Lewiston Industrial Track/Lewiston Lower Rd/Branch status

gokeefe wrote:

bwparker1 wrote:Is that Blanket operation still in business?

Accoding to the article apparently yes.

The only conspiracy I'm even willing to consider is that MDOT may have some kind of plans for additional rail service in that area at some point in the future.

Of course to be fair to MDOT that's not a conspiracy that's just public policy making.

That article was written in 2002.

bwparker1 wrote:

gokeefe wrote:

bwparker1 wrote:Is that Blanket operation still in business?

Accoding to the article apparently yes.

The only conspiracy I'm even willing to consider is that MDOT may have some kind of plans for additional rail service in that area at some point in the future.

Of course to be fair to MDOT that's not a conspiracy that's just public policy making.

That article was written in 2002.

Shame on me for not checking the date.

They appear to be still in business but they do not appear to have a retail operation. Strictly wholesale.

Shame on me for not checking the date.

They appear to be still in business but they do not appear to have a retail operation. Strictly wholesale.

Are the just doing the seams on these blankets, and importing the fabric? I can't believe someone is still actually making something in Maine!

bwparker1 wrote:

Shame on me for not checking the date.

They appear to be still in business but they do not appear to have a retail operation. Strictly wholesale.

Are the just doing the seams on these blankets, and importing the fabric? I can't believe someone is still actually making something in Maine!

L.L. Bean actually moved their boot production back from Arkansas several years ago to Brunswick, ME. They were not satisfied with the quality that was coming from their operations down there.

New Balance of course still makes some enormous percentage of their entire production in Skowhegan, ME.

There are plenty of other smaller craft operations, like Jack Traps in Monmouth, ME. But the fact of the matter is that is exactly how L.L. started his business in the first place.

What we don't have a lot of anymore is gobs and gobs of low skill high wage industrial labor positions. But for the most part that doesn't really exist anywhere else either, unless of course you're in China and then those jobs certainly can't be described as "high wage".

The postwar era of prosperity in Maine was a historical anomaly (in its size and scale). Our task and problem is to replicate our great-great-grandparents success in the 19th century when they essentially forced blood out of rocks to make a living in Maine.

Is this a possible explanation for the observed activity in Lisbon Falls?

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/planning-docu ... orward.pdf

"$2 Million – State-Owned Track Capital Improvements...This funding will also enable further capital improvements to the state-owned Lewiston Lower
Road and further extend freight service to the Lisbon Industrial Park."

Cowford wrote:Is this a possible explanation for the observed activity in Lisbon Falls?

Well, it is slightly more plausible than the alien/area 51 theory, I guess...

;^)

Cowford wrote:Is this a possible explanation for the observed activity in Lisbon Falls?

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/planning-docu ... orward.pdf

"$2 Million – State-Owned Track Capital Improvements...This funding will also enable further capital improvements to the state-owned Lewiston Lower
Road and further extend freight service to the Lisbon Industrial Park."

Thank you Cowford!

For whatever reason I never had heard about this part of last years (?) bond issue. I thought tie replacement was the only thing that was included.

I'm going to assume they've not secured any rail customers yet - another "build it and they will come" deal.

Cowford wrote:I'm going to assume they've not secured any rail customers yet - another "build it and they will come" deal.

That's how the State of Maine rolls Cow, at some point, they will come!

Cowford wrote:I'm going to assume they've not secured any rail customers yet - another "build it and they will come" deal.

I have to wonder if maybe there was someone that asked/requested rail service in this area. But then again, obviously this branch has the worst history of these types of projects that simply don't pan out.

G'OK, the place is called Longchamps Industrial Park, 15 Lisbon Road, Lisbon. (With an address like that, thank God it wasn't named Lisbon Industrial Park.) This is the first I've heard of this place - anyone have more info?

http://www.longchampsbusinesspark.com

It's right up the road from where I live. I must drive by this a dozen times a week and had never even noticed it.

Cowford wrote:G'OK, the place is called Longchamps Industrial Park, 15 Lisbon Road, Lisbon. (With an address like that, thank God it wasn't named Lisbon Industrial Park.) This is the first I've heard of this place - anyone have more info?

Wow!, That's more than halfway to Lewiston!

Are we sure its that far up the line? I didn't think the State of Maine owned anything beyond the bridge over the Sabbattus River. I was also under the impression that there was a bridge that was missing somewhere further up the line that had severed the connection to Lewiston (I thought it was the one over the Sabbattus River, but I guess that's there).

gokeefe wrote:

Cowford wrote:G'OK, the place is called Longchamps Industrial Park, 15 Lisbon Road, Lisbon. (With an address like that, thank God it wasn't named Lisbon Industrial Park.) This is the first I've heard of this place - anyone have more info?

Wow!, That's more than halfway to Lewiston!

Are we sure its that far up the line? I didn't think the State of Maine owned anything beyond the bridge over the Sabbattus River. I was also under the impression that there was a bridge that was missing somewhere further up the line that had severed the connection to Lewiston (I thought it was the one over the Sabbattus River, but I guess that's there).

I followed the google maps, and I too was surprised how far up the line it was towards Lewiston. It is certainly beyond that small industrial park with what appears to be a loading dock adjacent to a spur.

I wouldn't get too excited about the Longchamps business park idea - there is indeed a Lisbon Industrial Park, which is located across from the McDonald's in Lisbon Falls. This park includes a small, never-been-used rail loading dock and siding which was mentioned in a previous post. There are a number of tenants inside the park - a couple of which could be candidates for rail service. It also happens to be the end of state owned trackage and could use some improvement (especially expensive, I'd imagine, would be rebuilding the crossing at 196/125).

So via pure speculation, I'd suggest that if there is track improvement planned, it is only to the Lisbon Industrial Park, which is roughly a mile from the end of currently maintained tracks.