"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

Are they expected to be a large rail user? Sometimes these niche products don’t necessarily lend themselves to rail.

Their plants elsewhere appear to have similar demand for rail as other saw/board mills.

It's all going by truck-- no rail potential. That isn't to say there will never be any, but I know who these guys are and no plan to ship by rail. They like having access to old mill infrastructure however

Speaking of new customers, how much rail business is ND Paper doing up in Old Town?

Long term likely will depend on how much the technology is accepted here in the US. As I understand it, it's still bigger in Europe and people are just getting into it here. If things progress, then they may have a need for more inbound lumber volume, and outbound timber loads. I would agree, for a burgeoning business, hard to see rail to start.

Whatever is going through Winthrop tonight must have a K5LA on it ... It sounded so much like the Downeaster that I actually thought it was the real thing and started wondering for a moment which train it was. Then of course I recalled that this was impossible ...

Some CSX engines have K5LA horns. Do they ever get up that far north?

Yes, they have to go through Winthrop to get to Waterville. (By "CSX engines" I assume you mean the ex-CSX engines now owned by PAR)

No, actually I meant CSX engines that CSX owns, but the ones you mention certainly could be candidates for a K5LA, I imagine.

Absolutely. Several of PAR's ex-CSX C40s and B40s have K5LA horns. That's almost certainly what gokeefe heard.

Several of the GP40s have acquired K5LAs too, 321, 327, 345 and 353 off the top of my head.

Is Pan Am running between Old town and Keag these days? I thought I heard something about the line being shut down while they make 286K upgrades?

It's mothballed and afaik none of the work that was reportedly to be done had been done.

Wow. Interesting how quickly things have been shifting around ...

For the record, they aren't even running the occasional extra up to Perma Treat this time. They have GMTX 205 sub-leased from EMRY and taxi a crew (NM-1?) up to switch. They send everything up CMQ and Irving drops the spent tie cars and chocolate chip gons at Keag.

They did run down and back up once I believe as 205 made an appearance at NMJ. Might have had to do with CM&Q not accepting some of the beat to hell ex-D&H 2 bay MofW hoppers. Or maybe they needed to 92 day the 205, not sure if it went to Waterville or not...

All may be a moot point: if CM&Q is sold and Irving is the buyer it's hard to believe daily trains will ever run to 'Keag by way of Old Town again.