Official Maine Eastern Thread

[gokeefe]

I agree with you MEC but I can't help but wonder if there are sour grapes underlying the statements.

Same impression here. He emphasized the negative instead of accentuating the positive as others did. What does it matter if they have less walking traffic downtown when there is the potential for more overnight visitors anyways? The focus should have been on how businesses are adapting to the changed schedule and their new emphasis on drawing overnight visitors via the MERR.

[therudycometh]

Well, as always guys, thanks for the support! We have had a lot of positive responses from Rockland businesses, particularly the hotel/B&B and restaurant owners that are seeing more of our traffic than ever before. What reporters choose to publish is beyond my control, but suffice it to say that we have not received the types of complaints from local businesses that Mr. Page purports to be hearing.

[therudycometh]

The Maine Eastern Railroad's 2015 excursion schedule has been announced! http://www.maineeasternrailroad.com/2015schedule" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kilroy]

The 2015 schedule only has 26 operating days (including "Labsta"fest. That's not a lot. I know that mid week doesn't generate enough passenger counts but no July service (OK, three days)? I know August is the big month but I thought July would have enough customers to warrant running but I guess you guys have crunched the numbers and the numbers don't lie.

[gokeefe]

The 2015 schedule only has 26 operating days (including "Labsta"fest. That's not a lot. I know that mid week doesn't generate enough passenger counts but no July service (OK, three days)? I know August is the big month but I thought July would have enough customers to warrant running but I guess you guys have crunched the numbers and the numbers don't lie.

The only possible mistake I can see in that calculation is underestimating the potential effect that lower gas prices will have on seasonal tourists coming to Maine this summer.

Otherwise as you say, it's very likely "data driven". Keep in mind that when charter demand justifies it Maine Eastern will run on practically any day that the charter companies desire (or so it seems to me.....feel free to confirm that one Rudy).

[therudycometh]

The 2015 schedule only has 26 operating days (including "Labsta"fest. That's not a lot. I know that mid week doesn't generate enough passenger counts but no July service (OK, three days)? I know August is the big month but I thought July would have enough customers to warrant running but I guess you guys have crunched the numbers and the numbers don't lie.

Actually, it's only 20 days.... Only two in July. (Check http://www.maineeasternrailroad.com/schedule" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.) Yes, the schedule this year is very much data-based.

Keep in mind that when charter demand justifies it Maine Eastern will run on practically any day that the charter companies desire (or so it seems to me.....feel free to confirm that one Rudy).

Yes, I believe we have 16 charters already confirmed for various weekdays between June and October, which are not listed on our public schedule.

[kilroy]

Yes, I believe we have 16 charters already confirmed for various weekdays between June and October, which are not listed on our public schedule.

But us railfans want to know so we can take pictures!!

[therudycometh]

Yes, I believe we have 16 charters already confirmed for various weekdays between June and October, which are not listed on our public schedule.

But us railfans want to know so we can take pictures!!

Well, us Rudys want to know too. I'll find out next week!

[Watchman318]

I saw an announcement for a big charter event in October that's going to include a special trip on the WW&F. I don't recall the exact date, but I think it was around the 21st, which is a Wednesday. It might actually be over the course of several days because they had so much planned. (Some outfit from VT or NH.) The only thing was, their brochure mentioned a "Maine Coast Ry."
Cue the J. Geils Band: "I musta got lost, somewhere down the line."

[Watchman318]

Maybe everyone except me has seen this, but I ran across the link on another forum this morning. It's the ASLRRA's 2014 holiday greetings video, with a nice shot of MERR 489 in the snow. (Also has M&E 18 in it.)

I forgot to wish y'all a safe and happy 2015, so here it is: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pd4f5b8H74>

[njmidland]

I saw an announcement for a big charter event in October that's going to include a special trip on the WW&F.

Unless the WW&F has a time machine or is doing a lot of trackwork this year, that is going to be a heck of a walk to make the M&E/WW&F transfer!

[Watchman318]

Especially since M&E is in NJ.

But yeah, now it's about a five-mile trip up Rt. 218 to get from where the Rockland Branch and the narrow gauge used to cross, to where the "little guys" are now. I think the WW&F has purchased some of the old r-o-w and have laid/are laying track, but not much south of Cross Rd. On Street View, it looked like there's a signal case on the south side of Cross Rd., so they might be hoping to get back toward Wiscasset some day. That would be cool.

It's good to see Maine Eastern lining up all those charters, too.

[BerndinMA]

Ok a post just to ask. How has this winter been treating the ME? How has the PAR meltdown been treating the ME. Par seems not to be able to move a train these days. Has the ME been getting anything to run a train for, if not is the only thing thats been running a plow trains?

[Watchman318]

I don't know about steel (BIW Hardings) or perlite (Chemrock/Dicaperl), but Dragon Cement has been on winter shutdown since early January. They were supposed to start back up March 1st, but that's been delayed for at least another week.

M420 3573 went through Waldoboro at around 16:15 on the 19th, but I'm not sure of which direction it was going or what it might have been hauling.

Some grade crossings will probably need to be busted out where the street plows left mounds over the track. There might also be some places where snowmobiles have packed snow into the gauge. I don't know if that would need to be dug out before they can resume service. Maybe if it's not frozen solid, it wouldn't be a hazard.

[MEC407]

From the Portland Press Herald:

The Dicalite plant in Thomaston, for example, hasn’t had deliveries of perlite, a glassy volcanic rock it uses to manufacture industrial filter aids, since the Jan. 27 blizzard. The company has been using trucks to ship the mineral, which is mined in New Mexico.

Harmony Llanto, general manager of the Maine Eastern Railroad, which runs freight to the plant on a 56-mile line between Brunswick and Rockland, said the tracks are clear but there’s too much snow on sidetracks at the interchange in Brunswick, where rail cars are passed back and forth between trains operated by Pan Am Railways.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.pressherald.com/2015/02/28/f ... el-trains/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;