But Nine Dragons put all the mill switching contracts out for bid across the US. Watco won the bids, they are also taking over switching operations at NDP's facility in Wisconsin with the newly established Wisconsin Rapids Railroad. They just received a former UP GP15 to switch that mill. Pan Am could have kept control of the contracts through a monopoly on yard space. Whoever controls the yard controls the switching operations at the Rumford facility, just because without the yard the mill is logistically impossible to switch. Same can be said of Old Town. Pan Am gave up that power when they sold the yard in Rumford to the mill. They are also reinstalling the 1 1/2 track in Old Town which will allow the mill and yard there to be isolated from the main line, allowing Watco to switch that facility.
I have no idea what the operational entity in Maine will be called or what the motive power situation will look like. No WATCO/lease power has showed up to date, so it seems likely ST power will remain at Rumford for a bit. However, part of a discussion on WRR on Loconotes indicated that a handful of GP15's had been procured, so it is possible we will see some black and yellow engines show up in time.
I have no idea what the operational entity in Maine will be called or what the motive power situation will look like. No WATCO/lease power has showed up to date, so it seems likely ST power will remain at Rumford for a bit. However, part of a discussion on WRR on Loconotes indicated that a handful of GP15's had been procured, so it is possible we will see some black and yellow engines show up in time.
