"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

Classic "Maine Central" ....

Notice track conditions at 3:44 in Belgrade. Matches what I see in and around Winthrop daily ... very deep ballast, lots of new ties and everything properly regulated and tamped. Interesting to notice the apparent new ballast at the Waterville yard. You can even see the stone powder still on some of the ties from the surfacing and lining.

Also worth noting ... I don't think they've made it quite all the way to Oakland. Route 23 crossing seemed to be in rough shape compared to everything else.

WAMA was by MP.8 in North Lincoln this AM around 05:45. They had some work to do, shuffling around Perma Treats.

The job of switching Detroit has evidently been transferred to NM-1 (instead of a WA local or WANM). Detroits on Track 4 at NMJ today, some 'Keag's on Tk.3. NM-1 went to Detroit today as well.

Irving tie crew was in the clear in Carmel. ST tamper was in the clear at East Newport, along with 6 empty centerbeams. Their season is likely coming to an end shortly, as the ground freezes and today's 1-2" of snow won't help.

And not to stray too far...Irving was building an eastbound at Brownville, and had 3 cars of new creosoted ties. Which is unusual for them, they've been using PT ties recently. CM&Q was off to a slow start, evidently some engine issues. Neither left Brownville before 9.

KSmitty wrote: And not to stray too far...Irving was building an eastbound at Brownville, and had 3 cars of new creosoted ties. Which is unusual for them, they've been using PT ties recently.

NBSR is returning to the use of creosote ties as the pressure treated ones were splitting frequently, within a few years of installation. I was told this by a MOW employee, upon asking the specific question akin to the long range longevity of the PT ties. NBSR began using PT ties in earnest, 2009.

Highball wrote:NBSR is returning to the use of creosote ties as the pressure treated ones were splitting frequently, within a few years of installation. I was told this by a MOW employee, upon asking the specific question akin to the long range longevity of the PT ties. NBSR began using PT ties in earnest, 2009.

Very interesting. I was just getting used to the notion of blonde ties...

Too bad they don't last, they had so many advantages. I know the MofW crews liked them because they were so much cleaner to work with. And of course the disposition should be much easier too since they aren't soaked in hazmat.

Do you know if Irving is still milling their own ties? I know they were harvesting and cutting their own ties and contracting out the pressure treating to a NB company. But if they are using creosote again its possible its cheaper to just buy off the market ties?

Definitely a surprising outcome. I would not have expected that at all. Apparently the creosote does more than just prevent rot.

creosote is a good inexpensive wood integrity preservative especially if you are pressure treating well dried incised wood that can more easily be penetrated with the preservative.

the down side to creosote is that if it touches your skin it literally eats it up especially in warm sunny conditions, the fumes are poisonous, the treated wood itself is poisonous to digestive systems. it can cause blindness, on and on nasty stuff. so the key from a track workers point of view is dont lay your sandwiches on ties, dont get the stuff on your skin, in your eyes, etc etc, use tools and especially machines to move/handle the ties.

MEC407 wrote:Video by drc930:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lawdh05wD7A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is that CWR in the last scene?

Yes, there's a bit of welded rail in here, iirc from 1977 or in that general ballpark.

Thanks. I was wondering about it not just because of the appearance in the video but also because I didn't hear any jointed rail clickity-clack.

690 wrote:Yes, there's a bit of welded rail in here, iirc from 1977 or in that general ballpark.

I have a copy of a Maine Central Messenger, Summer 1980 Issue. On the cover, photo shows MOW workers installing MEC's first C.W.R., along the shore of Messalonskee Lake. The 115 lb. C.W.R. was laid East and West of Belgrade in June 1980.

I've been noticing westbound pan am trains with one engine passing the Mountain Branch with a substantial number of cars in tow. One just passed at about 5:20 pm, with I'm guessing about 40 to 50, or more cars.
Sometimes I see them heading eastbound, one engine, with a lot more cars than one would think would be pulled by a single engine. I'm guessing they are empties heading to or from storage somewhere.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
S

Containers on TTX flats or boxcars?

Mostly boxcars and some empty centerbeams.
S

They might be empty boxes coming out of storage at Waterville. PAR is trying to phase out its fleet of boxcars.

Cosakita18 wrote:They might be empty boxes coming out of storage at Waterville. PAR is trying to phase out its fleet of boxcars.

Please explain "phase out." Makes it sound as if they are clearing the property of boxes. They currently maintain a healthy fleet of boxes, even with fewer carrying MEC/BM reporting marks, holding lease on thousands of cars.

I noticed last Friday that there was 510 with around 40 gondola cars sitting by 164 in Auburn, waiting to head west.