Maine Northern Railway (ex-MMA lines operated by EMR/NBSR)

Did they reopen the MMA track yet??

FLRailFan1 wrote:Did they reopen the MMA track yet??

Freight rail service resumed on MM&A right-of-way in and around Lac-Mégantic, on Dec. 18, 2013.

I was told the 209 is toast. Probably moving to get parted out and scrapped...seen this day at Millinocket

Off property?

GMTX 209 came through McAdam Yard at about 2000 tonight on its way to Saint John.

Thanks. I assume it never ran after the run-in with the logging truck? Does NBSR have either of their end cab switchers still in service that could use any of these parts?

NB Southern has the GMTX 203, 204, and 205 on their property as well.

Does Irving switch the mill(s) in the Millinocket area or does the MMA still do that? If Irving does, which part, MNR or EMRY?

MMA Would be the only ones to switch the mills - if there was any business. They are tearing down parts of the Millinocket mill and East mill is currently shut down.

I see. Thats to bad. I heard there was plans to make wood pellets around there somewhere. How has that turned out?

JB283 wrote:I see. Thats to bad. I heard there was plans to make wood pellets around there somewhere. How has that turned out?

Construction was originally planned to start in Q4 2012. Production by Q1 2013 if I remember right. They are over a year off their original timeline. So things aren't going quite as planned. But, the project is not dead, the permitting process took a while longer than expected. They are currently looking to secure financing. Then start construction.

JB283 wrote:I see. Thats to bad. I heard there was plans to make wood pellets around there somewhere. How has that turned out?

I think this is what you are talking about:
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/10/17/b ... t-project/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, that was it. Thank you. I hope that it works out well.

JB283 wrote:Yes, that was it. Thank you. I hope that it works out well.

Note the pellets being loaded in that open hopper car in the rendering. I understand this process makes the wood pretty much waterproof.

If you are not familiar, this is also a torrefied wood project that is of great interest to the railfan community:

http://www.csrail.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Torrefaction

Biomass can sometimes be an important energy source. However, nature provides a large diversity of biomass with varying characteristics. In order to create highly efficient biomass-to-energy chains, torrefaction of biomass in combination with densification (pelletisation or briquetting) is a promising step to overcome logistic economics in large-scale sustainable energy solutions, i.e. make it easier to transport and store it. Pellets or briquets are lighter, drier and stable in storage as opposed to the biomass they are made of.

I love it when I can learn something without having to get off the couch. There are several words in the above that my spell-checker has just learned, too.

Job creation is a Good Thing.