BostonUrbEx wrote:What is the boxcar even for, anyway?The boxcar is being used as a spacer for saftey purposes. As far as I know, all crude oil trains and ethanol trains need them and generally all hazardous or explosive cars are kept away from the locomotives on any other train as much as possible. It came from the Bakken oil field, what state or town it originated from I don't know, but it was also loaded with crude.
Also, where did this train originate? And as a 'test extra' I assume it was empty and could be a sign of many, many more to come?
Railroad Forums
Oil Trains (RJMA / MARJ, OI-x, etc)
- Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Moderator: MEC407
Video of the oil train crossing the Androscoggin River from Auburn to Lewiston: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf_Tsfjj7DM
MEC407
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
Any idea when the locomotives will be heading back down through?
Check out my blog about railfanning in Central Maine: http://centralmainetrain.blogspot.com/
JB283 wrote:Whats the chances of those units going all the way to NB over PAR?What if they used only units with steerable axles? Could those go all the way?
A wise guy. Well i dont know. What if they put in all wheel drive? Could they go then?
JB283 wrote:A wise guy. Well i dont know. What if they put in all wheel drive? Could they go then?I'm not sure what was so wise about that question. Seems like a valid question, since I've asked it and not gotten a real reply. Radial self steering trucks opened to six axles many of CSX's older branches that had previously been restricted to 4 axle units only. I'm not going to be able to come up with the name, but the whole division from West Virginia Central Jct to the Mt Storm Power plant in VA is 4 axle only, except for radial self steering equipped 6 packs...
Since the ban on 6 packs east of NMJ has been in place since "a long time ago" (I'm not really sure when it went in place, but its an older rule as far as PAR/GRS is concerned.) I wonder if it was created before radials were even an option? Would certainly be interesting to see if a second train comes in with radial trucked units if it would make it up to St John.
Arrived at Mattawamkeag around 13:10
Departed the Keag at 13:53
Power was
HLCX 6318
HLCX 8144
MEC 507
MEC 517
MEC 510
Departed the Keag at 13:53
Power was
HLCX 6318
HLCX 8144
MEC 507
MEC 517
MEC 510
I'd be a bit nervous if I were Pan Am running those heavy units on the light rail east of Bangor. Then again, I'd probably be nervous running them on the junk rail East of Waterville too. Does anyone know how far the foreign power went?
Went as far as Waterville. Stays there until the empties are returned...
D
D
@ KSmitty - Seemed like a wise crack to me, i dont know about all the techincal stuff in the locos.
I read somewhere (possably in this forum) that the unit train might get split into 2 or 3 segments. Did that happen, or did the whole train go at once?
I read somewhere (possably in this forum) that the unit train might get split into 2 or 3 segments. Did that happen, or did the whole train go at once?
JB283 wrote:@ KSmitty - Seemed like a wise crack to me, i dont know about all the techincal stuff in the locos.Its been reported elsewhere, the GRS yahoo group maybe, that 31 oil cars were behind a spacer right behind the locomotives on today's POSJ. This would be a portion of the train. The report further up the page says that another portion was into Keag, so I would assume the train was split.
I read somewhere (possably in this forum) that the unit train might get split into 2 or 3 segments. Did that happen, or did the whole train go at once?
I've read/heard that the power was to be used in Rigby-Waterville service until the empties returned. Though I havent seen or heard a southbound all day to confirm if they are being used. That would certainly make sense, since PAR units will most likely be used to St John it would leave PAR shorthanded and since they are going to have to pay HPH on them regardless of if they are sitting there or working why not use them?
@ JB283 - For some info on radial trucks, http://www.okthepk.ca/dataCprSiding/art ... trucks.htm the article focuses on EMD's version of the radial self steering truck the HTCR now in its second phase, but provides some pretty good info on the concept, how it works, etc...
PAR must be looking for this crude oil traffic.
The last thing they want to do is to put $10+ million
of foreign power in the ditch or worse, along with a
major oil spill. Caution is likely the watchword here.
If the MM&A folds their tent west of Brownsville Jct.,
unless the Irvings take that over, that leaves PAR as
the only alternative to the CN line through Emunston.
The NBSR and PAR could work out a deal for track
upgrading between Waterville and Mattawamkeag,
to handle the oil and increased other traffic.
The last thing they want to do is to put $10+ million
of foreign power in the ditch or worse, along with a
major oil spill. Caution is likely the watchword here.
If the MM&A folds their tent west of Brownsville Jct.,
unless the Irvings take that over, that leaves PAR as
the only alternative to the CN line through Emunston.
The NBSR and PAR could work out a deal for track
upgrading between Waterville and Mattawamkeag,
to handle the oil and increased other traffic.
I am absolutely astonished by this development, however, given PAR's recent drive for more traffic I am not surprised.
I witnessed the train traveling through Winthrop yesterday around 7:00 PM. I did not see the head end nor did I get a car count, but I most certainly did see whole bunch of almost brand new tank cars with "1267" placards.
MEC407 described this to me as a "truly historic train". I have to agree.
I witnessed the train traveling through Winthrop yesterday around 7:00 PM. I did not see the head end nor did I get a car count, but I most certainly did see whole bunch of almost brand new tank cars with "1267" placards.
MEC407 described this to me as a "truly historic train". I have to agree.
gokeefe
Speaking of new traffic, someone mentioned to me today that Pan AM and CSX are in discussions about re-instating a dedicated Intermodal service from Worcester to Waterville, similar to the old GRS/CR TV99 service. I'll try to confirm with my contacts up at Iron Horse Park.
roberttosh wrote:Speaking of new traffic, someone mentioned to me today that Pan AM and CSX are in discussions about re-instating a dedicated Intermodal service from Worcester to Waterville, similar to the old GRS/CR TV99 service. I'll try to confirm with my contacts up at Iron Horse Park.Makes sense to me. I think there may be a market for it. I have lost count of how many times I have been driving on I-295 and noticed northbound intermodal containers, some are CSX/UMAX and others are riding NS trailers (probably out of Ayer).
gokeefe