By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Railroad Museum of New England has completed the restoration of a Maine Central snow plow that was damaged by vandals last year. The plow, MEC 70, will make its public debut on Saturday during Connecticut Open House Day at the Thomaston Station. 

The plow was built in 1936 by the Russell Snow Plow Company of Ridgway, Pa., for the Maine Central Railroad. It was sold to the Green Mountain Railroad Corporation in 1981, and purchased by RMNE in 1996. The plow was one of the first pieces of historic railway equipment to arrive at the Museum’s new Naugatuck railroad in 1996.
Orion Newall applying stencils to paint the Maine Central logo. —RMNE photo

Featuring pneumatic “wings” that can be extended or retracted to push snow off the tracks, Maine Central 70 lacks its own power and must be pushed by a locomotive to clear snow from the tracks. The plow remains available for active service, and the Naugatuck Railroad uses it as needed, to clear its main line after heavy snowfall.

The plow was damaged during the early morning hours of May 5th, 2023 when vandals sprayed graffiti on it and used a rock to break a window in the operator’s cupola. This incident made restoration of the plow a more urgent priority. In addition to individual donations toward the restoration, RMNE hosted a special “Night on the Naug” rail photography event that raised about $3,500 for the cause; plans are underway to offer the event again this summer.

Maine Central snow plow on display at the Naugatuck Railroad station in Thomaston, Conn. —RMNE photo

“We’re excited to showcase the hard work our volunteers did to bring Maine Central 70 back to life. We’re extremely grateful for the donations we received to support this effort, as well as the ongoing support of our excursion passengers, whose ticket purchases allow us to preserve and restore historic railroad equipment.” Said Orion Newall, Passenger Operations Director for the Naugatuck Railroad Company. 

For more information visit RMNE.org.