St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR/SLQ)

Hello,
Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0805 with the following:

GP40-2 3035
QG GP40 3105
QG GP40-2W 3014
7 centerbeam flats
1 boxcar
1 hi-cube boxcar
16 propane cars
4 tank cars

That's 29 cars total, including 1 load and 28 empties.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Fritz

Hello,
today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0811 with the following:

GP40-2 3007
RLHH SD40-2 3403
7 centerbeam flats
12 propane cars

That's 19 cars total, all empties. With the announced sale of PAR to CSX, I wonder if this will become the new "normal" for SLR.
Best,
Fritz

Hello,
A couple of trains this week (so far) ...

Tuesday's SLQ westbound 393 departed at 0808 with the following:

GP40-2 3007
QG GP40-2W 3014
RLHH SD40-2 3403
6 centerbeam flats
8 hi-cube boxcars
7 tank cars
36 propane cars

That's 57 cars total, all empties.

Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0838 with the following:

QG SD40U 6904
GP40-2 3035
GP40 3004
4 hi-cube boxcars
1 boxcar
3 covered hoppers
2 tank cars
12 propane cars

That's 22 cars total, again all empties.

In the yard this morning were QG GP40-2W 3014 and the 8 empties from RCP. I am not sure why either was left behind and wonder if there might have been a minor derailment or track problem while switching RCP last night (please note that this is purely speculation on my part).

It is my understanding that there will be extra trains running tonight.
Have a great day,
Fritz

3806/806 were picked up by CP today, I don't know if that means a drop tonight or tomorrow back to home rails.

Hello,
On this cold morning, the SLQ westbound 393 departed at 0822 with the following:

QG GP40-2W 3014
GP40-3 3805
RM-1 805
41 propane cars
3 tank cars
2 boxcars
10 hi-cube boxcars
6 centerbeam flats

That's 62 cars total, all empties.
Have a great day,
Fritz

Hello,
Tonight's SLQ eastbound 394 arrived in Island Pond around 1945 with the following:

GP40-3 3804
RM-1 804
GP40-2 3007
9 centerbeam flats
1 covered hopper
3 tank cars
31 propane cars
2 boxcars
1 hi-cube boxcar

That's 47 cars total, all loads.
Have a great weekend,
Fritz

3806/806 trailing on CP 250, sounds like they'll be home tonight.

Casey,
Thanks for the update. So it sounds like 3806/806 will be interchanged to SLQ at Lennoxville and I assume sent east after that. They may make Wednesday night's train (if they do indeed run an extra); otherwise, they'll probably move east next week.

Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0816 with the following:

GP40-2 3007
GP40-3 3804
RM-1 804
10 centerbeam flats
8 tank cars
23 propane cars
5 hi-cube boxcars
1 boxcar

That's 47 cars total, all empties.
Have a great day,
Fritz

Driving through Yarmouth, ME last night, I noticed that the gates had been straight up taken off of the crossing on Main St. (ME 115); the signals still remain. Obviously that section of the line has been out of service for ~5 years now, so not entirely random, but I've never seen that before...then again, the longest of the 3 gates (westbound lane) was tied up to the signal mast a few years back, likely to keep it from swaying in the wind. Anyway, had never seen a crossing with gates removed before! Would be curious to see if the same happened at the other gated crossings south of Auburn: Bucknam Rd. in Falmouth, Memorial Highway (ME 9) in North Yarmouth, and Intervale Rd. (ME 231) in New Gloucester.

I was in Yarmouth a couple weeks ago and noticed that, too.

I'm guessing gates needed to be replaced somewhere else and swiping them from there was the quick and dirty way to do it

That was my thought as well. Clearly I've been around Guilford too long.

Hello,
Where there are no crossing gates anywhere nearby, today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0828 with the following:

QG GP40-2L 3014
GP40-3 3803
RM-1 803
1 centerbeam flat
9 hi-cube boxcars
1 boxcar
3 covered hoppers
10 tank cars
36 propane cars

That's 60 cars total, including 4 loads and 56 empties.

From what I am hearing, there will be no more trains until next Monday night at this point (meaning that this is the railroad and that could change).
Have a great holiday,
Fritz

Seasons greetings to everyone- hope all are safe and well in these uncertain times and the new year will be better for us all...

With an off day, spent a good time watching the cameras in Westfield and Chester, MA, amongst others. Caught a 165 car eastbound CSX move, and stashed about 2/3rds of the way through was an old Berlin Mills boxcar, with a very tattered and faded, yet unmistakable wing as the only thing left to identify it as former BMR property.