St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR/SLQ)

I think they were on the Yarmouth branch so they are no longer getting beans or sweetener by rail - When did B&M quit getting beans by the SLR? DO they transload beans now of are they brought by truck?

(This is probably how I find out that B&M beans are now made in New Jersey.)

Yes, all of those locations are south of Danville. Looking at GMaps, there also appears to be an obstruction on the tracks a bit south of DJ. Marking current end of track? I believe its been five or so years since they last "spilled the beans" out of a car down at B&M.

B&M Baked Beans are still made at the original factory in Portland, Maine. They just don't ship or receive anything by rail anymore.

Awesome - thanks for the You tube links.

AR

If I recall, the B&M plant was a case of the railroad not wanting to serve an isolated low-volume customer at the far end of a branch. If other rail customers were ever to materialize south of Auburn (Which is unlikely, although the Presumpsot St. area is still very industrial) then B&M could easily start receiving cars again

Correct, B&M was still using rail, but SLR — very understandably — decided it was no longer feasible to continue operating a 26 mile line just to serve one low-volume (VERY low volume) customer. I think most of us were downright amazed that SLR continued to serve B&M for as long as they did. How many other railroads would make a 52-mile round trip just to drop off a load of dry beans and pick up a single empty car, once or twice a month?

Hello,
Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0830 with the following:

GP0-3 3805
RM-1 805
RLHH SD40-2 3403
20 hi-cube boxcars
2 covered hoppers
4 tank cars
46 propane cars

That's 72 cars total, including 1 load and 71 empties.

By the way, it sounds like the newly-rebuilt and -repainted 3806 and 806 worked east on last night's 394 arriving in Lewiston Junction around 0400 this morning.
Have a great day,
Fritz

Shiny new paint at Lewiston Junction this morning- my guess is it's mother is inside the shop.

Thanks, Greg!
Whatever they were doing with the 3806 in the shop didn't take long ...

Today's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0830 with the following:

GP40-2 3047
RM-1 806
GP40-3 3806
GP40-2 3007
QG GP40 3105
28 centerbeam flats (26 from RCP!)
2 bulkhead flats
2 covered hoppers
2 tank cars
21 propane cars
7 hi-cube boxcars

That's 62 cars total, including 1 load and 61 empties.

With five working engines, they made a much quicker "exit" up the grade out of Island Pond than did yesterday's train with only three motors and 72 cars.
Have a great day,
Fritz

And it looks like the same consist returned East/South last night with 3105-3007-3806-806-3047, as they're seen crossing here into N. Stratford village at 2215 with 53 cars in tow:




Assuming they dropped some cars at RCP, as they were just departing Island Pond, when I finally spotted them at 2145 on Lake Street. It looks like they were stopping to work the NHCR interchange which had several tanks on the siding, I'm assuming the cars spotted furthest south are for SLR pickups? The power had come to a stop short of Ayer Road in N. Stratford, but pulled forward just after I passed them. I didn't stay to watch, as I still had an hour drive home.

Casey,
Thanks for the info and video of last night's eastbound extra (they don't normally run on Wednesday nights). They did indeed spot nine loads at RCP in Island Pond. Usually cars on the south/east end of the North Stratford siding are being interchanged TO the NHCR, and cars on the north/west end of the siding are being interchanged back to SLR. So those cars might have been loads for Ryme's.

This morning's SLQ westbound 393 extra departed Island Pond at 0800 with the following:

GP40-2 3035
QG SD40U 6904
RM-1 804
GP40-3 3804
5 centerbeam flats
3 covered hoppers
49 propane cars
3 tank cars
13 hi-cube boxcars

That's 73 cars total, all empties.
Happy New Year!
Fritz

>How many other railroads would make a 52-mile round trip just to drop off a load of dry beans and pick up a single empty car, once or twice a month?

STB filing says 30 carloads a year and I believe I read a blurb in the ppaper that B&M claimed it was $100K/year contract. I could be misremembering that though.

The 30-a-year sounds about right. I remember reading or hearing that somewhere.

After receiving complaints when falling debris struck boaters the Maine DOT made the decision to remove the badly
fire damaged section of the Back Cove trestle between the swing span and the Portland peninsula. The nearby marina
asked that as much of the structure as possible remain in place as it serves as a breakwater of sorts during storms, so
the the portion of the structure between the East Deering shore to and including the swing span will remain for the
time being. So a little more of the past disappears. Towards the end of CN ownership there was some thought of
building a container pier at this location but that was also the time period that oceanic shipping lines were moving to
fewer and larger port facilities and nothing more came of it. DOT says some use may come of the remaining structure.

Hello,
This morning's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0810 with the following:

GP40-2 3047
RM-1 806
GP40-3 3806
6 centerbeam flats
23 propane cars
3 tank cars
6 hi-cube boxcars
1 covered hopper

That's 39 cars total, including 1 load and 38 empties.
Have a great day,
Fritz