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  • The Maine Central Railroad Mountain Division

  • Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.
Discussion relating to the pre-1983 B&M and MEC railroads. For current operations, please see the Pan Am Railways Forum.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1486495  by Cowford
 
I see a another Maine-based wood pellet mill, this one in Corinth, burned down. I believe five pellet mills have operated in the past decade or so in Maine, and at least three have burned down... one twice. These guys are begging to be more stringently regulated.
 #1486533  by gokeefe
 
A lot of it is new builds and therefore had to be up to code when constructed. Hard to think of anything they could do better especially if their injury rate is low.
 #1486603  by Cowford
 
Not sure how injury rates are related to risk of fire, unless the injuries are burns.

Couldn't do better? Here is a quick and dirty record of pellet mills that are operating/have operated in Maine in last ten years:

Ashland - burned 2009 resulting in two-yr closure, burned 2017
Athens - fire in 2016; fire in 2018
Corinth - destroyed by fire 2018
Strong - blew up 2009 resulting in a one-yr closure, burned 2012
Boothbay - very small plant, closed in 2018 after operating two years
 #1486698  by MEC407
 
gokeefe wrote:A lot of it is new builds and therefore had to be up to code when constructed.
Does the code require sprinklers? If it doesn't, I think the case can easily be made that it ought to.

If I were an insurance company I wouldn't insure one of these operations unless they had sprinklers.
 #1491989  by NHV 669
 
Looks like they got from Scott Jct. to just before the grade crossing by Hall Road. The brushcutter itself is sitting just around the corner between the road and the tracks. Seems like an odd time to do it, right after two weeks of snow accumulating.
 #1491999  by NHV 669
 
Headed to my father's for thanksgiving, upset stomach as well, didn't stop to examine. Was a small enclosed-cab tractor, similar in size to the Kubota up the road being used on a private driveway. Looked like it had a mower deck and an arm on the back, couldn't tell anything else.
 #1493393  by NHV 669
 
Only in NH, there's a bridge washout between the state line and the old Gilman mill. Tracks out there are a "jungle".

Looks to be near Scott's headed east where the sled trail meets at the power line near town, as nothing appears to be touched beyond the Cemetary/overpass before the first grade crossing on 142.

The tractor was indeed marked for NH trails, and was gone on my last drive through, likely done with its work.
 #1495518  by CPF363
 
Any word on whether the estate of Clyde Forbes renewed the lease for the northern end of the Mountain Division? If not, could see Pan Am looking to formally abandon the entire line from Hazens or Whitefield to St. Johnsbury and dismantle all of the hardware soon there after.
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