Rockland Branch Discussion

Safetee wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 8:25 am Well some of the good news is that ASA is a supplier to BIW.

A car or two a week, if it's even that often, is hardly good news for the branch, let alone sustainable for the whole operation.

The cement operation over the past 50 years has had a myriad of owners, shut downs etc and always seems to bounce back. And if Maine is thinking positively it might make some sense for considering weekday commuter trains from Brunswick to Damariscotta.

If Dragon doesn't see it as economically viable, who would? FGLK doesn't have access to use the Brunswick platforms, that would still have to be worked out.

MaineDOT doesn’t seem like the same one that would jump on any and all rail-supporting opportunities like they used to be in the 2010s. Besides getting permission for the Brunswick platforms, I think it’s entirely on Finger Lakes to figure out how to rebound from this hit (I’m an optimist so I think they’ll be fine in the end, but I pity the management that now have to go explore new opportunities).

Another side-hit is that any plans Finger Lakes had for putting a cement receiving facility in East Deering (they were part of the Berlin Subdivision RUAC and explored this concept) is entirely moot.

A general rule in short line marketing is just because it's here today doesn't mean it will be here tomorrow. consequently, the savyy shortline is always on the prowl for new opportunities. while i'm not a huge csx fan, i have to believe that having csx for a connection that will pick up and deliver on a dependable basis gives FL a much better chance to pursue new traffic than was possible for their RB predecessors.

It's most likely a done operation. I'm wondering if CSX will keep service alive as a common carrier for ASA, whereas Perlite will likely be SOL.

Safetee wrote:while i'm not a huge csx fan, i have to believe that having csx for a connection that will pick up and deliver on a dependable basis gives FL a much better chance to pursue new traffic than was possible for their RB predecessors.

Combine that with the funding given to increase track speeds across the entire Pan Am System and the prospects aren’t quite as grim as they could be. Still not stellar but their interchange partner isn’t quite as bad as they were beforehand.

The benefit now is that some of the better marketing folks from Pan Am now work for CSX in Shortline Development. With the recent changes in Operations at CSX I am told these guys actually get to talk on the conference calls and provide solutions. I think this likely has gone a long way to ensure the Rockland Branch has still received "fair" interchange service even with how crew strapped CSX is on the -ex PAR system.

That is a good question whether the state would ask CSX if they were interested in serving what is left on the Rockland Branch. The break even would be less than having to support an entire railroad there, but still, I can't see them doing it for a couple cars /week.

18 cement loads west this morning.

L077 just arrived at Brunswick with 9 empty hoppers and a flatcar for the interchange with Midcoast

Update: Midcoast left Brunwick about 1435

Interesting that the last ASA car had a spacer, but not this one.

Have the passenger RDC's pull the occasional freight car, lol. What would be the situation if Maine Eastern hadn't been given the boot for apparently political reasons? Probably the same.

In Glens Falls NY, a "small" cement factory is also being closed by Heidelberg Materials North America / Lehigh Cement. They feel they can supply their "New England market" from their new "energy efficient" plant in Indiana.

18 cement loads and one empty perlite car west today.

They returned back east yesterday with 2 steel loads and 23 empty hoppers.

Yesterday's WB run into Brunswick was 17 cement loads and two empty steel flats. The EB return was a light power move.

10 cars west today.

Slurry tank spacer and nine steel loads east today.