Bucksport Branch activity & news

I pass through Bucksport once or twice a year. I see the mill every time, never see anything moving there. Not from the area, any info you all could give me about railfanning in/around, RR sights, etc., would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Verso announces the closure by year's end. No details yet, but it drives another nail in the coffin for operations East of Waterville.

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/10/01/n ... usinessBox" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bucksport is a huge mill, on a river, with rail access. I would think some company will scrutinize taking it over. That's a lot of jobs though. Be terrible if it comes to be.
I'd hate to the Bucksport branch get pulled.

I think there's more at stake here than just the Bucksport branch. I question the viability of Pan Am in general with this loss. If one more of the big mills go I think you fan stick a sock in them.

Verso has an announcement on their site.
https://www.versopaper.com/uploadedFile ... losure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Be interesting to see what this does to Pan Am. This is a huge chunk of their eastern D1 carloads.

newpylong wrote:I think there's more at stake here than just the Bucksport branch. I question the viability of Pan Am in general with this loss. If one more of the big mills go I think you fan stick a sock in them.

And the rumors going round say if/when the Verso/New Page merger is completed bad things for Rumford are coming. That would be another sizeable loss.

newpylong wrote:I think there's more at stake here than just the Bucksport branch. I question the viability of Pan Am in general with this loss. If one more of the big mills go I think you fan stick a sock in them.

This seems absurd. I think worst-case scenario right now is outright abandonment of anything east of Northern Maine Junction. That'd be pretty bad, and I don't want to see that happen. But I really can't see it conceivably escalating beyond that point at this time.

BostonUrbEx wrote:

newpylong wrote:I think there's more at stake here than just the Bucksport branch. I question the viability of Pan Am in general with this loss. If one more of the big mills go I think you fan stick a sock in them.

This seems absurd. I think worst-case scenario right now is outright abandonment of anything east of Northern Maine Junction. That'd be pretty bad, and I don't want to see that happen. But I really can't see it conceivably escalating beyond that point at this time.

Really? Ask yourself - what else is there left on the MEC besides those mills? Bucksport is a huge loss, and one from the Rumford branch would be devastating. Its a real possibility with the merger. Some people said taking east of Calais Junction OOS a year ago was absurd.

Yup, WABI carried the piece to open the 6pm news.....

http://wabi.tv/2014/10/01/bucksport-mil ... ers-react/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will basically make Pan Am a bridge route east of Waterville. Truthfully, I'm surprised the 'Keag traffic is still on the line and not re-routed yet

With Bucksport gone, you're looking at rationalizing everythign east of Shaw Brook. Thats 61 miles GONE! If Rumford is closed you've eliminated another 25ish miles.

You've also cut something close to 15,000 carloads a year. Bucksport has got to be responsible for at least 1/3 of the traffic east of Waterville. While it isn't a knockout punch, it is a serious blow to revenue and profit. The rationalization of ~25 miles of track isn't going to recoup the loss of the mill traffic in Bucksport. It might not kill the company, but its going to show on the bottom line. And its certainly gonna make the ownership, which as discussed elsewhere is aging, reevaluate their commitment to the railroad.

I can't speak for him, but I doubt Newpy is suggesting the railroad is gonna go bankrupt, or just decide to not operate trains tomorrow. I think the point is, another loss on scale with Bucksport may be the trigger that sees the for sale sign go up in Billerica.

[This will basically make Pan Am a bridge route east of Waterville. Truthfully, I'm surprised the 'Keag traffic is still on the line and not re-routed yet[/quote]
Is there enough traffic to sustain operations east of Waterville?

This is just plain awful news.

Not that reading MellonFink's collective brain is ever a fruitful task, but. . .

Does a free-fall with the mills get them thinking about their own privately-held hides enough to start putting out feelers (and let's not speculate beyond "feelers") about PAR's market value as an acquisition target? Because I have to think dominoes falling in one ownership realm is going to start dominoes following in other more indirectly-related ownership realms. Like further change in the makeup of the Northern New England freight rail players.


"Feelers", to be absolutely clear and emphatic, doesn't have to imply ANY prelude to further action on PAR's part. Just whether MellonFink are going to be motivated to solicit opinion and game-out scenarios that may be more external than internal in origin.

Rumford won't close... but yeah, good bye PAR running east of NMJ until Old Town is figured out. Even then, no mainline stuff. Now more than ever they could use that oil traffic back

They are sitting pretty on some nice cash from the sale of the Conn River and Adams branches I wouldn't rule anything out.