Maine Central / Pulp and Paper Mills

[Dick H]

According to the article referenced below, the NBSR is working to
reopen the line to Woodland. Scroll down to the end of the story
for the details on rail repairs. Article was published January 8th..

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/ ... le/1368891

[Highball]

The other big difference between your original list and the one in the Messenger is that you included Gilman, NH; the MEC one omitted that but included, as bubbytrains caught, Keyes Fibre (now Huhtamaki), right next to the Waterville yard.

I viewed the Waterville Yard on Google Maps and noticed a mill complex in an easterly direction, along Route 100 / 201....I assume this is the Huhtamaki Mill. I find it somewhat amazing that there were once, more or less, six pulp and paper mills located relatively close to each other in Waterville, Winslow, Gardiner, Augusta, Lisbon Falls, Topsham.

The 1980 Maine Central Messenger article did notate the importance of the Maine Mills to MEC's traffic Base, of course that would not include Gilman, NH. ( Thanks Mark )

[RRBUFF]

The NBSR line from McAdam NB to St. Stephen has reopened. The Line from Milltown NB /Milltown Maine is still down with no repairs being made yet.

[markhb]

The other big difference between your original list and the one in the Messenger is that you included Gilman, NH; the MEC one omitted that but included, as bubbytrains caught, Keyes Fibre (now Huhtamaki), right next to the Waterville yard.

I viewed the Waterville Yard on Google Maps and noticed a mill complex in an easterly direction, along Route 100 / 201....I assume this is the Huhtamaki Mill.

Yes; it's here, and it actually straddles the Waterville / Fairfield town line (and with it the Kennebec / Somerset county line as well). It's also the only surviving Maine paper mill whose product line I can actually identify (it's the home of Chinet paper plates).

[Cowford]

BTW, Gilman is in VT, not NH.

[bwparker1]

On a related note, reports from the Westbrook area indicate that PAR has been running to Cumberland Mills pretty much daily during the work week. Is Sappi shipping/receiving by rail again?

Any update to this new supposed activity out to Westbrook?

[jwhite07]

I thought the Woodland mill produced not paper but oriented strand board?

[RRBUFF]

GP sold the OSB mill to Lousiana Pacific which shut the mill down after a few months. The GP paper mill was sold to Domtar which shut the paper machine down and kept the Pulp mill open. Last year Domtar sold the mill to a Chinese Investment group and is running pulp to be exported to the Far East out of Eastport. The rail line from Calais to Woodland is OOS as the floods wiped out a large section of track . The line has been operated by NBSR and has equipment stranded at the mill.

[festis]

On a related note, reports from the Westbrook area indicate that PAR has been running to Cumberland Mills pretty much daily during the work week. Is Sappi shipping/receiving by rail again?

Any update to this new supposed activity out to Westbrook?

Sappi in Westbrook receives limestone slurry, clay (slurry and dry) and starch via rail. 8-10 cars per month, getting switched out every 7-10 days No outbound shipments

[gokeefe]

That's quite a bit more active than they were a few years ago when traffic to Sappi in Westbrook had come to a virtual halt. I believe the mill was fully shutdown for a period of time.

[festis]

the mill has never been completely shut down, though much of the traffic was diverted away from rail, mainly do to reliability issues. There is more volume out there to be had if service were consistent.

[gokeefe]

the mill has never been completely shut down, though much of the traffic was diverted away from rail, mainly do to reliability issues. There is more volume out there to be had if service were consistent.

Were they running reduced operations for a period? Sometime around 2006/2007 I remembering traveling over there and the plant almost looked dead. I assumed that they run 24/7 but perhaps not? Do/did they at one time shutdown on the weekends or can that place look kind of quiet and still be running pretty much full tilt?

[festis]

the mill has never been completely shut down, though much of the traffic was diverted away from rail, mainly do to reliability issues. There is more volume out there to be had if service were consistent.

Were they running reduced operations for a period? Sometime around 2006/2007 I remembering traveling over there and the plant almost looked dead. I assumed that they run 24/7 but perhaps not? Do/did they at one time shutdown on the weekends or can that place look kind of quiet and still be running pretty much full tilt?

reduced operations on weekends, cold shutdowns once or twice a year. could be you came across one of those. Pulp mill is shut down now, which might make things look quieter.

always looks busier when it is cold out...all the exhaust from the machines condenses in the cold air. same stacks in warm air might look dormant....

[gokeefe]

the mill has never been completely shut down, though much of the traffic was diverted away from rail, mainly do to reliability issues. There is more volume out there to be had if service were consistent.

Were they running reduced operations for a period? Sometime around 2006/2007 I remembering traveling over there and the plant almost looked dead. I assumed that they run 24/7 but perhaps not? Do/did they at one time shutdown on the weekends or can that place look kind of quiet and still be running pretty much full tilt?

reduced operations on weekends, cold shutdowns once or twice a year. could be you came across one of those. Pulp mill is shut down now, which might make things look quieter.

always looks busier when it is cold out...all the exhaust from the machines condenses in the cold air. same stacks in warm air might look dormant....

Okay, that makes sense. It was in the winter time and relatively cold out at the time. Based on your description it sounds to me as if it may have been a shutdown.

Thanks for the reply!

[gokeefe]

While doing some research on International Paper I noticed that a) it was headquartered in Portland, ME for a period of time in it's early history and b) it seemed that all of their mills in Maine were on the Maine Central.

Can anyone confirm IP's full history of mills and serving railroads in Maine?

They have one current site:

Auburn, ME (built?)

Former sites:

Bucksport (built 1930, acquired from Champion 2000, sold 2006)
Jay (built 1965, sold 2006)
Livermore Falls - Otis (built 1906, sold 197x?)
Rumford (built 1901, sold 1907?)

That's all I've got right off the top of my head ... Obviously these were all MEC served locations.

Having compiled the above I'm quite surprised to see how think represented IP has been in Maine compared to other companies. I thought they had a lot more.