East Deerfield Gawking

newpylong wrote:I am assuming the cloak and dagger business has to do with EDPO if you're thinking 495 or an incarnation may be reinstated. Now I will have to dig.

Shot in the dark, I'm going to put money on an intermodal service being at least partially responsible for a "change in schedules." Thats just my .02, but I'd probably start digging in that area...

The timing of "2 months" may align somehow with the pending G&W acquisition of P&W? Or is that event seen as unrelated to PAS' future fortunes?

The ED495 is my speculation, changes on the eastern part of railroad will result in movement of crews, power, ect. May have to dis-aggregate the Portland from the Mass traffic is all. Then again nothing could change from that aspect but I find it hard to believe they could do that. We'll see shortly

Only thing on the grapevine I came up with is potential water trains via the Conn River to NJ market.

I have heard they are pushing IM heavy. Trying to get it down from SJ. I've also heard they want to run big water trains down the Conn River, but last I knew they were still looking for a suitable off loading site in CT somewhere..

Conn River to access NJ doesn't make sense, unless we're still talking about leaving the rails in Connecticut and hitting the roads from there.

In regards to the ED495 hunch, my guess is the Rumford Branch mills will be pursuing more rail-heavy intermodal, straight out of Maine.

atholrail wrote:I have heard they are pushing IM heavy. Trying to get it down from SJ. I've also heard they want to run big water trains down the Conn River, but last I knew they were still looking for a suitable off loading site in CT somewhere..

This would be a positive development for the system if they can make it happen. However, to get the most out of a service that originates out of Saint John, NB, the line to Mattawamkeag would have to be opened and repaired to re-gain their direct connection to the NBSR (EMRY).

If I may add my uninformed analysis...

While I've heard nothing to substantiate this, I'm fairly convinced the 'Keag line has not seen its last 'real' train. The line is fairly obviously of strategic value when looking at the current map of Maine's railroads. However, it would seem that giving away some business (as they most certainly have since opting to use CM&Q), is more than made up for by the reduction in costs of operating the line to 'Keag. They seem to be in a leaning out and cost controlling phase. When that changes I would imagine that a quick way to grow the revenue would be to return to 'Keag and steal back some of the business they've lost to the Moosehead, as well as grab a share of new markets (which might be the trigger for said return).

And contrary to assertions elsewhere here, I'm convinced the service provided by the NBSR-CMQ-ST routing is no more expedient than the old NBSR-ST routing. Track speeds may be higher, but the addition of a second interchange, and corresponding terminal delay wipes away any gains made in transit time. So the whole line "its better for customers and everyone involved" is false. The simple fact is, it saves Pan Am money while they work to control their costs. It will serve its purpose until either CM&Q gets greedy and plays rate games, or new potential traffic develops that would provide enough revenue to make termination of the haulage deal worth it.

Not sure where to post this but the power from yesterday's NS 62Z frac sand train to NYSW/Binghamton has been swapped for 22K's power just now (Sunday 9:00 AM). 22K's new power is NS 1072 (IT green heritage unit) followed by CN8943 and CN2536). Is this the IT's first New England visit?

Update - now that I think about it, ex- Illinois Terminal SD39 locomotives were used on Guilford a couple of decades ago...

1072 came through last winter on 14R. Come and gone now... watched it roll westbound through Binghamton this afternoon.

EDPO 615-606-608 took a big train out of Deerfield this morning. Lots of empty NS coal hoppers on the rear.

EDPL 2009-352-353 took 15 south.

14R came in with a monstah 149.

EDBF 350-347 went north with a short train.

Regarding the reinstatement of an ED495 type job. They ran an ED495 Sunday, 305-510-3404.

atholrail wrote:EDPO 615-606-608 took a big train out of Deerfield this morning. Lots of empty NS coal hoppers on the rear.

Seems like an odd move for mt NS coal hoppers....

Might be cars to be cycled into the Rumford rotation.

Sounds more like cuts of cars coming out of Bow, NH.

Rumford coal that I've seen in the past typically travels one gondola car at a time to Rumford from Portland. Surprising but the pictures and video say it all ...

That would be an unusual move. Typically Rumford hauls coal in NS open top hopper cars in cuts of 8 to 12 cars on lease by Pan Am, maybe 1 - 2 times a week (or more) on the Rumford job. MT cars coming in on EDPO would suggest as 690 has said that they are cycling through equipment unless there is some new source of traffic and Pan Am needs the cars badly. All in all, Rumford coal does not come into the mill one gondola at a time... but we do know that Pan Am's own equipment is so shot for service they'd had to pickup some NS equipment (which obviously there are plenty of coal hoppers around the system this day and age...)