Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:29 am
Mr. Newpy, wasn't the MEC line through Crawford Notch sold to a tourist line? If so, hasn't that line effectively been truncated?
I can recall from Camp days returning from a Mt. Washington hike (Tuckerman Ravine Trail for you mountaineers around here) and "a train" was descending that very steep line, as was the highway as well.
Get to St. Johnsbury by whatever means such as tracking over the tourist line, and so far as I know, the interchange there with the St Johnsbury and Lamoille County is gone as that road no longer exists.
So I guess I wonder why is it being discussed here, other just "vamp" until some kind of decision on the Sale is announced.
I recently read that Guilford held onto the rights for thru freight traffic through the Notch (the state of New Hampshire does own the Mountain Division from the ME state line up to Hazens). Couple that with the fact that (someone) still owns the St J to Whitefield track, and it adds an interesting question into the PAR sale quotient.
I'm not disagreeing that it is highly unlikely that thru freight service would return to the Notch, especially given the fact that most of the track in Maine is "out of service" (for a long time now), and the lack of traffic. But if a railroad thought they could make it work, then you never know. Heck, if someone said to you 20, 25 years ago that CP would return to VT and ME, and take over the old Bangor & Aroostook, would you have believed them? If they didn't buy the CM&Q, but still wanted to access an Atlantic port, they could've bought down to St J, then the Mountain Division, but there would really have to be something they really really wanted in Portland in order to deal with sinking $$$ into it and maintenance. If CN wanted Portland access, they could take the St Lawrence & Atlantic back. Who knows what will happen in this world, as there was "talk" of them wanting the CV back.
Still, I'm not camping out on Mt Willard to await the passage of RJ-1 anytime soon, but, Mr Norman, I'll camp at Dolly Copp again and hike Tuck's like I did this summer, though I still prefer hiking from the Cog side.
"And so... we wait"