"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

[A215]

As best I know Boise Cascade was the last operator of the Rumford Mill to own any of their rail rolling stock. Boise Cascade sold to Meade in 1996 (23 years ago).

Catalyst had big Plate F boxcars coming and going all the time, reporting mark SRY I believe.

[690]

Quite possibly one of the more interesting editions of PORU in the last ten or twenty years ... Why is that you say? ... New cars with reporting mark NDPX parked in the Rumford Yard this afternoon. The linked video confirms that my vision is not failing. Bonus in the video also includes a string of regularly sighted railroad owned coal hoppers (BM or MEC marks).

If my supposition is correct "NDPX" would be ND Paper ... Even more interesting these are gondola cars. Purpose is unknown but shipping tire chips or other solid fuels seems within the realm of possibility. Here are some photos of what would appear to be the same large green hopper cars in service on "The Bay Line" whose name they still carry. Notable that it would appear these cars had wood chips in them.

As best I know Boise Cascade was the last operator of the Rumford Mill to own any of their rail rolling stock. Boise Cascade sold to Meade in 1996 (23 years ago).

Correct that NDPX is Nine Dragons Paper. They are loaded with shredded tires, likely replacing the NS hi-side gons that had been coming up there. These cars are huge, 8253' cap, almost 70' long, Plate Fs. It'll be an interesting time spotting these on 2 Log to be unloaded, there were twelve on that PORU, normally they only come up a couple at a time.

[Tom M]

Earlier this afternoon, and before I saw this post, an eastbound through Dover had four or five of these gondolas. I, too, was squinting to see the reporting marks.

[gokeefe]

Catalyst had big Plate F boxcars coming and going all the time, reporting mark SRY I believe.

Interesting report. Wiki believes that SRY is Southern Railway of British Columbia which given Catalyst's Western Canadian roots makes perfect sense.

I almost answered "NS" (Southern Railway) as holder of "SRY" but that is most definitely not the case.

[BM6569]

9 loads of new ties in bathtub gons on EDPO yesterday. Keep an eye out for them!

[690]

Just regular gons, the MEC 1100 and BM 9000 series cars.

[BM6569]

Thanks for the clarification. Forgot the bathtubs are the high sides

[gokeefe]

Correct that NDPX is Nine Dragons Paper. They are loaded with shredded tires, likely replacing the NS hi-side gons that had been coming up there. These cars are huge, 8253' cap, almost 70' long, Plate Fs. It'll be an interesting time spotting these on 2 Log to be unloaded, there were twelve on that PORU, normally they only come up a couple at a time.

Appreciate the confirmation. Several were being unloaded today. Agreed these really are enormous cars. They seem bigger than the previous NS gondola cars.

[690]

They are much larger than the NS ones.

[gokeefe]

Perhaps the oddest of oddball boxcars I've ever seen in Maine (@ 2:09). MRL - Montana Rail Link.

[GP40MC1118]

The only thing odd about it is that its clean and not tagged!

Also, what are those MEC hoppers on the end of the train for? Love thee "fire hose port" high up the middle!

D

[690]

Chipped ties out of Keag. Rumford burns those as well as coal and tires.

[newpylong]

What does the mill do with the HOKX Acid or Caustic Soda car?

[gokeefe]

The only thing odd about it is that its clean and not tagged!

Still curious how it could be that a Montana Rail Link customer would be buying mill products from either Jay or Rumford. Alternately what's out there that could be coming here?

That's quite the journey for a single box car.

[PBMcGinnis]

MRL21131....
Was an inbound carload of talc in bags from Sappington, MT. Apparently used in some aspect of the paper or pulp making process.