Madison Branch News

[bwparker1]

personally, I'll believe this when I see it. WHen has Guilford ever pured there own money into Track??!!


Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 20:25:47 -0400
From: "Brandon Kulik" <kulik@g........>
Subject: Madison Branch news


A story that ran in the Waterville Sentinel on Monday reported that
Guilford plans to restore the tracks on the Madison Branch northward to
serve a quarry pit in Solon (this line was abandoned between Madison and
Bingham in 1978, and once extended all the way to Rockwood, on the
western side of Moosehead Lake). According to the article, the quarry could
theoretically employ up to 100 people within a few years.

For those of you not familiar with it, the Madison branch leaves the
district 1 Back Road at Oakland and terminates at the Madison Paper
Industries mill in Madison, currently served by a local freight. The
inactive roadbed beyond Madison to the proposed quarry is largely intact, and
includes three nice looking through truss-bridges, and passes through
nice northern-Maine river valley scenery.

[MEC407]

WHen has Guilford ever pured there own money into Track??!!

Probably what will happen is that the quarry company will pay for some of it, and the state will pay for some of it. Guilford may not have to spend a cent on it.

[bwparker1]

This must be a massive quarry. Down here in PA, there is a fair amount of aggregate shipped by rail, mostly limestone for lime and other stone for asphalt, but it is usually travelling within PA. The weight of the stone is the biggest factor which makes rail movements efficient versus a truck. Why I am suprised is that stone movements usually generates little income and they are also seasonal, and I would be shocked to see anyone!!!! put in the money to rehab a line that far just for one quarry as a customer. All of the grade crossings have been removed. Most stone movements travel within state or to a neighboring state, and that is why you would think they would use trucks. I'm not trying to sound like I am against the project, I think it is great. However, if funds come from the State of ME or the Fed's, and you assume there is a limited amount of money for track upgrades/rehabilitation, I would rather see the money go elsewhere in the state, for instance purchasing the Lower Road from Royal Junction in Falmouth to Brunswick or adding double track to the B&M Downeaster route. Look at the failed Lewiston lower road project, the state dumped how much money into that line from Brunswick to Pejepscot Falls and not yet has one revenue wheel turned. It sad really, I commend the state of Maine for being so forward thinking when it comes to investment in rail, I just think they have had lousy luck wiht the major railroad in the state, Guilford, but you could argue the counter point that the state should know better by now.... My 2 cents

Brooks

[bwparker1]

Embden officials may override vote on railroad plans

By LARRY GRARD
Staff Writer

Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

EMBDEN -- Despite a new state law that gives town government equal authority in accepting Pine Tree Development Zones, it will be left to Embden residents to reconsider their earlier rejection of one such plan in a June 21 special town meeting.

The state legislature voted last month that a majority vote of either a town's municipal officer or its legislative body -- in Embden's case the town meeting -- can authorize Pine Tree Zones. Such a designation gives companies tax incentives for new or expanding operations.

A successful Pine Tree Zone application would enable Guilford Transportation Industries to rebuild its rail line and then build a quarrying operation on land the company owns. Guilford would haul out the rock on the rebuilt line.

Neighboring Anson has dedicated its PTZ application to extension of the railroad track from Madison to North Anson, and the Embden piece would represent another extension.

In turn, Guilford is in the process of transforming its Embden land into a quarry to provide stone for use on the railroad. The quarry could employ up to 20 people next year, and as many as 100 within 10 years, at full production.

Embden residents, some concerned about a small amount of back taxes owed by Guilford and others with environmental worries, rejected the PTZ application during the annual March town meeting.

Soon afterward, town officials contemplated calling a special town meeting to reconsider the PTZ application. Guilford officials and Jim V. Batey, director of the Somerset Economic Development Corporation, would advocate for the plan.

Raymond A. Young, chairman of the Embden Board of Selectmen, announced the June 21 special town meeting last month. And while the board could now trump any vote of the townspeople, the meeting is still on.

The board met Monday night to formalize its plans for the June 21 agenda, which includes other matters.

"We're going to listen to the people, certainly, and get their consensus, to try to find out if there is any really serious opposition," Young said. "Right now I'm saying I'm in favor of (the Pine Tree Zone) and if the board feels the same way we'll do it unless there is extreme opposition."

Prior to the special town meeting, Batey will disseminate information on the quarry plan from Guilford executive David Fink.

Young said it might not be wise for selectmen to override the vote of the people on June 21.

"But given a good presentation I think it will fly," he said.

There is adamant opposition, however, from the owner of a local campground.

Young also revealed that an eagle is nesting on a nearby Kennebec River island, a factor that could post another obstacle to a mining plan.

Logging at Guilford's 125-acre parcel began last winter. The company sold the pulpwood to Madison Paper Industries, and shipped the saw logs by rail to its sawmill in Mattawamkeag.

Jack Frost, a local logger, has harvested and cleared a 10-acre section for the quarry. Testing of the site will occur this summer, and the production of some railroad ballast with a portable crusher is expected.

Basalt mined at the quarry could be used to build railroad beds.

"A small-scale mining project could begin this year to test the quality of the rock, and how easily it can be quarried," Batey said.

Also on the special town meeting agenda, voters will consider shoreland zoning issues and the proposed sale of taxable property.

[trainsinmaine]

I live about eight miles from the proposed quarry site. There will be a number of unhappy people if this project is instituted, but I would strongly advocate for it --- it will bring some badly needed jobs to a region that suffers a chronically high unemployment rate. The aforementioned campground owner has some legitimate cause for concern (it's a large and very nice campground, directly across the river from the site), but realistically it's a wait-and-see situation. The amount of noise that will be generated by the quarry operation is speculative at this point, and the campground, obviously, is not open all year. As for the eagles, I doubt they'll be significantly disturbed; their nesting area is across the highway, along the riverbank. They're not new to the area; they've been around for years, doubtless long before the rail line was abandoned in '78.