Pan Am Woodland Spur

There are some in the hill yard in McAdam tonight with NBSR markings. Not much room left in the yard there tonight!

Some of the chip hoppers that NBSR received a couple of weeks ago went through McAdam on a westbound yesterday afternoon and had new EMR markings on them.

From St. John or St. Stephen / Woodland?

These ones were on the westbound coming from Saint John. There hasn't been this much business for some time. The yard in McAdam is just about full all the time. Chip cars, logs cars, boxes, etc. The south freight seems to be running every day along with both an east and westbound. Now a contractor is working on modifying log cars in a part of the old rip track. Add that to the Nackawic AV paper being loaded, along with the gypsum unloading facility and Soleno plastic pellets being transloaded to truck makes for a busy spot sometimes.

There is a story in the Calais Advertiser today< the local paper that the Woodland Pulp LLC is preparing to take over the line from Calais to Woodland in the near future from Pan AM RR. NBSR is the current operator of the line. Currently one of NBSR engines still marked for Union Pacific is working the line. There are more woodchips in the yard. They are currently trying to find a better way to unload the chips and transfer them to the chip piles.

How are they unloading the chips now?

RRBUFF wrote:There is a story in the Calais Advertiser today< the local paper that the Woodland Pulp LLC is preparing to take over the line from Calais to Woodland in the near future from Pan AM RR. NBSR is the current operator of the line. Currently one of NBSR engines still marked for Union Pacific is working the line. There are more woodchips in the yard. They are currently trying to find a better way to unload the chips and transfer them to the chip piles.

This would probably be a good thing, although Pan Am is the owner and current operator - jut NBSR power.

I think someone mentioned that a little while back... They better figure out how to unload them, 25 more loads were set off in McAdam tonight along with lots of log cars. Presently there is almost 70 cars destined for Woodland in the hill yard at McAdam including empty boxes to load, chips, logs, and chemicals. I can see some serious track work down there once the good weather arrives.

Thanks, i must have missed it or something.

JB283 wrote:How are they unloading the chips now?

I happen to cross paths with one of Woodland Pulp LLCs top men at the final 12 basketball tournament in Saint John. He said they are using a loader with a big bucket on it right now to unload the chips but plans are to build something similar to what the Irvings have in Saint John. He said they are looking to have about 50 cars of "round wood" and 30 cars of chips delivered per week. He also confirmed that they have bought the spur from pan am and come spring major work will begin on it. He also confirmed what someone on here said about their product heading to Newark via rail instead of through Eastport. Apparently many of their customers overseas want it delivered in containers and that can't happen in Eastport. Certainly not good news for the port. Finally he said the Chinese are seriously looking at installing a tissue machine to make paper. This means they would also start taking softwood which would make the wood suppliers very happen since there isn't much of a market for it right now in this area.

At 4000 cars/year of just inbound raw materials I would say some serious track work is in order. An all Irving haul nonetheless, as I assume most of this raw material is sourced off of MNR.

Railing containers to Newark? From where?

They would send the pulp in boxes to Newark and then transfer it to containers for the trip over. Nackawic AV is already doing the same thing to Newark.

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

Today I checked in once again with my contacs at Pan Am and I was told no sale has taken place of the Woodland Branch. Furthermore, WD-1 is still using ST crews, so NBSR is not the operator. He just faxed me the latest job assignment sheet showing WD-1 being filled. Don't believe everything you hear.

Take that with a grain of salt if you want but we will see some STB documents when and if it happens officially.

Anyone have an updated status on what's going on with the Woodland Spur? Any official sale yet?