serviced at the roundhouse for the return trip to Portland.

The train left Bangor in the early afternoon for a quick run to Waterville. Along the way at every crossing auto horns honked and crowds waved. The 470 responded with much whistling and smoke for the large contingent of photographers that chased the train.

A crowd estimated at 2,000 people, waited on the lawn in front of the Waterville Station on College Avenue. When the 470 arrived, the high school band played “Working on the Railroad”. Speeches by the Mayor, Governor Cross and President Miller were broadcast live on the radio. When the ceremonies were over, the Special left Waterville via the Lower Road mainline thru Winslow, Augusta, Brunswick and Freeport arriving back at Portland Union Station in the early evening. The 470 was taken to Rigby Yard in South Portland for servicing and around 9:30 pm train orders were issued for the 470 to run ‘light’ (engine only) back to Waterville.
Waterville Station was chosen as the display site because of its central location on the railroad and that the Waterville shops could maintain the locomotive. The 470 was placed on its display track several days after arriving back at Waterville and remained there from 1954 to 1962.

In 1962, a major track re-location project on College Avenue in Waterville and construction of an underpass required the demolition of the railroad station and the removal of the 470 to storage in the railroad yard until a new display site could be found. That year, the Maine Central R.R. celebrated its 100th anniversary and as a gesture they donated the 470 as a gift to the city of Waterville, ME.

While in storage the 470 became a ‘forgotten locomotive’ as the years went by. In the summer of 1969 after many inquiries as to “Where is the 470?”, an effort by rail buffs and concerned citizens got underway to raise money and find a permanent display site. In 1970 a plot of land near the Maine Central Office building on College Avenue was leased from the state and the site prepared. On December 14, 1970 the 470 was moved from its storage track in the railroad yard and placed at its new home. During the summer of 1971 the locomotive was refurbished and painted by volunteers and workers in the Maine Central Waterville shops. Again in 1983, the 470 received another painting and repair.

Today after more than 50 years of outdoor display, time and vandalism has left the 470 in an utterly deplorable condition. A dedicated restoration committee backed by the city of Waterville, many supporters and rail enthusiasts has undertaken a project to restore this symbol of railroad history. The 470 is to be restored to its original condition and permanently housed by an authentic railroad structure to protect it from weather and vandalism. The story is not over.

THE HISTORY OF MAINE CENTRAL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #470 BY: David Albert, Railroad Historian

THE HISTORY OF MAINE CENTRAL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #470
BY: David Albert, Railroad Historian