Rockland Branch Discussion

[Ridgefielder]

Parlor Car "Alexander Hamilton".

Which was, indeed, built for the Congressional! Cool.

Have to say I think this seasonal service is a great idea. And I speak both as someone who is (naturally) pro-rail and as someone who has sat in traffic for way too much of a beautiful summer day trying to get through *@$*@$!-ing Wiscasset.

[Rockingham Racer]

Slightly off topic, but the good folks in Wiscasset are suing MDOT to stop the latter's plan to widen US 1 through town.

[Dick H]

Still off topic on Wiscasset, I have always wondered why they have never put in
a push button "walk/wait" light at the top of the hill where all the tourists
cross Rt.1. If they had that, there would be groups crossing at the same time,
rather than every car having to stop for one or ten, etc, people crossing at will.
Of course, they would probably need a uniformed police person to enforce the
wait light.

[690]

Because it would make the already miserable traffic even worse. The traffic light for 27 is already bad enough, don't need to add more things to stop for.

[drcrf93]

CMQ 2006 is currently sitting on the interchange in Brunswick with four weeks worth of cars waiting to go east. PAR delivered it last Friday 12/1 per a friend.

[MEC407]

...don't need to add more things to stop for.

State law says you must stop for pedestrians. The pedestrians are already there; crosswalks and flashers don't add new/additional pedestrians. A set of crossing flashers would simply make it safer and would help grab the attention of drivers who are either distracted or who don't feel like the law applies to them.

[KSmitty]

As we veer off topic, the light for 27/1 all depends on perspective. If you're trying to get off of 27, especially with truck & trailer, that light was WAY overdue.

[fogg1703]

CMQ 2006 is currently sitting on the interchange in Brunswick with four weeks worth of cars waiting to go east. PAR delivered it last Friday 12/1 per a friend.

Did something happen to let four weeks worth of cars build up at Rigby?

[sleepingtree]

fyi: 2001 and 2002 are at the Brunswick interchange and appear to be waiting for a PanAm pickup.

[690]

Going back to the main CMQ system, to be used out of NMJ.

[Dcl1332]

Interest. So will 2003 or 2004 be heading to the Rockland Branch to help 2006, or will it just be 2006.

[690]

It will just be the 2006 for right now.

[gokeefe]

For those who haven't seen it yet here is a fantastic video done by TrainRiders Northeast very own Bill Lord for our 2017 Annual Meeting: https://youtu.be/dj8x38Xg5qQ

We are extremely grateful to Bill for all of his hard work on this production.

[troffey]

I’m spending the weekend along the Rockland Branch. I can see that a train has been through since the last snow plow berms were made along the roads, but can anyone offer any information on how much the branch is used these days? Or if I have any chance of seeing a train over the next couple days?

[KSmitty]

In the winter it's a lightly used branch, because Dragon isn't doing much.

They operate weekdays only, and I believe are only making the trip to Brunswick and back once a week.

So unfortunately, I'd say you have about a 0% chance of seeing something moving. In Rockland yard there may be some cement cars, but the engines will be inside the house.