Milford-Bennington Railroad (MBRX) Discussion

[Dick H]

M&B had a tangle with a tractor-trailer in Milford yesterday.
This is on PAR trackage.
http://www.wmur.com/news/21395453/detail.html#

Dick

[ALCOS4EVER]

This is another case of a STUPID truck driver. That is the only way to phrase it. I know that intersection very well. It is clearly marked with flashing lights and signs including "Do No Stop On Tracks". The train travels through there four times per day in construction season and it only goes about ten miles per hour. The driver is from a local towing and recovery company about a mile up the road so he knows the area very well also. I hope the trainman in the caboose wasn't hurt. I couldn't tell from the photos how badly the caboose was damaged. Hopefully it can be put back into service. Ironically about ten years ago their former caboose was destroyed when a truck driver drove a trailer dump truck in front of the train about one half mile from this site. The trainman received minor injuries in that accident.

[Dick H]

More Details. Looks like the M&B is out of business for a while.
They usually shut down during the winter months, so they may
not be running again until Spring. Since the mishap happened
on PAR trackage, they will be a party to the investigation. Does
anyone know if PAR equipment and personnel were involved in
the cleanup and where the caboose is now?

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx ... 82dcdcdc77

Dick

[Dick H]

Last fall, the Milford and Bennington train hit a truck
in Milford, seriously damaging it's "rider caboose". The
railroad never operated again before winter set in.

The caboose was trucked to the Hobo Railroad shop in'
Lincoln and repaired. I do not know if is has ever been
returned to the M&B at Wilton.

At any rate, this spring PAR refused to allow the M&B to
operate between Wilton and Milford, where they have run
since 1992. PAR claimed that they were not allowed to bid
for the operation on the state owned track west of Wilton.
So, AFAIK, the M&B has not turned a wheel this year.

Anyone have any recent updates? Thanks..

[citystation1848]

Milford-Bennington is still around, but right now with Pan Am not allowing trackage rights, it's a train to nowhere. Rumors I've heard sound ligit as to why Pan Am didn't allow MBRX rights this year, but when I asked Peter he declined to expand on why he was shut down.

Don't expect to see 901 running this year - and watch out for all the trucks heading through Wilton now. I bet Granite State Concrete isn't too happy.

Matt

[citystation1848]

So, the Nashua Telegraph had an article today regarding the shutdown in 2010.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/906 ... racks.html

Rail owner banned from using tracks
by Andrew Wolfe
Staff Writer

CONCORD – Pan Am Railways has banned Milford-Bennington Railroad owner Rep. Peter Leishman from driving his trains on their tracks for life, following a collision that police found was not his fault.

Pan Am officials conducted their own investigation, however, and concluded that Leishman had violated safety regulations by failing to get down off his train and flag traffic.

...

Leishman and Pan Am President David Fink have been fighting over rights to the rails since the late 1980s, when Leishman took over the line abandoned by Pan Am’s predecessor, Guilford Transportation.

Now, I'm not familiar with the NORAC rules, but why would they need to flag a crossing that has crossing signals? Last I knew, that crossing was NOT considered exempt and there's no lack of crossing lights (as you can see in some of the photos in the article).

What is it with Pan Am and New Hampshire shortlines? NEGS and MBRX have not faired so well this past year.

Matt

[citystation1848]

Surprise, Pan Am and Milford-Bennington are in court.... again.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/906 ... racks.html

Rail owner banned from using tracks
by Andrew Wolfe
Staff Writer

CONCORD – Pan Am Railways has banned Milford-Bennington Railroad owner Rep. Peter Leishman from driving his trains on their tracks for life, following a collision that police found was not his fault.

Pan Am officials conducted their own investigation, however, and concluded that Leishman had violated safety regulations by failing to get down off his train and flag traffic.

...

Leishman and Pan Am President David Fink have been fighting over rights to the rails since the late 1980s, when Leishman took over the line abandoned by Pan Am’s predecessor, Guilford Transportation.

RR.net Milford-Bennington Railroad discussion

[FatNoah]

What is it with Pan Am and New Hampshire shortlines? NEGS and MBRX have not faired so well this past year.

It basically looks like PAR wants to start running the tracks again for whatever reason.

[Tim Mullins]

They just a soon dry up the business as they have done on most of the line from the Mass. boarder on up..Then they will go to the state and say there is no customers left like they did with the Northern from Boscaween on up.( which turned out to be false). Then from there they will seek to sell the main line to the state or file for abandonment. In the case of the Northern, the state gave Guilford the ok to take up the rail with out investigating..That rail now sits between Chelmsford and the willows and in Dover,NH yard. With little and loosing business and poor track conditions,they don't
want to have to go all the way up there to service peter...Thats why we tried to set up a meeting with the State, but
no body seems to want to listen...Just to busy!

[elbow]

I read it in the paper today. Seems like a very personal attack and quite ridiculous since both the police and the railroad police came to the same findings that it was the truck drivers fault. Sounds like a business grudge turned into a personal grudge.

[BigLou80]

I read it in the paper today. Seems like a very personal attack and quite ridiculous since both the police and the railroad police came to the same findings that it was the truck drivers fault. Sounds like a business grudge turned into a personal grudge.

Beauty of being a private business in a free country. I you don't want to do something for some one you don't have to. Its hard to argue one business man is discriminating against another.

[Safetee]

actually the state did have the northern inspected prior to take up. I know this because i did the inspection for them myslef on foot to the vermont border with numerous pictures and a complete report on the mostly very fine 112 RE rail and related components.

[artman]

I read it in the paper today. Seems like a very personal attack and quite ridiculous since both the police and the railroad police came to the same findings that it was the truck drivers fault. Sounds like a business grudge turned into a personal grudge.

Beauty of being a private business in a free country. I you don't want to do something for some one you don't have to. Its hard to argue one business man is discriminating against another.

If you are a federally regulated industry, it's not as hard as you claim.

My God, I hate PanAm. Has anyone ever (ever!?!) heard anything positive about them? Have they ever done more than their share? Have they ever supported a public cause or charity? Have they ever been called a good corporate citizen? Have they ever paid all the taxes they owe on time? Has a year gone by when they haven't been sued to pay what they owe?

[Tim Mullins]

NO...NO...NO...NO...NO! Did I miss any?

[artman]

NO...NO...NO...NO...NO! Did I miss any?

Tim 'Mullins' - Tim 'Mellon'

hmmmm