Railroad Forums 

  • Grade crossing rehab in District 1

  • Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.
Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Discussion relating to the current operations of the Boston & Maine, the Maine Central, and the Springfield Terminal railroads (as well as the Delaware & Hudson while it was under Guilford control until 1988). Official site can be found here: PANAMRAILWAYS.COM.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1070276  by KSmitty
 
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/08/06/n ... crossings/ It continues, signs have spread to Newport now. The number listed is still the Emergency Operations Center number listed on the homepage of the Pan Am website. I realize towns want their crossings fixed, but I find it irresponsible to direct complaints to an emergency line in the operating department. What is the D1 TOM going to do about a bad crossing, really?

Its not that hard to dig into the company directory and dig up the Asst. VP of Engineering's number, he could actually do something about it...
Oh that number by the way is 663-6961, took me 15 extra seconds once I was on the homepage. I don't see how calling the ops center over and over is going to get you anywhere, Its like dialing 911 "Hello 911, yes I'd like you to fix the pothole at the end of my driveway" And really are they going to be interested in helping annoyances who call emergency numbers for a complaint? Sorry for the rant/
 #1070301  by MEC407
 
Thanks for the article link.

Quote from the article:
Bangor Daily News wrote:In response to complaints from the town, Ricker said Pan Am Railways dropped off a section of rail complete with ties intact, but never installed it. It still sits alongside the tracks near the Old Bangor Road crossing.

“That was over two years ago and they never responded and never came back to actually do the work and install the new tracks,” said Ricker.

A representative from Pan Am Railways, which owns a line that runs from New Hampshire to Mattawamkeag, didn’t return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.
I guess this is today's example of the old adage, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
 #1072706  by MEC407
 
Somewhat related to the discussion of grade crossings in District 1...

From the Bangor Daily News:
Bangor Daily News wrote:Representatives from Pan Am Railways, state officials and town residents will meet in North Belgrade Community Center on Tuesday evening to discuss a fee some residents knew nothing about.

In February, Dick Bickford received a letter in the mail from Pan Am, stating that he owed fees associated with the railroad crossing that stretches across the private road he lives on, Kayak Lane.

Many years ago, he said, railroad companies made agreements with homeowners on private roads to help pay for maintenance of the crossings. It was a $75 fee per year, plus the residents would be required to carry liability insurance for the crossing.

“They’re hauling out these old agreements and trying to make [residents on the road] pay $1,600 a year. That amounts to $400 apiece,” said Bickford, who then mentioned the liability insurance related to damage to the tracks that is not included with homeowners insurance. “So, you’re paying roughly $1,100 to $1,200 a year [total].”
Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/08/13/n ... fee-hikes/
 #1072728  by gokeefe
 
It will be interesting to see how this works out. Ultimately I think the railroad is going to have the upper hand, unless someone can prove that they took the tax exemption as discussed for track improvements.

There's probably some kind of backstory as to why they are doing this right now in that particular area.
 #1072880  by moth
 
Kayak lane is not too far from my camp road. I know that my deed includes specific language that allows me to access to the property by foot, horse and carraige, or mechanized conveyance. It specifically mentions the right to cross the right of way of Maine Central railroad.

I know that 10+ years ago our road association called up Pan Am and asked if they could do some repairs on our crossing. The guy on the Pan Am end brought up the question of if we were paying for the crossing to be maintained. Our association then dropped the request and never called back. No one on our road has recieved any request for money from Pan Am.

Most of this came about after last August when Pan Am replaced the rails with CWR and rebuilt the crossings. The crossings had been paved and now use wooden sleepers between the rails. What I suspect happened was that people on Kayak lane tried to push Pan Am for a better crossing and Pan Am pulled out these old agreements to shut them up.

On a side note. A few weeks ago one of the boards was loose and kicking up a few inches when we drove across. Pan Am sent a crew out to fix it within a few hours of being called.
 #1072898  by MEC407
 
From today's Kennebec Journal:
Kennebec Journal wrote:Camp owners and others vented frustration at railroad officials Tuesday night during a discussion of proposed fee increases at railroad crossings and a requirement that residents who have to cross the tracks on private roads to get to their homes buy liability insurance.

