CSX Acquisition of Pan Am Railways

I don't think "things looking too good" for the PAS.

With Topper no longer having a "friendly" "Boston area" interchange with the B&M, what incentive has he got to "spill his oats" into making an FRA Class 3 property, which comes complete with a clearance restricted tunnel that could cave in whenever it chooses.

What incentive has Chessie to put any "catnip" into that property? She already has her FRA Class 3 (4 perchance?) B&A - well, unless "Taxachuettes" decides that the "B&A of the B&A" need be connected with NEC frequency passenger trains.

I guess Topper could have some bills with "shipper's routings" still come his way, but hardly enough to justify making PAS emulate the B&A, or fulfilling the Surf Board's apparent philosophy of competitive rail. Further, all I can foresee is any of Topper's container traffic is on the highway to or from Ayer. I don't think proponents of railroad transportation wish to see that.

I agree with this. CSX isn't in this to create a storm; they don't need an angry NSC bringing the General Court and the STB down on their heads.

And Boston is the 10th largest metropolitan area in the US. There are valid reasons for NSC to want access over and beyond traffic coming off the Maine Central.

Yeah... I think since they made a point to say they’d have it done by end of December something must be going on behind the scenes (sorry for the obviousness there) with my own speculation of the PAS complexities

Just like on this forum, there are lots of notions and opinions among Mainers (including commenters) re: CSX proposed acquisition of Pan Am!

https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/01/17 ... Lzy5lEnTk4

I'm guessing they propose buying the whole enchilada, let the STB tell them how much they have to divest?

From the article...

In acquiring Billerica, Massachusetts-based Pan Am, CSX gets the largest regional Class II railroad in North America, which has more than 1,700 miles of track in six states and Canada. Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX has more than 21,000 miles of track across the Northeast. The Maine portion of Pan Am includes more than 300 miles of track.

I somehow doubt Pan-Am at present has more than 1700 miles of track. Perhaps when they still had the D&H and all associated trackage rights, etc... in 1985 perhaps. And do they run in Canada at present? Come to think of it, did Guilford ever run in Canada? Did the D&H technically stop at the border? Is that spur out by Eastport/Woodland head into Canada under Pan-Am (or old Guilford) operations?

"(Dowling said) the sale might not be as beneficial to smaller companies." Pan Am still serves small companies in Maine?

I suppose it depends on one's definition of "small," but these are the ones I think of:

Casco Bay Steel
Turner's Island
Whoever's left in the Saco and Biddeford industrial parks (?)
the customer(s) near Deering Junction (?)
whoever's left in the Auburn-Lewiston area (?)
the former DeCoster egg farm (?)
whoever's left in Oakland (?)
Huhtamaki and NEPW in Fairfield (?)
the tie plant in Mattawamkeag (?)

Thinking about this question has made me realize just how desolate the MEC and the Maine portion of the B&M have become during the past 20 years. Looking back at the early 2000s in particular, there was still a decent amount of business on the B&M between Rigby and Dover, with frequent locals serving Wells, Biddeford, and Saco; and three times as many paper mills on the MEC as there are today.

Most of the Maine customers that have gone away were actually closed down. I can probably come up with 30 or so non paper mill customers that were getting cars as recently as the 90's that are now history.

MEC407 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:19 pm Casco Bay Steel
Turner's Island
Whoever's left in the Saco and Biddeford industrial parks (?)
the customer(s) near Deering Junction (?)
whoever's left in the Auburn-Lewiston area (?)
the former DeCoster egg farm (?)
whoever's left in Oakland (?)
Huhtamaki and NEPW in Fairfield (?)
the tie plant in Mattawamkeag (?)

All of these are still active customers.

Casco Bay Steel - still gets inbound cars
Turner's Island - ships outbound scrap metal
Saco and Biddeford industrial parks has 3 active customers...
1. Duralife Decking still gets inbound lumber
2. Boise Cascade still active
3. CHS Propane still very active
the customer(s) near Deering Junction - Bluelinx Lumber still active
whoever's left in the Auburn-Lewiston area - International Paper Box Plant at Danville Junction still active
the former DeCoster egg farm (?) - now Hillandale Farms and very active
whoever's left in Oakland (?) - Aim Scrap Metal Recycling still ships cars
Huhtamaki and NEPW in Fairfield (?) - still handling cars for Sappi and other local paper mills
the tie plant in Mattawamkeag (?) - plant still active for chipping used ties.