by KSmitty
I want to clarify my point. I think Pan Am has a future in the oil business, and yes, even the unit CBR business. I also don't think we're that far from seeing it come back. I just don't think you're going to see CSX or NS investing 100M+ in a 2-trains-a-day line 150 miles east of the end of their tracks.
What does Pan Am need to make unit moves happen again? In my opinion, another 3 crews east of NMJ, and Enfield siding put back in service. It takes 3 crews to roundtrip WASJ/SJWA from NMJ to Keag. Thats 24 hours. If you put Enfield in service you can meet trains halfway, which means you double capacity (1 train each way/day to 2 trains each way/day). Of course a second train would require another 3 crews, since crews work 8 hour shifts and it takes 24 hours to roundtrip the 130 miles...
Otherwise, I think they showed in the winter 2012/2013 they can handle an onslaught of 4 or 5 unit trains/week, up to the point where the NMJ-Keag line chokes. Getting oil (or anything for that matter) from the west to NMJ is a relatively simple process, and not all that slow. Getting it the last 65 miles is a 12 hour ordeal. In terms of rolling pipeline OT-Keag is the choke point.
A couple points real quick. If you look at in service locomotives (based on Bill's Jan 2014 roster) you will see 44+6 GP40's (300's and 6 leased), 16 GP40-2W's (500's, not including burned up 507), 37 SD40-1/2/3's (600's+17 leased). So the GP40 is still the most common model on the property, but GP40's do not make up the majority of the road fleet. This is compounded by the fact that SEPO/POSE run at least part of the way with CSX power, and 22/23K, 205/206 run with NS power. Times are a changing...
RT, "crapping out all over the place" is a bit harsh in my opinion, its been a really tough winter and bigger and better railroads are also having trouble with power shortages. CP, NS, and BNSF are all power pinched at the moment. And credit to Waterville, if you look through the last year of locomotive summaries, you will find average deadline time for new failures is <2 months.
That said I couldn't agree more that Pan Am's locomotive fleet is historically under-maintained and was likely no better maintained than MM&A's. A capital rebuild program (maybe even a -3 upgrade program) would do wonders and will become increasingly necessary if they continue to rely on 1960's era locomotives. All of their GP40's can be overhauled and upgraded to -2 or -3 with no worries about emissions, since Tier 0+ applies to locomotives built 1973 or later. This would also apply to some of the 600's, specifically those rebuilt from SD40's, or 45's, and any early built SD40-2's.
What does Pan Am need to make unit moves happen again? In my opinion, another 3 crews east of NMJ, and Enfield siding put back in service. It takes 3 crews to roundtrip WASJ/SJWA from NMJ to Keag. Thats 24 hours. If you put Enfield in service you can meet trains halfway, which means you double capacity (1 train each way/day to 2 trains each way/day). Of course a second train would require another 3 crews, since crews work 8 hour shifts and it takes 24 hours to roundtrip the 130 miles...
Otherwise, I think they showed in the winter 2012/2013 they can handle an onslaught of 4 or 5 unit trains/week, up to the point where the NMJ-Keag line chokes. Getting oil (or anything for that matter) from the west to NMJ is a relatively simple process, and not all that slow. Getting it the last 65 miles is a 12 hour ordeal. In terms of rolling pipeline OT-Keag is the choke point.
MEC407 wrote:I would dare say that PAR's current motive power situation might actually be a bit worse than MMA's. PAR has had two locomotive fires in two weeks. PAR's 300-series locomotives, which still make up the backbone of the fleet, are approaching 50 years old... and they're crapping out all over the place. The 500s are showing their age, as are the 600s, and there's never enough of either of them to go around. The leased GMTX 3000s are no better than the PAR 300s.
A couple points real quick. If you look at in service locomotives (based on Bill's Jan 2014 roster) you will see 44+6 GP40's (300's and 6 leased), 16 GP40-2W's (500's, not including burned up 507), 37 SD40-1/2/3's (600's+17 leased). So the GP40 is still the most common model on the property, but GP40's do not make up the majority of the road fleet. This is compounded by the fact that SEPO/POSE run at least part of the way with CSX power, and 22/23K, 205/206 run with NS power. Times are a changing...
RT, "crapping out all over the place" is a bit harsh in my opinion, its been a really tough winter and bigger and better railroads are also having trouble with power shortages. CP, NS, and BNSF are all power pinched at the moment. And credit to Waterville, if you look through the last year of locomotive summaries, you will find average deadline time for new failures is <2 months.
That said I couldn't agree more that Pan Am's locomotive fleet is historically under-maintained and was likely no better maintained than MM&A's. A capital rebuild program (maybe even a -3 upgrade program) would do wonders and will become increasingly necessary if they continue to rely on 1960's era locomotives. All of their GP40's can be overhauled and upgraded to -2 or -3 with no worries about emissions, since Tier 0+ applies to locomotives built 1973 or later. This would also apply to some of the 600's, specifically those rebuilt from SD40's, or 45's, and any early built SD40-2's.