More than a dozen residents showed up at the North Belgrade Community Center to ask Pan Am Railways representatives about the proposal. At times, with voices raised, the residents interrupted each other and cut off the attorney and spokeswoman for the railroad.
Read more at: http://www.kjonline.com/news/railroad-o ... 08-14.html
 #1073095  by MEC407
 
D1 scanner freqs can be found here:

Pan Am radio frequencies
 #1073300  by MEC407
 
From the Bangor Daily News:
Bangor Daily News wrote:After a meeting with concerned residents, Pan Am Railways has agreed to withdraw its push for a fee hike against property owners on private roads that have railroad crossings.

Rep. Dennis Keschl, R-Belgrade, said more than a dozen people showed up at North Belgrade Community Center on Tuesday evening to meet with Pan Am executives.
...
During the meeting, Pan Am agreed to stop the fees until a bill is brought before the Legislature, according to Keschl.

“Pan Am promised to issue a letter on how they’re going to proceed and to rescind the letter of previous agreements,” said Keschl.
Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/08/15/n ... ref=latest
 #1073416  by gokeefe
 
Discussion of this issue with people who live very close to the railroad yielded the conclusion that it was everyone's impression that this was almost certainly related in some shape or form to the increase of traffic from the oil trains. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. But for the moment PARs sudden concern with liability is in my opinion, and that of others living very close to the tracks, related to the new freight traffic.
 #1073763  by obienick
 
gokeefe wrote:Discussion of this issue with people who live very close to the railroad yielded the conclusion that it was everyone's impression that this was almost certainly related in some shape or form to the increase of traffic from the oil trains. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. But for the moment PARs sudden concern with liability is in my opinion, and that of others living very close to the tracks, related to the new freight traffic.
There's been a lot of talk through the AAR about liability concerns recently. Could Pan Am's lawyers simply read up or connect the dots and tried to expand train op liability immunity further to immunity from private crossing users?
 #1073930  by gokeefe
 
obienick wrote:
gokeefe wrote:Discussion of this issue with people who live very close to the railroad yielded the conclusion that it was everyone's impression that this was almost certainly related in some shape or form to the increase of traffic from the oil trains. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. But for the moment PARs sudden concern with liability is in my opinion, and that of others living very close to the tracks, related to the new freight traffic.
There's been a lot of talk through the AAR about liability concerns recently. Could Pan Am's lawyers simply read up or connect the dots and tried to expand train op liability immunity further to immunity from private crossing users?
PARs comment in one of the linked articles was that they had hired an engineer and "this was were she started" (paraphrased; although I do specifically recall the use of the feminine pronoun).

I'm having a hard time believing that "hiring an engineer" (of the civil variety) is normally a prelude to routine track maintenance.
 #1095133  by MEC407
 
From the Bangor Daily News:
Bangor Daily News wrote:After nearly five years of asking, Newport Town Manager James Ricker said Pan Am Railways has agreed to help fix two railroad crossings in town.

“I’m excited that it’s happening,” Ricker said on Wednesday. “I think that Pan Am, at this point, has shown their willingness to work with us. We’re going to stay on this communication level and hopefully what’s happened in the past is in the past and we can simply move forward with this.”

In August, Ricker and several Newport residents expressed their displeasure about the conditions of railroad crossings on the Old Bangor Road and Spring Street.

“I think that crossing is a disgrace,” Vernon Holyoke said of the Old Bangor Road crossing at the time.
Read more at: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/17/n ... ing-fixed/
 #1098352  by eastwind
 
I wonder if this thread could be merged into the Pan Am Railways (PAR) Maintenance of Way (MoW) Activity thread? Some posters in the latter thread seem to see grade crossing rehab as part and parcel with MOW.
Just asking.