Lewiston Industrial Track/Lewiston Lower Rd/Branch status

[KSmitty]

And that's more than anyone here probably wanted to know!

Nope.

And we're now seeing the continuing evolution of low profile fittings/manways. The drains are surrounded with I beams at 45 degree angles to stop a tank on an off the rails rampage from breaking the downpipe off. The tops have similar protections and ever decreasing profiles. All in an effort to minimize risk to the most exposed part of a tank car.

While cars stacking up at 60, or even 30 might still crack open cars, these protections have proven their value in places like the rollover in Mattawamkeag 2 years ago. Working exactly as designed to keep openings from breaking.

[sleepingtree]

Thanks for finding this! Cool PRR boxcar too. This is the section of the ROW I walked before the snow came last year. I never did post the photos I took. Need to get working on that!

The White Rock Distilleries building is actually on the other side of Lisbon St down Westminster.

White Rock actually has (edit: had) a facility at 81 Commercial St. Check out Google street view for confirmation. If you look at the roof lines and the location of the (currently) Selco building the building with the funky tank car is definitely 81 Commercial St.

That said, I'm not sure if White Rock controlled the building in 1967. (Perhaps it was their rail connection?)

Anyone?

[sleepingtree]

Gang - I think I have an answer. I did some digging (like I said, I'm pretty obsessed with this line).

To whomever thought the sign read "Poland Spring" - I think you are correct. Poland Spring Vodka was one of the original brands of White Rock. In 1967, they were a small three person company located on Commercial St in Lewiston.

[bunky]

Drove over the Lewiston Lower on River Rd in Topsham today and something has been down the line. Something had cut through the remaining snow and the flange ways in the crossing have been disturbed.

[BostonUrbEx]

Drove over the Lewiston Lower on River Rd in Topsham today and something has been down the line. Something had cut through the remaining snow and the flange ways in the crossing have been disturbed.

Maybe a track patrol? It has been a long time since the last movement which was before the first major snowfall. I don't know if hi-rails or snow removal equipment would be heavy enough to disturb crossing flangeways, though?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Drove over the Lewiston Lower on River Rd in Topsham today and something has been down the line. Something had cut through the remaining snow and the flange ways in the crossing have been disturbed.

Maybe a track patrol? It has been a long time since the last movement which was before the first major snowfall. I don't know if hi-rails or snow removal equipment would be heavy enough to disturb crossing flangeways, though?

Sure would. If it weighs enough to stay on the track it weighs enough to cut through a flangeway. I remember when the Watertown Branch tracker thread would get all excited at first sign of activity in months because they saw disturbed crossing...then the inevitable "Awwww! They just moved that stupid flanger machine that's been abandoned in the woods all winter another pointless few hundred feet down the line."

[atholrail]

310 went to Grimmels today...

[BM6569]

310 went to Grimmels today...

Twice!

[gokeefe]

What looked like DO-1 was southbound with two GDJX hoppers around 6:00pm on Friday, April 17th through Freeport. I'm guessing they may have worked the L.I.T. as there weren't any interchange cars from Maine Eastern.

[doublestack]

What looked like DO-1 was southbound with two GDJX hoppers around 6:00pm on Friday, April 17th through Freeport. I'm guessing they may have worked the L.I.T. as there weren't any interchange cars from Maine Eastern.

Your guess is correct. The hoppers with GDJX markings belong to Grimmel's. They've started back to shipping by
rail just recently from what I've seen.

[gokeefe]

What looked like DO-1 was southbound with two GDJX hoppers around 6:00pm on Friday, April 17th through Freeport. I'm guessing they may have worked the L.I.T. as there weren't any interchange cars from Maine Eastern.

Your guess is correct. The hoppers with GDJX markings belong to Grimmel's. They've started back to shipping by
rail just recently from what I've seen.

Interesting. Even more surprising was that they went south ahead of the Downeaster which followed about 30-40 minutes later through Freeport. DO-1 appeared to be "moving right along" at track speed and was going to make great time back to Portland. Must have been nice for the crew, dispatch likely gave them a very good move in order to get them in the clear below Mountain Junction.

[dnelson]

What looked like DO-1 was southbound with two GDJX hoppers around 6:00pm on Friday, April 17th through Freeport. I'm guessing they may have worked the L.I.T. as there weren't any interchange cars from Maine Eastern.

Your guess is correct. The hoppers with GDJX markings belong to Grimmel's. They've started back to shipping by
rail just recently from what I've seen.

Interesting. Even more surprising was that they went south ahead of the Downeaster which followed about 30-40 minutes later through Freeport. DO-1 appeared to be "moving right along" at track speed and was going to make great time back to Portland. Must have been nice for the crew, dispatch likely gave them a very good move in order to get them in the clear below Mountain Junction.

If the Brunswick job was westbound 40 minutes ahead of Amtrak and things were clear west of 185, there's a good chance they could have made Rigby without having to let Amtrak pass in Portland.

[gokeefe]

If the Brunswick job was westbound 40 minutes ahead of Amtrak and things were clear west of 185, there's a good chance they could have made Rigby without having to let Amtrak pass in Portland.

That's what I was thinking as well but to a certain extent it represented a bit of a gamble on the part of the dispatcher. I was surprised that they rolled the dice on that one but it was going to be complicated regardless as there is also a TT Eastbound passenger train only an hour and a half afterwards.

I remain utterly fascinated by the extent of the "low volume" freight movements on lines in this area. It must be unique to anywhere in the United States to have four lines in such close proximity (Back Road, SLR Danville-Yarmouth Junction, PAR Lewiston Industrial Track, PAR Lower Road) operating with such low frequencies. Anywhere else I think most of it would have been torn out long ago.

[drcrf93]

Looks like Pan Am made a Brunswick run on Wed. 4/22. Anyone know if they went to Grimmel's?

[sleepingtree]

They did. They ran light up the industrial track (left one locomotive tied down in the Brunswick "yard") and were pulling two loaded scrap gondolas on return.