Bangor & Aroostook Diesel Roster (All Time)

Published: May 29, 2026

The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad (BAR), the iconic Maine carrier serving the vast Aroostook potato empire, sprawling timberlands, and paper mills, embraced dieselization relatively early for a regional road. Its first diesels arrived in 1947, and by 1951 the transition was largely complete, with 42 diesel units largely replacing a steam fleet of 73 locomotives (though steam made occasional winter comebacks for potato rushes).

BAR prioritized Electro-Motive Division (EMD) products for their reliability in harsh northern Maine winters and on light branch lines, resulting in a roster heavy on versatile road switchers while retaining some distinctive early models long after most Class I railroads had retired them.Dieselization opened with EMD F3 cab units. A and B sets (F3As originally 500A–507A, later 40–49; F3Bs 600–603) arrived in 1947–48 and powered mainline freights, often in A-B-A consists hauling long strings of potato cars or pulpwood.

Two E7A passenger units (700–701, later 10–11, built 1949) handled prestige runs like the Aroostook Flyer and Potatoland Special. Unusually for a Class I, BAR acquired eight (or nine, depending on sources) rare BL2 "branch line" road switchers (550–557, later 50–57) in 1949. These 1,500-hp units, with their distinctive carbody styling (precursors to the GP series), proved perfect for lighter rail; several were lightened by about 10 tons for branches such as Greenville. Survivors like BL2 #57 (American Railfan) and others have been preserved or restored.

As seen from the fireman's side of cab of Bangor & Aroostook BL2 #51, the first section of freight #58 meets F3A #45 and its consist east of Oakfield, Maine on February 6, 1970. Roger Puta photo.

Yard and local work was handled by NW2 switchers (early 800 series, later renumbered in the 20s) and later secondhand SW9s (30–39 series, acquired in the 1970s primarily from Pittsburgh & Lake Erie and related lines). Small industrial power included a GE 65-tonner and an Alco S3, mostly secondhand acquisitions for mill and yard duties.

The true workhorses were the GP7s and GP9s. Twelve GP7s (560–571) arrived in late 1950, followed by more in 1952 (total around 17 GP7s) and five GP9s (76–80) in 1954. Remarkably, BAR leased ten of the initial GP7s seasonally to the Pennsylvania Railroad each summer in exchange for no-profit use during potato and ore seasons, an arrangement that lasted years. These "Geeps" proved incredibly flexible for freight, locals, and even occasional passenger work. Later, BAR supplemented with secondhand ex-Santa Fe GP7us renumbered in the low 20s.

In the late 1960s, BAR modernized with GP38s (new and secondhand units numbered 81–98, many from Conrail/PRSL and Missouri Pacific). Many were later rebuilt as GP38-3s (351–366 series) with upgraded electrical and mechanical components, providing reliable 2,000-hp power into the railroad’s final years.

BAR stood out for maintaining its first-generation fleet—F3s, BL2s, and unmodified GPs—well into the 1980s, long after they became "museum pieces" elsewhere. Paint schemes evolved from early blue-and-gray on F units and E7s to various blue combinations, sometimes with off-white or experimental tri-color variations, complementing the famous red-white-and-blue "State of Maine" boxcar fleet.

By the time Iron Road Railways acquired BAR in 1995 (later becoming the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic), the roster reflected both classic EMD reliability and pragmatic secondhand purchases and rebuilds. Many units found new homes or preservation, cementing BAR’s place in railfan lore. For modelers and historians, the BAR diesel roster exemplifies smart, regionally adapted power that kept the potatoes moving and the branches alive through decades of change.

Alco

Model Type	Builder	Final Road Number(s)	Original Road Number(s)	Completion Date	Serial Number	Notes
S3	Alco	20(2nd)	-	3/1954	76434	ex-Frasier Companies #7; ex-Falconbridge Nickel Mines, Ltd. #7; built as Canadian National #8485

