Maine Central Railroad Infant Bodysuit

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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Introduce a little one to the story of Maine railways with a nod to Maine Central Railroad. Operating from 1862, MEC connected cities and communities across Maine, carrying passengers and freight along routes that changed over time. Its familiar reporting mark is part of the region's transportation history, from Portland and Bangor to smaller towns along the line. This infant bodysuit makes a thoughtful keepsake for railroad-loving families, Maine natives, and collectors welcoming a new generation.

Maine Central Railroad, reporting mark MEC, was a Class I railroad serving central and southern Maine. Chartered in 1856, it began operations in 1862 after the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad merged with the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad, creating a line from Danville, now Auburn, to Bangor. Initially built to Portland gauge, the railroad completed conversion to standard gauge in 1871. It expanded through leases and acquisitions, including the Portland and Kennebec Railroad and, in 1888, the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad, whose route became the Mountain Division. By 1884 it was New England's longest railroad; in 1917, when federal administration took control during World War I, its trackage reached 1,358 miles. Its routes connected Portland, Bangor, eastern Maine, Vermont and Quebec, with branches serving coastal communities and inland industries. After World War I, Maine Central sold or abandoned lines and other operations, and began replacing steam locomotives with diesels in the 1930s. It ended passenger service in 1960. Purchased by U.S. Filter Corporation in 1980, it was sold to Guilford Transportation Industries in 1981. Guilford later reduced its trackage; the company became Pan Am Railways in 2006 and was acquired by CSX Corporation in 2022.