Schnabel Car Move May 17-19 2012

I didnt see a topic on the Schnabel car since it came north to Portland/Rigby. I understand its waiting on a transformer to arive by ship in Portland for loading. Will move to Leeds loaded May 17 or 18 (this coming Thursday or Friday) and be transloaded to truck though I don't imagine your run of the mill lowboy trailer will be quite adequate to move it MDOT has set up temporary lighted signs on Rt. 202 warning of delays expected next Saturday May 19. Article says its going to Greene by rail, I'd wager they will use the Greene portion of the siding at Leeds Jct for the swap from rail to road.

The Sun Journal had an article on the move --> http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston ... th/1191879 <-- This will surely be a cool move to see, if anyone has further detail or catches a sighting of train ( assuming it moves in dedicated train ) please post! Hopefully the sun will be out!

I have seen a couple of the multi axle trailers being hauled on conventional lowbed trailers the last week or so, headed North on the Maine Turnpike, through Portland. Could have been headed to Leeds.

I also saw a larger than average truck from the same company in Searsport this week. It would be a pull truck for the large loads, as it had larger than your average road tires on it, almost like a larger crane tire. Time will tell and I hope someone is around to record the event.

Mike

What's the final destination for the transformer?

Per the above news article, it's going to a new substation on Larrabee Road in Lewiston.

I'll be heading to Lenscrafters to get my eyes checked. I don't know how I missed that link.

Thanks to chuckusa1957, here's a video of the car being loaded in Portland on Monday, 5/14.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ2d79gf ... ature=plcp

Peter

Photo and blurb in today's Portland Press Herald:

The Portland Press Herald wrote:Central Maine Power spokesman John Carroll looks over a 572,000-pound electrical “autotransformer” that was shipped from Taiwan and delivered Saturday to the International Marine Terminal in Portland. On Monday, the 37-foot-long unit was placed on a special 18-axle rail car that will carry it to Leeds, and from there it will be trucked seven miles to a substation in Lewiston.

Read more at: http://www.pressherald.com/news/Photo-O ... -load.html

Another story and it gained some weight.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston ... on/1196282

Crews loaded the autotransformer onto a rail car Wednesday morning and began moving through Falmouth, Yarmouth, New Gloucester and the Twin Cities. It was scheduled to go past its eventual home in the northern part of Lewiston on its way to the offloading site in Leeds.

Very cool

Linky to LSJ article on the move, including a picture of the train crossing the bridge from Auburn to Lewiston, the one shot I wanted to get myself...
--> http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston ... on/1196282 <--
The Schnabel and caboose are spotted on the siding behind the former Maine Poly factory in Green off Rt 202. As of 2:00pm today May 17, the transformer was still on the car, and looked exactly as it did this morning at 7, just now there are more trucks and people in vizzy-vests on the ground. 512 is tied down on the siding at Leeds Junction, where its been since at least last night at 10p with the Schnabel's idler flat and a CSXT box that's been there for about a week now. I don't know if PAR thinks that car is going anywhere right off or not, but 512 had a crew with the headlights on...

As far as pictures or just plain viewing of the unloading goes, the siding is behind a factory, and 300ft from the nearest road...Frustrating!

Thanks for the link! The video at the bottom of the article has some really cool footage of the rail move, including some other trains that were seen along the way.

Didnt even see the video, thanks for pointing that out! The article has been updated since it was first pointed out to me late last night, they added a second picture. Pretty cool the coverage you can get now with papers and tv all having websites. Articles/stories that would never run now are online!

By 7, the transformer was on the truck, and parked beside Maine poly. The train was reassembled 512, Idler, Schnabel, caboose. Headed east to Leeds Jct. and in a rare move used the east leg of the wye to turn the train. Were waiting to head south on the main between Cressey and Leeds Jct Rds crossing. I counted 5 cars with atleast 8 people waiting. Should be a well documented move south!

The final move for the transformer was by truck. Here are some photos and a video of it.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston ... in/1197944