The new gravel customer is located in Tilton. 149 acre lot.
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Official New England Southern Thread (NEGS)
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Thanks for the info. So if its not Pike Industries "exporting" to MA, then there's a lot more available (and quarry-able) land around there than I thought. Will be interesting to see if there's direct-load or a truck-based "first-mile".
The only plot of land close to that size that I could find near the railroad is a former sand pit operation....
...on the branch to Franklin!
Hmm?
...on the branch to Franklin!
Hmm?
Support the WW&F's project to Build 11!
elecuyer wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 9:01 am The only plot of land close to that size that I could find near the railroad is a former sand pit operation....It's in Tilton, along the mainline.
...on the branch to Franklin!
Hmm?
MRY wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 5:08 am Thanks for the info. So if its not Pike Industries "exporting" to MA, then there's a lot more available (and quarry-able) land around there than I thought. Will be interesting to see if there's direct-load or a truck-based "first-mile".Most of it will be direct load and there's no Pike attachment unless they buy from them in the future.
So -- if the operation prospers, are we gonna have Milford-Bennington Part Deux?
"A gray crossover is definitely not company transportation."
Oooh, a mystery! There's nothing that looks like a gravel supplier along the mainline in Tilton, nor does it look like anything approaching 149 acres. The only thing that size that's near the mainline appears to be Pike, and that's out. 
Sorry, WFH has left me with wayyyy to much time.
Sorry, WFH has left me with wayyyy to much time.
Looking at the Tilton tax maps, I now realize that the Pike quarry is actually in Belmont AND the RR trax pretty much skirt the southern border (along the river). The only apparent large piece of property is or is near the 3M site. For those of you not familiar with NH hazmat/asbestos history, the former owner is Johns-Manville. Not sure if anyone would want to be digging there.
the acreage of several building-less lots combined near the manville road is pretty close to 149, and the location along the river would be a likely place to find gravel. notwithstanding hazmat issues, that could very well be the location noted above.
member, new hampshire timberland owners association
Maybe they are looking at a trans load operation from trucks to rail. My daughter lives in Belmont near one of the Pike gravel pits and last week while there I was amazed at the amount of gravel loads running by. This road crosses the tracks in Tilton, NH near I-93.
These are tractor trailers with a conveyor belt unloading system at the rear. The loads travel south on the interstate from Tilton.
These are tractor trailers with a conveyor belt unloading system at the rear. The loads travel south on the interstate from Tilton.
-gary
“If practice makes perfect, and if nobody's perfect, why practice?"
“If practice makes perfect, and if nobody's perfect, why practice?"
New name!
From Rails & Ports on Facebook:
VRS Parent Forms New Corp to Acquire and Operate NEGS
Trans Rail Holding Company, the parent company of Vermont Rail System, has filed notice with the STB to use the name Merrimack &Grafton Railroad Corporation (MGRC) to acquire the New England Southern Railroad property and rights. In March, Vermont Rail System ownership formed Trans Rail Holding Company and then in turn filed with the STB to control the VRS properties.
On April 30, 2020 TRHC entered into an agreement to purchase some of the business assets of the New England Southern Railroad Co. (NEGS), a Class III rail carrier that is the designated operator of the approximately 73-mile long line of railroad that runs between Milepost P 21.30 at Lincoln, New Hampshire to Milepost C 0.58 at Concord, New Hampshire on the former B&M White Mountain Branch.
The rail lines are owned by the State of New Hampshire and NEGS has provided common carrier rail operations over the Line pursuant to an Operating Agreement between NEGS and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, dated November 14, 2012. As part of NEGS's agreement with TRHC, NEGS will assign all of its rights and obligations under the Operating Agreement to the MGRC, anon-carrier subsidiary formed by TRHC for the purpose of becoming the new designated operator of the Line. Prior to the commencement of service on the Line TRHC and MGRC will have obtained the required consent of NHDOT to the assignment of the Operating Agreement to MGRC.
NEGS will remain an independent Class III rail carrier after the transaction is closed. MGRC has filed a separate notice of exemption in STB Docket No. FD 36405 pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 1150.31 (a)(3) to become the new operator of the Line. Upon obtaining the right to operate over the Line MGRC will become a Class III carrier.
