"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

[gokeefe]

Fantastic report Kevin. Great photos and information.

[atholrail]

Is there a surface crew following behind this tie job?

[KSmitty]

Is there a surface crew following behind this tie job?

Surfacing? I'm unfamiliar with trackwork terms...

That said, so far the tail end of the project has been marked by the tamper. Today was the first time I'd seen anything behind the tamper, that tie crane equipped hirailer.

[atholrail]

Tamper, and Ballast Regulator normally...

[KSmitty]

Tamper yes, ballast regulator no. Course to regulate ballast you need to have some rock there. Many places on the line there is simply not enough rock. In downtown Lincoln, by the mill, the track is literally in the mud, the only ties you can see are the ones that were replaced. They are sunk in the muck, and unfortunately much of the line is like this.

[gokeefe]

There is a massive stockpile of rock in Waterville that I would surmise will eventually be used for this project. A lot of the surfacing assets are currently in southern Maine finishing off the Downeaster trackwork. I can directly confirm that the ballast regulator and tamper seen on the MoW siding in Winthrop have not yet departed and are still spotted there regularly.

[KSmitty]

First of all, for those of you not in the area, the now famous rock pile --> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3223580 <----> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3223578 <-- Happy surprise today though, they loading the stuff! --> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3223579 <----> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3223577 <-- MEC 1334MWB and BM 2915 were the first of many --> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3223582 <-- From the looks of it, damn near every ballast car they had at Waterville has been pulled out of storage. The cut stretched from the office out front to out of sight around the bend. I imagine this is all northbound, but I know work has been going on simultaneously in 3 different sections of the state. I hope to have another report from the NMJ-Keag section of the line next week, heres hoping I can report fresh rock!

Edit, should have mentioned the empties are being spotted on the Augusta branch for loading, if they hold today's pattern they are spotting 2 at a time.

[KSmitty]

354, 3004, 51X and 347 just took WAPO (I think) west through Monmouth. On the headend was a disappointing sight, the cut of ballast cars from Waterville. Evidently they don't heap them over when they fill them. Was really hoping the stone was eastbound...

[atholrail]

Don't understand why they just aren't loading the stone at Anson, or at Deerfield and then railing it up to Waterville.

[atholrail]

I have also heard they plan on making Waterville this season with this tie job. This is the same equipment that put in new ties from Greenfield to Northfield on the Conn River. Once they finished the ties, the equipment was trucked to Keag...

[gokeefe]

I have also heard they plan on making Waterville this season with this tie job. This is the same equipment that put in new ties from Greenfield to Northfield on the Conn River. Once they finished the ties, the equipment was trucked to Keag...

Assuming that all of the MoW equipment being used for the Downeaster extension also makes it way north that might be realistic.

[newpylong]

500 ties is nothing, although obviously better than none lol. The average rail mile has about 2500 ties.

[roberttosh]

500 ties is nothing, although obviously better than none lol. The average rail mile has about 2500 ties.

Was thinking the same thing. North of Bangor they should be replacing more like 1,000 per mile. With bad ties all around the newly inserted ones, they don't last nearly as long. Who knows, maybe they'll make a second run through their next season?

[KSmitty]

Don't understand why they just aren't loading the stone at Anson, or at Deerfield and then railing it up to Waterville.

Loading in Anson would mean dragging those cars up the Madison branch and then back down loaded. That branch can't handle the current work it does let alone a slug of cars loaded with crushed rock. I don't know what they have for facilities in Deerfield, but the stone is essentially free if its coming from their own pits here in Maine, and on a non-revenue run why add an extra 150 miles to the trip?

500 ties is nothing, although obviously better than none lol. The average rail mile has about 2500 ties.

I was told same thing. Actually learned quite a bit over the past couple weeks. Management was expecting 1500ties/day the crew is swapping 800 most days and being short a handful of guys and with the equipment (or lack of) 800 is an incredible achievement. Common consensus up there seemed to be that they should be swapping 800-1000 ties a mile, "500 is a joke" was heard a couple times...

As for progress to Waterville, I did all the math out, maybe I posted here don't remember though, so I'll run it down here.
The project was, on Wednesday, 3 1/2 weeks old, and in that time that had done tie replacement about 25 miles south. If the weather holds they have a maximum of maybe 12 weeks left. That gets them about 85 miles further south. 85+25 is 110, which is CPF 110, the Hinckley Branch switch in Fairfield, thats damn close!

[newpylong]

Especially considering per the FRA every 4th tie has to be in "good shape" I wouldn't be surprised to see this just as a stop gap to prevent derailments but no actual speed increases possible.

Did they begin this project at the Keag? Sorry if this has been posted I wouldn't find it (not that I am a good searcher).