New Customer on the Mountain Division in Whitefield, NH

Report on another list that the paper mill at Gilman has closed and the final checks to the employees bounced. Looks like the line from St. Johnsbury to Gilman will not be repaired and opened anytime soon.

Dick

Dick H wrote:Report on another list that the paper mill at Gilman has closed and the final checks to the employees bounced. Looks like the line from St. Johnsbury to Gilman will not be repaired and opened anytime soon.

Dick

I think the long-term impact remains to be seen. There is a chicken and egg game going on up there. Does the railroad need a mill before it is reactivated, or does the mill need a railroad before a stable owner will invest in it?

Perhaps a rail link from the east will be the ticket, at least for now.

JH

I heard the mill's closure on the news a couple weeks ago - but it sounded like it was a temporary one and that it will reopen.

I heard about the closure but the news also mentioded they just won a contract to supply paper to the new Harry Potter book. Maybe the timing was too late to make it a go.

Isn't one of the former paper plants in Groveton changing to biomass power generation? Or is the old Berlin mill.

In an earlier post I said there was a potential customer in Littleton, what I meant to write was Lancaster. MOW equipment was in Lancaster the other week and I heard that a potential rail customer would be near the Lancaster fairgrounds.

There is installation of 4800 ties on the state owned rail lined-- there was a picture in the Coos County Democrat this week of a work crew out of Maine working on the little trestle near the airport in Whitefield.

Any chance you can scan the picture in?

The Rutland Paper 8/3/07 said that the Dirigo Paper company has been evicted from the premisis because of non payment of rent,and poor maintence of the buildings and equipment,

I managed to get a couple of pictures of MOW equipment clearing the tracks at Hazen road Tuesday evening before it got too dark. The siding looks like it goes to Whitefield Power Co and not a sign of anything being run to the Presby plant. Pictures can be seen at the link.

http://www.myspace.com/toolengineer

Here are some pictures that someone on the VRS forum took apparently the other day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainman308

I followed the Conway Scenic run through the Notch and on to Hazens on Friday. it looked to me like the Alco ran flawlessly. At Hazens they were met by the NH Central GP and then the cars were taken up to Groveton. Some observations about rail activity in Northern NH are in order:
The trestle at Airport Rd at Hazens has been rebuilt with new ties, and several bents were replaced.
The area at Hazens has been bulldozed flat in preparation for new trackwork and the old B&M line has been shifted to the Mt Divison line (probably to move out all the rail cars stored on the Mt Division line).
The row north to Groveton has been brush cut and new ballast and ties are in evidence. Large trees have been cut up and the row is clearer now than in the last 20 years. All the crossings are working and the run to Groveton was made without flagging crossings. They moved right through Lancaster at a good clip.
The row clearing has continued through Whitefield and a rail riding backhoe with a brush cutter is now heading down to the river toward Gilman on the Mt Division. The track to Littleton has also been cleared at least past the crossing beyond the Whitefield station.
The plastic pellet customer at the Whitefield Airport is apparantly serious. The power plant at the end of Quebec Jct wye is also serious about receiving wood chips by rail.
As this is the most activity that I have seen up North in many years, lets all hope this continues.

Bob M
Glen NH

Reading all this and seeing pictures of the action is bringing tears to my eyes

That "S" curve that has just been constructed is that temporary or permanent? With that you would be able to run from St. Johnsbury to Whitefield; that is still the plain correct? (the train coming from St. Johnsbury)

When is the service supposed to start?

That is a great update. Thanks Bob M. Keep us posted.

I just read in the Globe that the Gilman Paper Mill will reopen next month. Maybe the idea that the VRS has bought the section from Gilman to St J is also true. Another outlet for the Groveton Mill and possible traffic to and from Vermont. Time will tell.

Bob M

RG479 wrote:I just read in the Globe that the Gilman Paper Mill will reopen next month. Maybe the idea that the VRS has bought the section from Gilman to St J is also true. Another outlet for the Groveton Mill and possible traffic to and from Vermont. Time will tell.

Bob M

http://www.boston.com/business/articles ... to_reopen/

Vermont paper mill to reopen
Company chief recalls workers

By Associated Press | August 13, 2007

GILMAN, Vt. -- The Dirigo Paper mill, which laid off 115 workers when it closed June 15, will reopen next month, the company president said.

"Our employees have a callback date of Sept. 10," Peter Hanson, company president, said Friday. "Because they have a call back date, they do not need to look for work. We're in active negotiations with investors that will enable us to restart the plant."

Hanson said the reopening will not be affected by a court order obtained last month against Dirigo by Dalton Hydro, which owns the power dam at the mill site. He said that legal move was designed to enable Central Vermont Public Service Corp. to buy the dam's power, valued at $3,200 a day.

"The court decision will have no effect on the restart of the mill," Hanson said.

Patricia Moulton Powden, commissioner of the state Department of Labor, said she is optimistic the plant will reopen.

"Our sincere hope and expectation is that they will be going back to work," Powden said. "We assume it's full speed ahead with the investors."