EMD

Model Type	Builder	Final Road Number(s)	Original Road Number(s)	Completion Date	Serial Number	Notes
GP7u	EMD	-	20 (3rd)	2/1952	12206	ex-Santa Fe GP7u #2205 (2nd); built as Santa Fe GP7 #2678.
GP7u	EMD	-	21 (2nd)	12/1952	17706	ex-Santa Fe GP7u #2023; built as Santa Fe GP7 #2845.
GP7u	EMD	-	22 (2nd)	2/1952	15882	ex-Santa Fe GP7u #2227; built as Santa Fe GP7 #2722.
GP7u	EMD	-	23 (3rd)	8/1952	16385	ex-Santa Fe GP7u #2175; built as Santa Fe GP7 #2741.
GP7u	EMD	-	24	1/1951	13186	ex-Santa Fe GP7u #2004; built as Santa Fe GP7 #2665.
NW2	EMD	20-23	800-803	4/1949-5/1949	8157-8160	-
NW2	EMD	22-23	802-803	5/1949	8157-8158	-
SW9	EMD	-	30 (2nd)-31 (2nd)	3/1951	14103, 14102	ex-P&LE 1249-1250; built as P&LE 8935, 8934
SW9	EMD	-	32 (2nd)-33 (2nd)	3/1951	14104, 14099	ex-P&LE 1248, 1253; built as P&LE 8936, 8931
SW9	EMD	-	34 (2nd)	3/1951	14106	ex-P&LE 1246; built as P&LE 8938
SW9	EMD	-	35	3/1951	14101	ex-P&LE 1251; built as P&LE 8933
SW9	EMD	-	36	3/1951	14108	ex-P&LE 1244; built as P&LE 8940
SW9	EMD	-	37-39	3/1951	14100, 14105, 14107	ex-Pittsburgh, Chartiers & Youghiogheny 3-5; ex-P&LE 1252, 1247, 1245; built as P&LE 8932, 8937, 8939.
F3A	EMD	40-43	500A-503A	10/1947	5170-5173	-
F3A	EMD	44-47	504A-507A	5/1948	5174-5175, 5180-5181	#47 later renumbered 49
BL2	EMD	50-55	550-555	3/1949-4/1949	8161-8166	-
BL2	EMD	56-57	556-557	4/1949	8617-8618	-
GP7	EMD	60-71	560-571	11/1950	9933-9944	-
GP7	EMD	72-75	572-575	8/1952	9945-9948	-
GP9	EMD	-	76-78	6/1954	19553-19554	-
GP9	EMD	-	79-80	6/1954	19556-19557	-
GP38-3	EMD	361	81	5/1966	31213	Rebuilt from GP38 81.
GP38-3	EMD	358	82	3/1966	31214	Rebuilt from GP38 82.
GP38-3	EMD	357	83	3/1967	33050	Rebuilt from GP38 83.
GP38-3	EMD	365	84	3/1967	33051	Rebuilt from GP38 84.
GP38-3	EMD	352	86	9/1967	33199	Rebuilt from GP38 86.
GP38-3	EMD	359-360	87-88	11/1967	33200-33201	Rebuilt from GP38 87-88.
GP38-3	EMD	362	91	12/1967	33800	Rebuilt from GP38 91. ex-Conrail #7663; built as PRSL #2003.
GP38-3	EMD	353-355	93, 90, 92	10/1966, 3/1969	34752, 33799, 33801	Rebuilt from GP38 93, 90, 92; ex-Conrail 7665, 7662, 7664; built as PRSL 2005, 2002, 2004.
GP38-3	EMD	363	95	10/1967	32672	Rebuilt from GP38 95. ex-HLCX #2006; ex-Missouri Pacific #2006/856; built as Missouri Pacific #576.
GP38-3	EMD	356	96	10/1966	32496	Rebuilt from GP38 96.
GP38-3	EMD	364	97	6/1967	33174	ex-Missouri Pacific #2007/857; built as Missouri Pacific #577.
GP38-3	EMD	351	98	10/1966	32497	Rebuilt from GP38 98.
GP38-3	EMD	-	366	4/1969	34753	ex-Conrail 7666; built as PRSL 2006.
F3B	EMD	-	600-601	10/47	5176-5177	Sold to PRR (9530B and 9532B).
F3B	EMD	-	602-603	5/1948	5178-5179	Sold to PRR (9534B and 9536B).
E7A	EMD	10-11	700-701	4/1949	8917-8918	Traded back to EMD (GP38s).

GE

Model Type	Builder	Final Road Number(s)	Original Road Number(s)	Completion Date	Serial Number	Notes
65-Ton	GE	-	10 (2nd)	11/50	30806	Built as Frasier Companies #6.
98-Ton	GE	-	30-34	9/1936-1/1937	11785-11789	Built as New Haven #0901-0905.

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