St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR/SLQ)

[Fritz]

Casey,
Not sure why they were running so late ... 394 didn't leave Richmond until around 1830 and didn't get to Island Pond until after 2230 ...
Best,
Fritz

[NHV 669]

Sounds like Silver Splendor will be headed west on 393 tonight.

[Fritz]

Hello,
Today's SLQ westbound 393 also left Island Pond relatively late at 0916 with the following:

RM-1 803
GP40-3 3803
Gp40-3 3806
QG GP40-2W 3014
6 centerbeam flats
3 covered hoppers
4 cement hoppers
3 boxcars
7 hi-cube boxcars
10 tank cars
16 propane cars

That's 49 cars total, including 1 load and 48 empties.

Of interest were two SLR black boxcars (144 and 156) that are still lettered SLR. I think both were empties.

I have heard that Richmond yard is chock full of cars and that may be why trains are running late.
Have a great day,
Fritz

[Fritz]

Hello,
Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0920 with the following:

GP40 3004
GP40-2 3007
GP40-3 3804
RM-1 804
2 flat cars
1 bulkhead flat
12 centerbeam flats
19 hi-cube boxcars
11 boxcars
2 covered hoppers
6 tank cars
20 propane cars

That's 73 cars total, including 20 loads and 53 empties. Lots of paper today.
Have a great (snowy) day,
Fritz

[Fritz]

Hello,
SLR/SLQ ran extra trains last night ... this morning's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0842 with the following:

RM-1 803
GP40-3 3803
QG GP40-2W 3014
GP40-3 3806
4 centerbeam flats
7 hi-cube boxcars
3 boxcars
6 tank cars
27 propane cars

That's 47 cars total, all empties. Hopefully, they'll run another 393/394 tonight, but it will be cold out there!
Best,
Fritz

[CN9634]

Hello,
SLR/SLQ ran extra trains last night ... this morning's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0842 with the following:

RM-1 803
GP40-3 3803
QG GP40-2W 3014
GP40-3 3806
4 centerbeam flats
7 hi-cube boxcars
3 boxcars
6 tank cars
27 propane cars

That's 47 cars total, all empties. Hopefully, they'll run another 393/394 tonight, but it will be cold out there!
Best,
Fritz

Thanks Fritz...! How certain are you the hicubes were empty? Prime candidates for outbound paper loads off ST served mills, that would be unusual unless they were in dedicated inbound pulp service (usually those are vented C plate cars though)

[gokeefe]

I was mildly surprised at the report of all empties as well.

[NHV 669]

Trains did run last night/this morning, perhaps Wed nights/Thursday mornings are a regular thing now.

[Fritz]

Hello,
A few responses to earlier posts, but, first, today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond around 0740 with the following:

GP40-3 3804 (now dubbed the "Howler" because it is so loud)
RM-1 804
GP40-2 3007
5 boxcars
18 hi-cube boxcars
6 cement hoppers
2 tank cars
13 propane cars

That's 44 cars, including 13 loads and 21 empties.

Pretty sure yesterday's boxes (regular and hi-cube) were all empties due to springs not being compressed and reporting marks (some CN family and some not). Today's boxes included 12 loaded hi-cubes and 1 loaded box, all but the last interchanged from ST (23 cars total from ST in today's train). Loaded boxes have compressed springs and are a mix of "paper" roads and FBOXs.

Yard in Richmond is slowly clearing out, so may not need a Wednesday extra next week, but I hope they do!
Keep warm,
Fritz

[thebigham]

^Thanks, Fritz!

[S1f3432]

SLR apparently had a problem at Lewiston Jct. today. When I went by about 1615 one of the GP40's and a string
of cars were on the west leg of the wye with the engine sitting on the mainline switch and a large highway crane
set up straddling the main track adjacent to the locomotive. Everything was upright.

[NHV 669]

No trains either direction tonight.

[Fritz]

Hello,
I was interested in CN9634's comment about "vented C plate cars" ... what are vented boxcars? I did a search online and it seems that these are often used in wood pulp service. I wonder if the CN 412000-415000 and NS 458000 and SOU 500000 series boxcars are vented boxcars, as these cars often come east loaded and return west unloaded. I would guess these are loads of wood pulp. A few of the CN ones have been going loaded westbound recently.

Are there vented Plate F boxcars (hi cubes)? A large number of these come east as loads as well (TBOX, DWC, CN, some NS, rare BNSF) ... I would guess these are bringing some kind of lumber product east.

There's also a bunch of hi cubes (FBOX, SRY, COER, TR, MSDR) and regular boxcars (MEC, SNC, LRS, occasional SLR) that move west loaded. I assume these are loads of paper from Maine.

Anyhow it is very interesting to follow the boxcar traffic and try to learn more about what's being moved where.
Best,
Fritz

[gokeefe]

There are MEC boxcars moving west on SLR?

That's quite surprising. I was under the impression that Pan Am kept their boxcar fleet in captive service on their system and used RBOX (or similar) for interchange service.

[Fritz]

gokeefe,
We don't see a huge number of Pan Am system boxcars moving west through Island Pond, but they are not rare either ... a mix of Pan Am blue, Guilford gray, and older Pine Tree Route boxes in the 20000 and 32000 series ... always loaded westbound. RBOXs are rare but SNC, LRS, and WRWK are more common.
Best,
Fritz