MMA washout Brownville - 06-24-2012

Take a look at this article and pictures of what appears to be a washout at the MMA wye in Brownville


http://bangordailynews.com/2012/06/24/n ... -out-road/

I live about 20 miles southwest of Brownville Jct, and can attest to the fact that an awful lot of rain has come down in that area since Saturday afternoon. One of my sons was working up that way Saturday and was thoroughly soaked when he got home. The rains were accompanied by high winds and he, luckily having a chainsaw with him, had to cut one tree up in order to get down the road. The Bangor Daily News, this morning, carried an article about washouts in the roads and railroad tracks in Brownville.

This afternoon(monday 6/25), the BDN website posted another article stating that the town of Brownville just declared a "state of emergency" due to the flooding, and it is raining heavily here as I write this with heavy rain forecast for tonight. We have already had some real gully washers this afternoon. The town of Brownville has asked for emergency help from any and all sources and some other local towns have sent some of their road crews up to help. One man was killed Saturday night when he drove into a huge washed out hole in the road.

I would suspect that this will have some detrimental effect on rail traffic for maybe the next few days. It sounds like the latest oil can train is still west of Brownville. It appears that there may be some delay for sure, judging by local conditions at the moment.

Photo of rail washout in Brownville.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll24 ... 50x250.jpg

I would be interested to know the location of the oil train at the present time.

SRM

News video about the washout:

http://www.wabi.tv/news/31264/brownvill ... -emergency

sandyriverman wrote:

I would suspect that this will have some detrimental effect on rail traffic for maybe the next few days. It sounds like the latest oil can train is still west of Brownville. It appears that there may be some delay for sure, judging by local conditions at the moment.

Front the two news reports, most of the worst damage from flooding is in the area around High st. and Route 11 where the Irving station is located. Directly behind the Mini-Mart and before the bridge is MMA's north/south line that was washed out. As far as interruption of service for the "oil can train", the east/west
line thru the freight yard should still be passable. Slow orders are likely.

NBSR operations would be affected as well as they use this line to connect with the MNR (Its own subsidiary).

Preliminary reports from observers about flooding east of Mattawamkeag and towards Saint John on the NBSR. Will provide more as it comes in.

From the Bangor Daily News:

Bangor Daily News wrote:The vice president of sales and marketing at Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd. said the railroad needed to reopen enough of the track devastated by the weekend storm by overnight Thursday to allow a special-delivery 64-car train of windmill blades, nacelles and other parts to make it to Township 16 by 8 a.m. Friday.
...
The northern rail route out of Brownville, the primary connector of rail traffic to northern Maine, likely will be repaired by Monday, McGonigle said. If it isn’t, GAC Chemical of Searsport, a manufacturer of chemicals that paper mills use, would run out of supplies.

Similarly, Great Northern Paper Co. LLC of East Millinocket might require the railroad to unload rail cars at the mill by Monday for shipment of paper by truck, McGonigle said. The railroad solved a problem with Imerys Clays Inc., an industrial clay distributor in Searsport, by rerouting traffic from Searsport to Saint John, New Brunswick, via Pan-Am Railways, he said.

Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/06/28/n ... ll-august/

From the Bangor Daily News:

Bangor Daily News wrote:A key statewide railroad connection wiped out by heavy flooding late last month has been repaired, but final restoration will take two weeks, the property’s owner said Thursday.

Robert Grindrod, CEO and president of Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd., said the last of the repairs, which reopened a northbound line through Brownville, occurred Monday morning, just in time for some large state industries that depend on rail service.

Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/07/05/n ... road-says/