CSX Acquisition of Pan Am Railways

roberttosh wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:48 pm I just don't see it being feasible to run all that traffic from Rotterdam to Springfield. The amount of upgrading required, from track work, to signaling to clearances would be astronomical. In terms of the Castleton Bridge, these same sources also said it was down to one track which I am fairly certain is not the case.

Sure but we now know something for certain -- CSX is trying to make a deal. That is fact.

Whether you or I can see the reasoning or whatever doesn't matter since we know they are going after it, so all we can do is scratch our heads and try to figure out why.

Yes, big upgrades would be needed to run Rotterdam to Springfield or via Ayer and Clinton to Worcester. But the line sale to MA, if it were true, would be a back door subsidy. And MA might pitch in more to help with the tunnel as well. If csx would have to foot the whole bill to rebuild the Hudson River bridge, maybe the math works for them to upgrade the Fitchburg and Worcester route with state help. State already rebuilt the conn river.

IF this speculation is true, what existing csx traffic moves via Springfield and what via Ayer/Clinton? At least the Brookfield racks would have to go Springfield

Keep in mind that if the bridge story is in fact true, that is also going to mean major operational headaches getting from Selkirk to Oak Point.

in theory those trains could leave Selkirk going west, switch ends, then go down the big hill through Albany, across the Hudson and through the Amtrak station to head south on the east bank.

They also could depart Selkirk on the Albany Secondary. Run around in Kenwood then shove up Bull Run onto the Schenectady line.

That's going to be a lot of trains heading west out of Selkirk only to have to change ends to head back East. Can the Chicago line even handle that type of traffic flow?

With PSR the number of trains has basically been cut in 1/3 there is plenty of capacity. But don't they only run one pair a day to Oak Point?

Instead of reinventing the wheel and dropping hundreds of millions on Pan Am (not to mention the upgrade costs) wouldn't it be easier to just use Amtrak line through Troy and original B&A line to avoid the bridge?

The Post Road branch is single track and not rated for 286K. Not sure if cleared for stacks.

Understood, but I think it's safe to say it would be cheaper to upgrade than from Rotterdam Jct to Springfield.

There is a big hill on the post road branch. Similarly there is a substantial grade just west of Albany . No idea how much they would affect operations but understand that were a factor in moving most freight off the route in the past. I recall pc or conrail even abandoned post road at one time snd it was rebuilt for Amtrak. The Fitchburg has the better alignment and grades from Albany. But it has the tunnel problem too

roberttosh wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:35 pm Keep in mind that if the bridge story is in fact true, that is also going to mean major operational headaches getting from Selkirk to Oak Point.

The Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge is almost a mile long and almost 100 years old. I think the story just maybe true and certainly might be a major consideration in this matter.

Wouldn't it be cheaper/easier? to rebuild the Vorheesville running track? That would make a connection from PAS to Selkirk, right?

Doesn’t that connect the former d&h, now NS main to the csx mainline just west of Selkirk? And the former d&h Albany line east of vorheeesville is a trail I think and still would not connect csx to pas

Correct. Currently you if you came West out of Selkirk (if the connector was rebuilt) you could bang a left to go south on the D&H using the V. Runner. There never was a wye going the other way and that would just take you to Kenwood anyway. Same as going up the Albany Secondary which is intact.

They have four ways of getting to the B&M in New York, 3 require a runaround or shove. The only one that does not they would use the Albany Secondary to Kenwood, use the Bull Run connector to the Schenectady line, then crossover at 485 and run the D&H to Mechanicville.