Maine Central 470

Maine Central 470 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in May 1924 for the Maine Central Railroad (MEC). Currently owned by the New England Steam Corporation, it is being restored to operating condition at Washington Junction in Hancock, Maine.

Revenue service and retirement
In the early 1920s, passenger traffic was rising on the Maine Central Railroad (MEC), particularly for stops between Boston, Massachusetts, and Bangor, Maine, and so the railroad was buying larger and more powerful engines to boost capacity and speed. Among them was the American Locomotive Company's popular 4-6-2s, which ALCO vigorously promoted to the railroads, especially in the passenger-dense East Coast.

In May 1924, ALCO's plant in Schenectady, New York, produced the locomotive designated as builder's number 65555. MEC bought the locomotive for $62,296.90 (the equivalent of ±$839,000 in present-day U.S. dollars) and numbered it 470. Delivery was expected during the summer of 1924.

During its 30 years of service, No. 470 pulled named passenger trains including The Gull, the Bar Harbor Express, and the Kennebec Limited.

The engine was the last steam locomotive to be operated by Maine Central Railroad. Its final run on Sunday, June 13, 1954, was nationally publicized and attracted widespread spectators along the route. Passenger service had been in steady decline, and Maine Central discontinued all passenger service in Maine six years later.

After its final run, Engine No. 470 was transferred to the Railroad's Maintenance Shops in Waterville where it was drained, winterized and towed to a display plinth near the public railroad station on June 17, 1954. On October 28, 1962, in celebrating Maine Central Railroad's centennial anniversary, the locomotive was presented as a gift to the City of Waterville.

Sale and restoration
In 2012, after being exposed to the elements and subsequent hazard to the public, the City of Waterville requested bids for the sale or restoration of the No. 470 locomotive. Of the six bids that were received, only one bidder planned to keep the locomotive in Maine.

On December 3, 2013, the City Council of Waterville voted to sell the No. 470 locomotive to the Maine-based non-profit New England Steam Corporation (NESCo), which entered a delayed purchase and sale agreement with the city, vowing not to disturb the locomotive until it had raised the purchase price and the anticipated moving costs. On November 5, 2015, the NESCo purchased No. 470 for $25,000 and prepared to move it to the Downeast Scenic Railroad in Ellsworth, Maine.

Between July and August 2016, NESCo moved No. 470 to Washington Junction in Hancock, Maine. In cooperation with the Downeast Scenic Railroad, they plan a complete restoration, returning the No. 470 locomotive to operating service. That effort is now underway; a new tender cistern and coal bunker were placed on the tender frame on November 13, 2022. Volunteers hope to have the locomotive finished for its 100th anniversary in 2024.