by Cowford
Old annual reports are a blast to read, and give a great perspective on the past. Here are a few nuggets from MEC's 1963 performance:
* MEC handled 21,686 carloads of feed. ME's broiler production in 1963 was 64 million birds. In 2017, the state produced 47 thousand birds.
* MEC handled 21,366 carloads of potatoes, which represented a ~30% market share of ME's spud production that year. Today, ME produces about 40% of what was grown in 1963.
Together, these two market segments represented over 20% of MEC's 1963 carloadings.
* An additional 11% of carloading was gasoline, fuel oil and lube oil. The majority of that- fuel oil- was decades ago ceded to the likes of Merrill Transport with the advent of the tri-axle trailers with 64,000lb loads.
* Paper represented 25% of carloadings, 1.4 million tons. I'd guess volume (in tons) is not too dissimilar today.
* If tonnage was translated into today's car capacities (assuming 263K, not 286K), YR-1/RY-2 on the Mountain Sub would have been handling about 15 loads per day each way.
* The Company built an intermodal ramp in Wilton(!); total TOFC loads, systemwide, in 1963: 399
* A new station was built in Bucksport
* Morse circuits were discontinued except on the Back Road and connecting branches
* The Lower Road around Freeport was single-tracked
* Three stock cars were retired, leaving two remaining on the roster
* A photo features bi-level autoracks carrying IH Scouts
* Revenue per ton-mile equates to 20.09 cents... today's Class !s are closer to 5.0 cents. Shows how much more efficient transportation is today.
* MEC's OR had fluctuated between 77 and 82 over the prior ten years. EHH would have seen opportunities for improvement!
* MEC handled 21,686 carloads of feed. ME's broiler production in 1963 was 64 million birds. In 2017, the state produced 47 thousand birds.
* MEC handled 21,366 carloads of potatoes, which represented a ~30% market share of ME's spud production that year. Today, ME produces about 40% of what was grown in 1963.
Together, these two market segments represented over 20% of MEC's 1963 carloadings.
* An additional 11% of carloading was gasoline, fuel oil and lube oil. The majority of that- fuel oil- was decades ago ceded to the likes of Merrill Transport with the advent of the tri-axle trailers with 64,000lb loads.
* Paper represented 25% of carloadings, 1.4 million tons. I'd guess volume (in tons) is not too dissimilar today.
* If tonnage was translated into today's car capacities (assuming 263K, not 286K), YR-1/RY-2 on the Mountain Sub would have been handling about 15 loads per day each way.
* The Company built an intermodal ramp in Wilton(!); total TOFC loads, systemwide, in 1963: 399
* A new station was built in Bucksport
* Morse circuits were discontinued except on the Back Road and connecting branches
* The Lower Road around Freeport was single-tracked
* Three stock cars were retired, leaving two remaining on the roster
* A photo features bi-level autoracks carrying IH Scouts
* Revenue per ton-mile equates to 20.09 cents... today's Class !s are closer to 5.0 cents. Shows how much more efficient transportation is today.
* MEC's OR had fluctuated between 77 and 82 over the prior ten years. EHH would have seen opportunities for improvement!
Last edited by Cowford on Sat Apr 20, 2019 8:27 am, edited 1 time in total.