Portsmouth Branch Activity

Jonathan603 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:17 am Yes. Whoever buys Pan Am will keep this branch. There still a good amount of revenue/movement it seems and they are moving lots more LPG of late too. Also this line links up the Navy Yard via the bridge.

Regardless of the traffic the Navy insisted the rail connection remain with the rebuilt Sarah Mildred Long bridge, so this line would have to remain serviceable for defense department purposes.

But as noted the volume in the last few years is actually higher now than 5-10 years ago with all the gas traffic.

Trinnau wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:33 pm Regardless of the traffic the Navy insisted the rail connection remain with the rebuilt Sarah Mildred Long bridge, so this line would have to remain serviceable for defense department purposes.

Correct; however, that doesn't mean CSX couldn't lease or sell the line to another operator if they felt the line wasn't lucrative enough to keep.

Trinnau wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:33 pm

Jonathan603 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:17 am Yes. Whoever buys Pan Am will keep this branch. There still a good amount of revenue/movement it seems and they are moving lots more LPG of late too. Also this line links up the Navy Yard via the bridge.

Regardless of the traffic the Navy insisted the rail connection remain with the rebuilt Sarah Mildred Long bridge, so this line would have to remain serviceable for defense department purposes.

But as noted the volume in the last few years is actually higher now than 5-10 years ago with all the gas traffic.

So 10 years ago I think they still serviced Foss (the best man at my wedding is the Director of Engineering and Maintenance at Foss, and had nothing but horror stories about the service they received) and Grimmel (scrap metal and salt) at the state pier. Any other customers they lost in that time frame?

Foss was on the Hampton branch which was abandoned in the 2011 time frame. Service ended before that. This one was not the railroad's fault - they only asked for cars every 2-3 weeks. Not worth going down there for that.

Lumber traffic is booming now with Home Depot also unloading at Boise. There were 8 loads in the yard Monday night and seven came in today along with 2 Tyco's and 14 propane!! There are also 2 Tyco's in the yard from past weeks, looks like a real freight operation now days!!
Also noted there are 4 sticks of rail and a pile of new ties at Depot road in Stratham so I guess they are going to rebuild that crossing, it certainly needs it. Hopefully some new ballast also that crossing is sitting in the mud!!

That's great to hear... that's good tonnage for that line.

Ballast regulator showed up in Portsmouth yard today.

Yes saw that leave Rockingham. Also today at depot road was a section of rail with ties attached at the side of the track there. You are right about the mud, that crossing is all mud these days!

POAY spent some time at Rockingham today dropping even more cars for Portsmouth.

Trinnau wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:33 pm

Jonathan603 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:17 am Yes. Whoever buys Pan Am will keep this branch. There still a good amount of revenue/movement it seems and they are moving lots more LPG of late too. Also this line links up the Navy Yard via the bridge.

Regardless of the traffic the Navy insisted the rail connection remain with the rebuilt Sarah Mildred Long bridge, so this line would have to remain serviceable for defense department purposes.

But as noted the volume in the last few years is actually higher now than 5-10 years ago with all the gas traffic.

IIRC, when it came time to pay the piper, the Navy refused to put up any money for the bridge rebuild, saying they will find another way if rail is not part of the project. FRA money cannot be used on a road project and Fed DOT money cannot be used on a rail project, so NH/Maine had to get creative. They applied for a joint TIGER grant under the Obama admin. That was the only project either Maine or NH applied for, to maximize their chances and underscore its importance. Luckily, they got the grant.

Yes that’s true. I remember the Navy not being too concerned with it.

DO-1 headed back to Portsmouth at lunch time with more cars, another good size train. It’s been almost daily of late.

The two PSNY 65 ton switchers will be retired and sold or scrapped. They will be replaced by two of these BOSS railcar movers. Thanks to Chris Brown for the photo. I do not not know where this photo was taken.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=

BM1566GP7 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 5:37 pm The two PSNY 65 ton switchers will be retired and sold or scrapped. They will be replaced by two of these BOSS railcar movers. Thanks to Chris Brown for the photo. I do not not know where this photo was taken.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... ex=3&key2=

Nifty!

Jonathan603 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:50 pm Yes that’s true. I remember the Navy not being too concerned with it.

DO-1 headed back to Portsmouth at lunch time with more cars, another good size train. It’s been almost daily of late.

Given what the Navy uses the line for, the rest of us had better be concerned! Those cars are covered with well-armed MP's for a reason. That's the last thing I want in mixed traffic at the Portsmouth Rotary.

Lots of cars on DO-1 lately! Would be nice to see the line get some more upgrades since they are running on it more frequently now