New England Central Railroad (NECR)

Pet (petroleum) wax comes up from the Gulf Coast refineries... likely the Houston area. It loads hot into insulated cars that have steam coils onto the bottom half of the tank shell's exterior. If the product needs heating, they'll pump low pressure steam through the coils to get the product up to temperature.

atsf sp wrote:I think a lot of truck operations and there factory is on the NECR in Deerfield.

NECR runs a few miles east.... railroad through Deerfield is Pan-Am/Pan-Am Southern, which answers the question why YC doesn't get rail service. However with the PAS agreement and NS looking to drum up business, you never know what could happen!

I'm just gonna throw this out there, but wasn't there a study done on using the the Pioneer Valley and doing a transload deal? Thought I read that somewhere.

As recently as December 2007 they were receiving carloads of wax from the Pioneer Valley RR in Holyoke, and trucking it to the plant. I was on a speeder run 12/1/07, and we had to stop on the siding to let the Santa Train switch ends and pass us after a stop at the carosuel. Freaking cold that day, so standing near the steam was a nice treat...they weren't actively unloading, but the pipes were still warm. And on a day that struggled to get above 10*F without the wind chill, any heat was nice!

Here's a shot of the PVRR Santa Special passing the tankers of wax, and the speeders

http://www.nanosphoto.com/gallery/displ ... ?pos=-5409

I can only assume that nothing has changed with that arrangement.

If you're curious about the actual speeder run, head here:

http://www.nanosphoto.com/blog/2007/12/ ... -railroad/

-Tom

Never knew the PVRR allowed you guys on. Will they again? Would love to go as I only live a few miles away.

Anyway, wax is still being delivered to the PVRR where they run it to Holyoke for off loading.

You don't hear to much about the NECR but if you get a chance you may want to check it out. Most of the Palmer sub division between Palmer and Windsor,VT is back up to 40 mph running. In addition NYSW 4054 can now now be seen leading trains 323/324 which once again run between Palmer and Saint Albans. 323 from Palmer often departs between 4:00 and 6:00 am each day. 324 departs Montpelier Jct between 4:00 and 6:00 am. The motive powers appearance may be a bit eccletic but is interesting none the less. This tough little railroad is handling an increasing volume of traffic between White River Jct, Bellows Falls, Palmer and WIllimantic. Finally, six axle power can now be seen on the daily Palmer - Willimantic turn Nr 610. State Line hill continues to challenge the heavy trains that leave south out of Palmer.

SnoozerZ49 wrote:323 from Palmer often departs between 4:00 and 6:00 am each day. 324 departs Montpelier Jct between 4:00 and 6:00 am. The motive powers appearance may be a bit eccletic but is interesting none the less.

If NECR is back to daylight running, I'm interested! Are these trains weekday only?

Last time I was in MA, I actually saw a light engine move during the day. Two engines racing to the Umass coal siding to get off the main.

323/324 are scheduled to run seven days a week. Be aware however that if there are not a lot of cars to move out of Palmer or the CN does not bring cars in to Saint Albans these trains may not operate. If traffic backs up in Walpole or White River Jct an extra may be run to handle the overflow.

They have been running the extras from Palmer to Walpole and back even when there is a manifest. The P&W have an order for several hundred cars or salt. They have been coming down in 20 -25 car blocks. Sometimes the manifest is overtonnage as it is and 3000 tons more wont cut it. So they take the Manifest power as it comes into Palmer and run the extra North to Walpole, and back to Palmer in time to give the power to 323 in the early morning. There is talk about running 6 packs South of Willimantic as the volume is increasing

Brian
NECR

SnoozerZ49 wrote:323/324 are scheduled to run seven days a week. Be aware however that if there are not a lot of cars to move out of Palmer or the CN does not bring cars in to Saint Albans these trains may not operate. If traffic backs up in Walpole or White River Jct an extra may be run to handle the overflow.

Thanks for the info!

-otto-

I know that the NECR is owned by a shortline holding company but I see a lot of foreign power on it from many differetn places. I have seen a Goodrich-Exeter GP38 in Palmer, Georgia Southwestern SD9 in St. Albans, and recently a FEC SD40-2 722 in Palmer, yesterday. I have seen many leasers and other power from other railroads on the NECR. I also know the NYSW SD70Ms are on the system now. Why does so many other RRs power come to the NECR?

You answered your own question. RailAmerica (NECR's parent) switches up power on all of their railroads. NECR power is on the DGNO down in Texas, and on another railroad in Alabama (i can't remember the name). Goderich & Exeter, Florida East Coast, Georgia Southwestern, and Indiana & Ohio (who the NYS&W SD70Ms were leased to) are all owned by RailAmerica, as is Connecticut Southern, whose B39-8Es and leased SD40-2s are always on the NECR.

As much as I would love to see Yankee Candle recieve wax shipments directly into their plant by rail, I hate to see a small railroad loosing a large account.

I assume the wax is delivered to their interchange in Westfield by CSX. Perhaps they could make use of the new PAS/PVRR interchange yard in Holyoke.

You'll never see Yankee Candle get direct rail. Their sidetrack is long gone.

That would be funny however if the wax was routed over Pan Am. The cars would go right by Yankee Candle on the way to the PV.