Potential PAR/PAS Traffic Growth

Both 10 and 5 Wheeling Ave (don't ask me why the address numbers go 3, 10, 5, 7!) have old sidings in the pavement, but sections disappear as work is done. As mentioned upthread, the area clearly once had lots of rail-served buildings, but none of the businesses there would generate enough traffic to warrant carload freight service at this point (case in point, one does commercial van/truck outfitting, another is a bus company), nor would the buildings themselves likely be large enough for a business which would generate that sort of traffic.

So the new Amazon DC on the site of the former Western Electric in North Andover has/had a switch to the mainline...any chance that gets revived?

No - they dray their containers and that's it.

Someone over on the Rockland Branch/CMQ thread posted a link to an article about Dragon permanently closing down the barge operation at Rockland. Everything will apparently now move via truck and rail. Should be a good opportunity for the Finger Lakes and CSX.

But presumably not for the short spur to Atlantic Point eh?

It will be interesting to see where they end up railing to. Maybe they purchase and re-open the shuttered Lehigh terminal at Wilmington. I believe they used to run mini-unit trains there back in the day.

newpylong wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:12 pm But presumably not for the short spur to Atlantic Point eh?

Yes, those rail fanning that end of the line are not going to be very happy

roberttosh wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:23 pm It will be interesting to see where they end up railing to. Maybe they purchase and re-open the shuttered Lehigh terminal at Wilmington. I believe they used to run mini-unit trains there back in the day.

Used to love switching those old school CP pacman hoppers for there.

Dragon is going to receive inbound cement from Lafarge out of St. Constant, Quebec. No outbound loads from Dragon.

The same Lafarge that ships from Quebec to their own mixing plant at Lunenburg, MA on Pan Am.

The Wilmington, MA facility is going to be used for something else, and not necessarily rail related. Nothing is final but that land is prime commercial real estate in a part of Massachusetts where there are not many parcels left.

Why would Dragon in Thomaston receive inbound cement loads? A different mix for blending? Curious to have some clarification on that claim.

The article specifically said they would be railing cement outbound and I don't understand why they would rail Canadian product to a production plant in the middle of nowhere. Wouldn't they just rail directly into the marketplace? Is the plant closing and if not where are they going to sell all that product?

Yes, I got it backwards. Dragon is going to rail outbound since the barge service is going away.
Lafarge is one of the potential customers.

Got it. I was told that Cement will rail to customers primarily in Atlantic Canada and potentially a few other 'regional' locations but nothing really far.

roberttosh wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:23 pm ...Maybe they purchase and re-open the shuttered Lehigh terminal at Wilmington. I believe they used to run mini-unit trains there back in the day.

There is already a local MA company in the process of attempting to reopen that facility as an expansion of their local concrete business. Some headway has been made on it recently with car quotes.

Republic Services is looking move to out of Ayer yard to a larger spot so they can expand. Was in a recent STB filing. They have reached an agreement with PAR and CSX to help with the move.

"3. NSR, PAS, B&E, and CSXT acknowledge your concerns with the service, capacity, and
reliability of the existing PAS transload location in Ayer, Massachusetts for Republic’s
containerized municipal solid waste (MSW) traffic. We understand that waste transfer
operations such as those conducted by Republic require reliable and fluid rail service to
move product as quickly as possible to designated landfill sites. We acknowledge that
the service that is currently provided may not be what should be expected. We believe
that implementation of the proposed Transaction is a very strong step towards providing
that reliable service. Notwithstanding that, PAS commits to the following:
i. PAS will continue to undertake efforts to restore reliable local switching
service and forwarding to interchange with Norfolk Southern from Ayer to
Mechanicville and providing service anticipated by Republic’s current
Master Transportation Agreement;
ii. PAS will continue to undertake ongoing and detailed efforts to find
another location in the Ayer/Boston area for Republic to locate its own
private intermodal facility that will provide greater track capacity and
improved rail service, under similar terms as the Fitchburg yard option
currently being explored, in coordination and in close consultation with
Republic along the way. Republic will receive first look at any locations
available or that become available in the vicinity of the Howard transfer
station near Roxbury, MA or in the vicinity of its facilities in and around
Ayer, MA."