TRHC notes that the rail line being acquired does not connect with any of the tracks of the other five railroads controlled by TRHC. Moreover, the involved transaction is not part of a series of anticipated transactions that would connect the Line to any of the tracks of the other railroads. Neither MGRC nor any of the carriers controlled by TRI-IC are Class I rail carriers.
Per the filing, this transaction falls within the class of transactions described under 49 C.F.R. § 1180.2(d)(2) and is exempt from prior approval by the Surface Transportation Board.
The requested decision will allow TRHC to have continued control of its subsidiary MGRC to assist the latter in replacing NEGS as the operator of the Line in order to ensure freight rail operations and service to rail shippers continue on this rail line for State of New Hampshire. The transaction will also provide efficiencies and operating economies, as well as improve the financial viability of both TRHC and NEGS, the latter of which has been in need of operating capital.
From Rails & Ports on Facebook:
VRS Parent Forms New Corp to Acquire and Operate NEGS
Trans Rail Holding Company, the parent company of Vermont Rail System, has filed notice with the STB to use the name Merrimack &Grafton Railroad Corporation (MGRC) to acquire the New England Southern Railroad property and rights. In March, Vermont Rail System ownership formed Trans Rail Holding Company and then in turn filed with the STB to control the VRS properties.
On April 30, 2020 TRHC entered into an agreement to purchase some of the business assets of the New England Southern Railroad Co. (NEGS), a Class III rail carrier that is the designated operator of the approximately 73-mile long line of railroad that runs between Milepost P 21.30 at Lincoln, New Hampshire to Milepost C 0.58 at Concord, New Hampshire on the former B&M White Mountain Branch.
The rail lines are owned by the State of New Hampshire and NEGS has provided common carrier rail operations over the Line pursuant to an Operating Agreement between NEGS and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, dated November 14, 2012. As part of NEGS's agreement with TRHC, NEGS will assign all of its rights and obligations under the Operating Agreement to the MGRC, anon-carrier subsidiary formed by TRHC for the purpose of becoming the new designated operator of the Line. Prior to the commencement of service on the Line TRHC and MGRC will have obtained the required consent of NHDOT to the assignment of the Operating Agreement to MGRC.
NEGS will remain an independent Class III rail carrier after the transaction is closed. MGRC has filed a separate notice of exemption in STB Docket No. FD 36405 pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 1150.31 (a)(3) to become the new operator of the Line. Upon obtaining the right to operate over the Line MGRC will become a Class III carrier.
TRHC notes that the rail line being acquired does not connect with any of the tracks of the other five railroads controlled by TRHC. Moreover, the involved transaction is not part of a series of anticipated transactions that would connect the Line to any of the tracks of the other railroads. Neither MGRC nor any of the carriers controlled by TRI-IC are Class I rail carriers.
Per the filing, this transaction falls within the class of transactions described under 49 C.F.R. § 1180.2(d)(2) and is exempt from prior approval by the Surface Transportation Board.
The requested decision will allow TRHC to have continued control of its subsidiary MGRC to assist the latter in replacing NEGS as the operator of the Line in order to ensure freight rail operations and service to rail shippers continue on this rail line for State of New Hampshire. The transaction will also provide efficiencies and operating economies, as well as improve the financial viability of both TRHC and NEGS, the latter of which has been in need of operating capital.
NEGS will remain an independent Class III rail carrier after the transaction is closed.So NEGS railroad would still exist and could pop up in some other incarnation.
BandA - If I'm understanding the wording correctly, NEGS will become a defunct class III railroad and exist only on paper. I understand why they want the name to reflect the region they are serving but I'm not sure why they wouldn't just change the name of NEGS to MGRC.
It takes real skill to choke on air, fall up the stairs and trip over nothing. I have those skills.
With the new owner I wonder will there be caboose trains again.
Last edited by toolmaker on Fri May 22, 2020 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
-gary
“If practice makes perfect, and if nobody's perfect, why practice?"
“If practice makes perfect, and if nobody's perfect, why practice?"
I know railroad names don't always represent the area they cover but is there a reason they are using Merrimack and Grafton?
toolmaker - I don't think you will see those come back, I was told the caboose owners stopped, due to the rising cost of liability insurance.
It takes real skill to choke on air, fall up the stairs and trip over nothing. I have those skills.