Oil Trains

On the subject of MMA (and other Maine railroads) hauling crude oil through Maine:

Bangor Daily News wrote:“It definitely got my attention with 104 rail cars of crude coming through the state,” Barbara Parker, head of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s hazardous materials response team, said in reference to a recent oil shipment.

Pan Am Railways and Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railways are both exploring the feasibility of moving vast amounts of crude to an Irving Oil refinery in St. John, New Brunswick. Pan Am’s rail network was used to successfully deliver the first shipment of 100-plus tanker cars in late May, and MMA reportedly plans to follow suit soon.

Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/06/10/u ... ugh-maine/

Nice Pictures! I like the multi colored lash up.

While these unit crude oil trains represent only a marginal (5-10%?) freight traffic increase for PAR I would imagine business like this would be a major (50%+?) increase in business for MMA.

How big of a deal is this for MMA? What is the most likely frequency for trains such as these? Would this increase in volume allow the railroad to recapitalize its physical plant?

Also....

Pan Am Railways is also moving these unit crude oil trains to St. John via NBSR.

If by some chance you missed the news, discussion of unit train crude oil movements via PAR is taking place in this thread in the PAR forum.

There is also a thread specific to North Dakota Bakken Crude Oil in the General Class I forum.

FYI:

This was as of yesterday (in the PAR Crude Oil Unit Trains thread (see link in previous post):

doublestack wrote:There's another crude oil train heading to St. John, N.B. on CSX right now headed toward interchange with Pan Am at Rotterdam Jct (due in there around midnight tonight)...

The train has since been reported "east of the tunnel" which I'm assuming is the Hoosac.

Thanks to Brian4449, here's the first sighting of the 2nd CSX/Pan Am unit oil train heading east yesterday morning, 6/13 in western Mass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNu5cqQ_ ... ature=plcp

It is reported on the MMA Yahoo Groups forum a second unit crude train is to cross MMA this week. Looks like due into Montreal late Monday afternoon. This is right on the heels of the CSX/PAR train. Has anyone heard if CN is moving any unit crude trains to Irving?

Second CP train #606-249 should be in Montreal lat Monday June 18th. The facility at New Town, ND is designed for two 40 car tracks, though it is possible to fit 41 cars on one of the tracks so trains are either 80 or 81 cars. CP has talked about using the mainline yard at Harvey, ND to make three 80 car trains into two 120 car trains once crews on the Delaware and Hudson are DPU trained.

fogg1703 wrote:It is reported on the MMA Yahoo Groups forum a second unit crude train is to cross MMA this week. Looks like due into Montreal late Monday afternoon. This is right on the heels of the CSX/PAR train. Has anyone heard if CN is moving any unit crude trains to Irving?

So far all the traffic is from the US portion of the Bakken Fields, which CN has no access to, although BNSF could partner with CN in lieu of CSX.

Thanks for the great info JayBee. Would CP consider running a 120 car DPU train across the Moosehead? Does the Moosehead have a maximum length of train?

Second oil train # 606 through St Jean Qc at 0045hrs. Power out of Montreal 5016 5017 85?? Here's # 1 heading toward Sherbrooke yesterday.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 971&nseq=0


Frank

Crude oil train #606 departed Farnham around 0600hrs this morning. Locomotives
MM&A 5016 5017 8553 8546 3609.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 039&nseq=1
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 046&nseq=0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31145333@N ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31145333@N ... hotostream


Frank

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=11496

Third CP train for Irving Oil at St. John, NB due to be Interchanged to MM&A today.

Thanks JayBee! Any idea when they will be in/around Brownville Junction?