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  • System Map

  • 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.
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

 #1316293  by BostonUrbEx
 
Been around a couple years, I think. Was even made by one of our forum members -- fun fact.
 #1316328  by KSmitty
 
The thing I don't understand about that is the difference between overhead rights and haulage rights.

I do understand the differences between trackage, and haulage, but "overhead" is a new term to me and I've never gotten a clear answer on the difference.
 #1316361  by newpylong
 
I think the site database was restored to a previous version. A lot of posts are missing here.

Anyway, me neither. Never heard of the term.
 #1316369  by MEC407
 
newpylong wrote:I think the site database was restored to a previous version. A lot of posts are missing here.
Yeah, everything I posted yesterday (Saturday) is gone. I don't know what happened. :-\
 #1316382  by Cowford
 
Overhead rights is just another term for the common form of trackage rights, i.e., connecting railroad A with railroad C (or back with railroad A via a better route than railroad A could have provided on its own lines) via railroad B, without rights for railroad A to serve customers on railroad B. I don't understand how the haulage/trackage/overhead rights are defined in the context of the map, however. PAR's rights on MBTA would be considered the other form, that being "full service" trackage rights as they have (exclusive) rights to serve industry within the former B&M commuter territory. (Ok, exclusive excepting industries within the Boston switching district that are open to CSX.)
 #1316404  by BostonUrbEx
 
I'm guessing PAR's rights on NBSR/EMRY in Maine has something to do with their former Woodland Running Track up by Calais. Then the limits of the rights were improperly conveyed to the map-maker or improperly displayed by the map-maker. Or perhaps is also has something to do with getting to an NBSR interchange without adding EMRY to the waybill (I recall reading that a minimal number of railroads on a waybill is typically "better" for some reason?). That would have been handy when PAR was running POSJ/WASJ, particularly as a part of their Blue Nose service, where there was a coordination between PAR, NBSR, and CN to serve a Halifx-PAR and beyond routing.
 #1316415  by F-line to Dudley via Park
 
Since this post got eaten yesterday, here are the big errors on the Pan Am system map:

-- They have all the lines PAR owns outright tagged in the legend as "overhead rights".
-- The Springfield Line technically IS overhead rights because CSOR has all local biz and PAS can only use the length of it for the interchanges and to access the Highland. But the map calls it "trackage rights" and offers no overhead option for PAS in the legend.


At least it's geographically accurate now. The old website map prior to this looked like it was done on an Etch-a-Sketch.
 #1316421  by MEC407
 
I have a paper copy of the map and I believe I saw our own Otto Vondrak credited in small print. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer questions if you send him a PM.
 #1316436  by newpylong
 
F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:Since this post got eaten yesterday, here are the big errors on the Pan Am system map:

-- They have all the lines PAR owns outright tagged in the legend as "overhead rights".
-- The Springfield Line technically IS overhead rights because CSOR has all local biz and PAS can only use the length of it for the interchanges and to access the Highland. But the map calls it "trackage rights" and offers no overhead option for PAS in the legend.


At least it's geographically accurate now. The old website map prior to this looked like it was done on an Etch-a-Sketch.
No, PAS has Trackage Rights over the Springfield line. Trackage rights can include rights to consignees, interchanges, or none of the above. It all depends on what was applied and granted.

In the most basic form, "Trackage Rights" means the tenant RR runs it's own trains using it's own crews. "Haulage Rights" means the host moves your cars for you. NS has trackage rights over DH to Mechanicville (with no customer rights) and then haulage rights into Ayer. PAS has trackage rights w/consignee rights over the NECR. VRS/WACR has haulage rights between their RRs at Bellows Falls and WRJ. Etc and so on.
 #1316786  by B&M 1227
 
What's the deal with the North Bennington scenario, where Pan Am operates to North Bennington to interchange with VTR but according to the map does not explicitly have trackage/haulage/overhead rights?
 #1316802  by The EGE
 
The B&A Highland Branch - a light rail line since 1959 - is shown as mainline rail, and there's a nonexistent spur marked where it meets the line to Medfield.
 #1316817  by CN9634
 
No information about transload, intermodal or specific terminals for certain commodities. Look at most Class I and regional maps and they provide this information. Granted that shouldn't per say hinder a shipping decision but it seems a basic thing.
 #1316823  by MEC407
 
The paper version of the map has a lot more info on it than the web version.