Bucksport Branch activity & news

[newpylong]

A guess: Load log cars onsite, send to Ayer, move logs to container, truck to Boston. Ayer to Bucksport becomes captive fleet.

Once Pan Am, a short haul trucker and the ship gets a cut there can't be much profit left.

[BostonUrbEx]

They're going to transload on North Station Track 1, and just reach over the fence to grab the logs off the cars. Or maybe Tower A Mainline 8, along the access road! You have no problem with that, right 1118?

If rumors are true that they're trying to pursue Casella Waste, they could unload lower volumes back there. They could also restore the Mystic Wharf Branch up to, but not crossing, Rutherford Ave and transload on about 700' of track along D St if that'd be allowed. They may have to do such a restoration just to access Casella, anyway. Other options might include being able to secure a track in the New England Produce Center (600'?) or Boston Market Terminal (up to 1,300') where it wouldn't impact current ops. There's about 750' of the former Wynn siding that is on MBTA property and along a temporary Wynn access road. There's some more options, but they're even more of a stretch. My bet is that it won't actually be all that close to Boston at all, and perhaps be an additional customer for Greater Boston Terminal (Iron Horse Park).

[Hux]

Why not run 'em up to St. John?

[GP40MC1118]

Nah....Mainline 8 is too close to the misfit skateboarders and the new North Point condos! They would not love the
smell of pulpwood in the morning!

D

[eustis22]

It's cheaper to mill the logs in china than in maine??

[MEC407]

Anything/everything is cheaper to do in China than in the US. I don't know of any cities or states anywhere in America where people would do this kind of work for $1 an hour. Even with Maine's relatively low cost of living, we expect (and need) to be paid more than that.

[hh660]

Quite a few years ago P.D. Merrill in Portland, attempted to sell logs to a Japanese group. He amassed a huge stockpile of Hemlock logs along Commercial Street next to-maybe in-old yard 8. They sat there, for what seemed months. The story was that when the potential buyers cam to inspect the the 30 foot long Hemlock, disappointed in the lengths, they asked, 'where is the rest of the tree?' and walked away from the deal.
The logs sat there for another several months until they were hauled away by truck for some use in Maine or New Hampshire.

S

[CF14]

https://www.ellsworthamerican.com/maine ... mill-site/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pan am offering test loads.

[johnpbarlow]

It's too bad Maine Biomass Exports Inc bark stripping/transload operation isn't located at Waterville or N Maine Jct to be able to get more expeditious service from Pan Am. Are the hemlock trees coming from someplace very close to Bucksport? Or is it the availability of former Verso land and/or proximity to water that makes Bucksport more attractive to Maine Biomass?

[newpylong]

I am sure the logs are coming from all over and the location had to do with cost, existing infrastructure, rail access, large acreage, existing zoning, etc

[gokeefe]

They're going to ship by container ...

“With the rail we’ll have the ability to ship 25 to 50 containers a week,” he said.

Very interesting ... That has diverse implications far beyond just Boston to Bucksport.

[eustis22]

>Anything/everything is cheaper to do in China than in the US.

Actually, I was asking if it was cheaper to cut, ship, and mill in China vs cut, mill here. Gotta keep those Chinese mills going, cause they're the backbone of the U.S. economy.

[BM6569]

They wouldn't ship the logs in containers, right? Or is that how they are shipped overseas?

[newpylong]

Yes containers.

[emyers]

chances of this actually happening?