New England Southern lease terminated (Northern Main)!

Read a report(Atlantic Northeast Rails and Ports newsletter) that ST has terminated NEGS's lease of the Northern Main between Manchester and Concord. They have 90 days to vacate and ST will take over switching the former NEGS customers. Reportedly ST has already taken over switching non-coal loads at PSNH.

Day 90 is Aug 1st.

So far Peter is doing alright, but its hitting him hard.

GRS has been moving the anhydrous for PSNH for a while now because of an "incident" on CSX that they are "learning" from.

We ran a caboose train today, which was reported to be the last one, but it looks like there will be at least 2 more.

There are other details, mostly in options for service, but I can't share too much right now. Peter does have his lease on the White Mt. Branch for the next 5 years from the state of NH.

Any information on what might happen with the 2370?
I sure am going to miss this little railroad
So what's the future looking like? Is Pan Am really going serve the customers north of the PSNH plant? What happens to the lonely customer up in Tilton whatever the name is now? (formerly Quinn-T)
Talking with Peter last summer I had a feeling this was coming. Not living in Concord anymore it’s hard for me to get up there now a days to see him; I just hope I can get up there again before it’s over.

Big G only gets to Concord, the Pemi north of there is owned by the State. Dearness has the contract for 5 more years on the State portion of the line.

2370 is not for sale....regardless of what is being said. At least unless a more fuel efficient and well running replacement at a good price can be found I bet. As said Peter has the WMB for the next 5 years, and IPT will still be requiring the slurry cars.

So Guilford isn't just assuming / going after the busy cement plant business, they are taking the whole line into Concord back (except the state owned part) ?

NEGS would still retain Concorc to Tilton, etc. And would they retain Concord to Penacook?

PVRX1 wrote:So Guilford isn't just assuming / going after the busy cement plant business, they are taking the whole line into Concord back (except the state owned part) ?

NEGS would still retain Concorc to Tilton, etc. And would they retain Concord to Penacook?

The article I read says Guilford would be switching all the NEGS customers except on the WMB. The background on all of this, according to the article, is Guilford's concern about liability under new Homeland Security rules about handling hazardous material loads. That's why they already assumed switching the haz-mat at Bow.

So what does PAR run to Concord these days, and where and when is it on duty?

Rockingham Racer wrote:So what does PAR run to Concord these days, and where and when is it on duty?

PAR does NOT run to Concord as we speak now days. Minus the only PAR Crews on duty in the Concord Area is as far North to Bow, NH where they run for the PSNH Coal Trains.

As it stands now, NEGS interchanges with PAR at Manchester, NH and NEGS brings it's cars North and switches out it's customers either going South or North depending on what's needed

MEC 345 is headed up to Concord,N.H. with 4 cars for NEGS as I type this.
Billy Leazer W.F.P.T.

Skullitor wrote:MEC 345 is headed up to Concord,N.H. with 4 cars for NEGS as I type this.
Billy Leazer W.F.P.T.

If these were Anhyrdous Ammonia, PanAm did take that business back
(and then added immense surcharges to carry it). The train would be
going to PSNH in Bow, NOT to Concord. The Concord, NH Yard is North of Bow, NH about 10 minutes by car

So would it be fair :>) to say PAR will give the cement plant maybe 2 or 3 switches a week, and breathe eternal life into the business that Peter has grown there.

Is there only the one customer north of Concord? And, is it possible for NEGS to take a customer or so onto this line and transload the goods?

North of Concord on the White Mountain Branch their is a lone customer.... Inovative Paper Technology in Tilton, NH which receives cars of Clay Slurry

The "taking back" of the New England Southern by the "boys" at Billerica has been discussed extensively on this and other railfan lists, but I still have not seen a list of specific reasons for the change.

There has been mention of new federal regulations on the transportation of hazardous chemicals with high inhallation consequences in the event of a leak or spill. There have been posts that these cars must be transported in dedicated trains, with no other cars and not left in yards and the like. If that is indeed the case, why would a move of this material to the Bow power plant preclude the NEGS from serving the cement plant at Bow and their other customers in Concord.

Norfolk Southern leases a number of branches to shortline operators in the southern part of the country. If any of these shortlines have customers that receive or ship the hazardous chemicals on the federal list, does this mean that NS will be terminating these leases?

Handling of these chemicals certainly does raise liability issues that the NEGS probably does not have the financial resourses to cover with insurance or otherwise. An incident of a mis-aligned swtich in unsignaled territory on NS resulting in a spill of this materials and several fatalities has cost NS many millions of dollars.

That incident noted, I still do not see what that has to do with the NEGS being put out of business. There has to be more here than meets the eye.
NEGS began operations in 1982 and surely has had many headaches dealing with GRS over the years and has soldiered on. It's too bad that some bean counter in MA has decided to shove it to Mr. Dearness.

Dick

I read on one forum there was some clause that said if a customer handles more than x amount of cars er month Guilford could take over the service. But apparently they are taking the whole line back.

Have to agree with Dick, some piece of the puzzle is askew.

Perhaps someone related to the railroad or in the know can speculate when ready.