New welded rail on the Portland Secondary

[obsessed railfan]

I don't know if anyone is keeping up with the maintenance NS is doing, but there is new rail for the Portland Secondary around Brainards, MP 8, and possibly a few other locations. Don't know when they will install it though.

[aem7]

How does the coal get up to the the Martins Creek power plant and up to the power plant in Portland. Does it come out of Allentown or Scranton?
Anyone know the routings? Thanks.

[metman499]

It comes out of Allentown a few times a week. They only ran it through Scranton a few times a few years back due to flooding on the regular routing.

[rushhour]

The trains start out of A-town and gors up the Lehigh Line towards Easton. At Easton the train will run on the former L&HR till it gets to the delaware river bridge at "Alpha Cement"(Martins creek). From martins creek it goes up the Portland Secondary up past Bangor through Mt Bethel and into Portland at "Jake" and "Port". I guess the coal trains run as needed becuase I hear that they come into the power plant at different hours. Hope this helps

Take care

[aem7]

Thanks for the information. It must take several days to get that much coal up to Portland from Allentown via the route you posted. BTW, I recently heard that one of those two power plants (or maybe both) will convert to natural gas operation. Can anyone confirm?

[obsessed railfan]

Yeah, the PP&L Martins Creek Plant is converting to naturaln gas in 2-3 years. They currently get about one or two trains a week. I'm not sure if Portland Plant is converting to gas though.

[rushhour]

Thanks for the information. It must take several days to get that much coal up to Portland from Allentown via the route you posted. BTW, I recently heard that one of those two power plants (or maybe both) will convert to natural gas operation. Can anyone confirm?

Nope takes a good few hours. If you'd like, I could make you a map???

Let me know

[aem7]

I think I have the routing down.
1. From Easton/Phillipsburg NS goes up the east shore of the Delaware River.
2. When they get to the Martins Creek power plant area, they re-cross the
Delaware River and proceed westward towards Rt 611 and then turn northward towards Bangor
3. At Bangor, they go north-east towards Portland.

BTW
How long are the coal trains?
Is there a switch around Rt 611 where NS services the grain plant located south of Martins Creek along Rt 611? I don't see any other access to that plant except one from Martins Creek.
Thanks for your help.

[obsessed railfan]

You are correct in the routing. Loaded Portland coal trins are symbol 508 and empties are 509 . Generally anywhere from 80-130 cars. NS accesses ConAgra from a spur off Martins Creek Yard. They service ConAgra almost daily, averaging about 80 covered hoppers and a few boxcars a week.