Maine Eastern Railroad (MERR) Discussion

Watchman318 wrote:The mention in the BDN article of "declining" freight business, along with the recent mention in the RR.net Portland waterfront operations thread of a proposal for refrigerated storage in Portland, got me wondering about something: the rail spur in Rockland near 44.101273° N, -69.119817° W. I believe that track was installed a few years ago (I don't recall just when) under MDOT's IRAP, but the business it was supposed to serve seemed to "just never happen."
I think the building with the loading dock, added or rebuilt in conjunction with the track installation (check it with Google Street View), was at one time St. George Seafood or a similar name. I don't know for sure what the proposed/supposed occupant was going to be (frozen food or frozen bait?), but a rumored reason for its not-coming-to-fruition was a lack of refrigerated boxcars nationwide. Can anyone clarify or expand on that?

Cement traffic doesn't seem to have declined any, but maybe I'm missing "the big picture."

Does anyone have a MERR customer list??

Bath Iron Works
Dragon Cement
Dicaperl

MEC407 wrote:Bath Iron Works
Dragon Cement
Dicaperl

Remarkable to think how much better the line would do if they added a single additional customer.

gokeefe wrote:

MEC407 wrote:Bath Iron Works
Dragon Cement
Dicaperl

Remarkable to think how much better the line would do if they added a single additional customer.

Surprised they haven't pulled a G&U and tried to put in an LP transload. I certainly think they have enough of a local population they serve in the Brunswick - Rockland corridor and judging by the shortages faced the last two winters (Where they had to bring it in by ship to places like Searsport), there is certainly a demand for it. Besides, energy commodities are hot right now for rail (pun fully intended)

It's not surprising, if for no other reason than considering the local resistance that would inevitably follow. If Searsport can't get one (albeit larger-scale), I couldn't imagine other mid-coast communities being very welcoming.

That and it's not within their scope of work as a contract operator for Maine DOT.

gokeefe wrote:That and it's not within their scope of work as a contract operator for Maine DOT.

Plus they don't have a long-term contract right now (correct?), and a new freight customer would probably prefer to wait for the new contract to be signed.

Just to change the subjecfor a second. has anything been done to the M420? I heard they were swapping out the trucks then repainting it. Any change any of this has ben done or started?
thanks

Regarding the paint job, perhaps they're waiting to see whether or not they're awarded another contract.

... it's not within their scope of work as a contract operator for Maine DOT.

That doesn't wash. Freight development is out of scope, but it's in-scope to develop tourist trains?? And Maine Northern is another contract operator... business development seems to be in-scope for them.

It should be telling that no new customers have developed on the Rockland branch since title was transferred to the state nearly 30 years ago.

In the sense of building a brand new facility? Seems like a logical outcome to me. Not to say that a local energy company couldn't or wouldn't do it just that Maine Eastern wouldn't build a railroad owned facility.

It could be done either way, theoretically, but the reason there are no propane terminals forthcoming on the Rockland branch is that the area can be (and is) served by rail-served facilities within 60-70 miles: Portland, Auburn and Hermon. Having cars go down to Rockland would add 7-10 days to a transit cycle. Rail plants are very expensive, producers and distributors want their railcars turning, and the incremental freight charge by ME would be another drawback. For better or worse, the days of the little two-spot, 50-100 car/yr LPG terminals are largely history.

Cowford wrote:For better or worse, the days of the little two-spot, 50-100 car/yr LPG terminals are largely history.

I have to agree based on what I've seen with Suburban Propane in Augusta. The above describes such to a "t".

Ditto for the Eastern Propane depot in Wells.

MEC407 wrote:Bath Iron Works
Dragon Cement
Dicaperl

That's all? Do they have a marketing department?