Maine Northern Railway (ex-MMA lines operated by EMR/NBSR)

What about from Brownville east?

JB283 wrote:If that all happens with CP, whats the biggest size locomotive they could use? Are the track and bridge conditions good enough to handle the biggest locomotives?

Last fall MMA took delivery at their Derby shop of two SD90mac's. http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 47&t=86909
Is it possible they plan on using these units for power from CP in Montreal to Brownville or beyond?
I doubt very much you would see a radio controlled unit "oil can" train on the Moosehead, but then again...

Peter

One would assume that run through power would be used. Switching power at Montreal and Brownville would be time consuming. I'm sure like the PAR grain trains there may be a time limit in which the unloading must be done in to get the equipment back west for another load.

Thats what i was thinking too. Switching power would be to time consuming. That would mean that CP power would return to Maine and the Maritimes even if it is just run the purpose of an oil train. I for one, would like to see that.

Spoke with the crew on the NBSR eastbound tonight and they said there will be 17,000 tons of crude oil tanks next week alone. Not sure what that translates into cars but tonights eastbound had about sixty cars...all autoracks and tanks.

Is this traffic coming from CN or MMA at Brownville?

Coming through on the MMA heading for Saint John. I see they have sent the pan am 380 and 381 back and now have the 504 and 507 along with the four helm sd-40s on the main line trains.

Nice boost for the Moosehead. As far as lease power for MNR/EMR/NBS from what I have gathered they have at least one ex CDAC F40, a couple of PAR GP40 and various leaser SD40's and their own power for ever-increasing traffic. Should be pretty interesting to see how these old lines live on under new ownership and an ever changing economy.

carchecker wrote:Spoke with the crew on the NBSR eastbound tonight and they said there will be 17,000 tons of crude oil tanks next week alone. Not sure what that translates into cars but tonights eastbound had about sixty cars...all autoracks and tanks.

Did some calculations and here is what I came up with.

The tank cars CP utilizes for shipping crude have 650 barrel capacity, which translates into 22,750 gallons per car ( assuming that it's in Imperial gallons ). Depending on density of course, a gallon of crude weighs on average 7 to 8 pounds per gallon........then each car hauls on average, 90 tons.

Thus 17,000 tons of crude should amount to between 180 to 200 cars.

While I have heard no reports of unit trains, the average size of CP unit crude trains is 80 cars (without buffer). That could translate into 2 and change for unit trains. If there was 60 heading east on one job, then that is reaching a point where they would run a unit train.

Anyone know roughly how much crude the average tanker that supplies Irving at Canaport carries?

I'm not familiar with unit train equipment utilization, but if unit trains were to begin, would a specific contract be signed with a tank car lease co and the cars remain in "captive" Irving only service as opposed to the 60 "loose" cars that when made empty could be sent anywhere for another load?

Thought I would post a link to this view of a typical CP unit oil train, in the Philadelphia area. CP has been operating these trains through their Albany N.Y. gateway, for some time now........on average in 80 car blocks.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 007&nseq=2

One potential problem if the volume of tank cars increases over the Moosehead is the negative impact on the track. Paper, pulp, and auto racks generally are lighter, while full tank cars
are something quite different. While hazardous cargo generates a lot more revenue per unit, the stress on the right of way will be noticeable with time. The Moosehead is a twisty-turny
up and down railroad as you know. I was on a westbound back in the late 90s that derailed at Lennoxville. The 75 car train was pushing the limit load wise, had a bunch of full butane cars
that would really give the head end a big push every time they crested a hill. Wheels on one of the butane cars came off the tracks and 15 cars jackknifed when we hit the diamond.

"Anyone know roughly how much crude the average tanker that supplies Irving at Canaport carries?

I'm not familiar with unit train equipment utilization, but if unit trains were to begin, would a specific contract be signed with a tank car lease co and the cars remain in "captive" Irving only service as opposed to the 60 "loose" cars that when made empty could be sent anywhere for another load?"

Isn't Canaport an LNG facility?

Regarding tank car leasing... it all depends on the Lessee. Chances are, the cars moving to Irving are controlled not by Irving, but by crude marketers/intermediaries. They'll typically assume leases on an extended, full service (meaning the lessor has responsibility for most maintenance) lease, and they are free to operate the cars wherever and however- loose car, block or unit train- as they see fit and can negotiate with the railroads. How they'd operate in this case would be influenced by the shipper's fleet-wide demand, coupled with railroad service options. (Some equipment cycles better as a loaded unit train/loose car or block empty return.)

Regarding GPP111's comments on weight... while I agree auto racks are lighter, pulp and paper cars are not necessarily. Pulp and printing paper loads in hi-cap cars can reach 286K. Until recently, hazmat was limited to 263K. Those butane cars mentioned would have been 263K.