St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR/SLQ)

[Fritz]

Hello,
Thursday's report from Island Pond ... cars from last Saturday's 393 still sitting on siding at Island Pond but now the 3805, 805, 3004, 3105, and 3035 are coupled to the headpin. These are the locomotives that brought yesterday's extra 393 west through Berlin. Not sure where the cars from their train are though. As far as I can tell, no trains have gone to or come from Quebec this week. Little radio chatter today. Does anyone have any updates on either detours or the bridge itself. Thanks!
Best,
Fritz

[trainiac]

Per an article that appeared in today's Sherbrooke Record (titled "Things are Going Well") alternative routes have already been figured out. I don't have access to the article, but there is an excerpt posted freely online:

Things are stable following the washout of a rail bridge north of Sherbrooke last weekend. According to Claudine Bois of Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc, the parent company for the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, alternative routes for rail traffic had already been arranged by the start of this week. “We are working with the other railways,” Bois said, explaining that while the detour makes the route longer, all of the customers of the railway are being served through the new arrangement.

I'm not close enough to the line anymore to keep an eye on traffic, but I do recall distantly hearing an SLR train near Waterville a little after midnight 2 nights ago (not sure which direction).

I have a lot of friends who read or subscribe to the Sherbrooke Record so I'll see if I can get the full article.

[Mikejf]

Was it an actual train you heard in Waterville, or was it radio traffic you heard from the SLR while you were in Waterville. I would think that kind of detour would be a really long way around..

[Fritz]

Hello,
As a further update, the SLQ westbound 393 that had been sitting in Island Pond since last Saturday was no longer there this Friday morning. Tracing a few cars shows that it arrived in St. Lambert Chambly (Southwark Yard) at 0700 this morning, so they must have left Island Pond sometime yesterday. There were also five loaded centerbeam flats at RCP Transit, so an eastbound must have also come through Island Pond sometime yesterday or early this morning. Other than that, no clear idea when and how trains are running, but, at least, they are running again.
Best,
Fritz

[MEC407]

Was it an actual train you heard in Waterville, or was it radio traffic you heard from the SLR while you were in Waterville. I would think that kind of detour would be a really long way around..

I think he was referring to Waterville, Quebec, which is just south of Sherbrooke.

[Fritz]

Hello,
Here is a link to a more recent article about the SLQ bridge in Brompton:

https://www.latribune.ca/actualites/she ... 9ce7a02621

Again in French, but it appears to confirm that the SLQ is detouring trains/rerouting traffic via CN, CP, and CMQ, presumably through St. Jean sur le Richelieu and Lennoxville. It states that the reroute was arranged by last Monday, but I still don't think trains were running until Wednesday or Thursday at best.

It also sounds like they are still assessing the bridge and what needed to be done to repair the bridge. I had hoped that they were already doing the work!
Best,
Fritz

[Fritz]

Hello,
Sorry for yet another post, but I have heard word about a couple of movements today on the SLR:

First, an SLR eastbound 394 rolled through Berlin around 0130 this morning with four units (two GP40s, one GP40-3, one RM-1).

Second, around 1300 this afternoon, a westbound 4-unit light engine set rolled through Berlin with the 804, 3804, 3008, and 3102 (maybe locomotives off the previous 394?). Not sure if these engines will pick up the cars from Wednesday's 393 or if they are headed to Lennoxville to retrieve another 394.

Just thought you might be interested.
Best,
Fritz

[NHV 669]

CMQ sightings post 30 minutes ago with tonight's 394 entering CMQ territory in St-Jean. Looks like it would be the cars being forwarded up to QC with the lite engine move.

Photo By Patrick Taillon:

[NHV 669]

Hello,
Thursday's report from Island Pond ... cars from last Saturday's 393 still sitting on siding at Island Pond but now the 3805, 805, 3004, 3105, and 3035 are coupled to the headpin. These are the locomotives that brought yesterday's extra 393 west through Berlin. Not sure where the cars from their train are though. As far as I can tell, no trains have gone to or come from Quebec this week. Little radio chatter today. Does anyone have any updates on either detours or the bridge itself. Thanks!
Best,
Fritz

Ding Ding! Photo by Frank Jolin:
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/645184/

[gokeefe]

Times like these it is very reassuring that SLR is owned by a large holding company with deep pockets. The last time I can think of this line losing a bridge like this it resulted in the permanent loss of service to the Portland waterfront.

[trainiac]

Again in French, but it appears to confirm that the SLQ is detouring trains/rerouting traffic via CN, CP, and CMQ, presumably through St. Jean sur le Richelieu and Lennoxville. It states that the reroute was arranged by last Monday, but I still don't think trains were running until Wednesday or Thursday at best.

It also sounds like they are still assessing the bridge and what needed to be done to repair the bridge. I had hoped that they were already doing the work!

I'm not sure how recent all the information is - the article is dated January 15 but was updated. The French quotes in the article are a direct translation of those that appeared in English in Thursday's Sherbrooke Record, so I expect they're from the same source.

Was it an actual train you heard in Waterville, or was it radio traffic you heard from the SLR while you were in Waterville. I would think that kind of detour would be a really long way around..

I think he was referring to Waterville, Quebec, which is just south of Sherbrooke.

Sorry - yes, I was referring to Waterville, QC. (I live near North Hatley, QC, 4 miles from the SLR line in Waterville.) My understanding is that Northbound trains would stay on the SLR until transferring to the CMQ in Sherbrooke (Lennoxville), then go through Farnham/Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu before reconnecting with the other end of the SLR at Ste-Rosalie.

[S1f3432]

Times like these it is very reassuring that SLR is owned by a large holding company with deep pockets. The last time I can think of this line losing a bridge like this it resulted in the permanent loss of service to the Portland waterfront.

At the time of the Back Cove bridge fire in Portland the line was still owned and operated by CN, and I am sure CN had the resources available
to repair the bridge had it been worthwhile. At the time it wasn't unusual for 393/394 to be a light engine move between Portland and
Yarmouth Jct.

[gokeefe]

I completely agree that CN had the resources to repair the bridge but I don't think they had any interest in saving the line. G&W has both interest and resources.

[NHV 669]

In this case though, they're not trying to rebuild a swing bridge to downtown Portland; It's right in the middle of a busy through-route.

[S1f3432]

393 left South Paris at 5 PM (1-22-18) with 805-3805-3035-3105-3004 and about 75 cars. Also, last Saturday afternoon
6904 was in the middle of a cut of cars on the siding adjacent to Blackcat Rd. at Danville Jct. Wondering if it was
getting shipped out somewhere?