"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

Very large amount of lumber moving south off of irving again today

Seems like 426/427 are nearing capacity
I’m curious when csx might add a 2d train pair to Selkirk given to steady volume from nbsr and the apparent plan for higher volume with the yard expansion

Not an answer anyone here has but likely when it makes more financial sense for them to do that than reduce tonnage.

It's easy to see what's going on by Utube site: "retired in mattawamkeag" . It's a site with an abutter who walks his dog along the tracks and local trails. He posts more than once a week. One recent post showed all the clear cut along the tracks south of Rte 2 crossing. He has a couple of cameras in his back yard that he uses to summarize traffic both to the north and south facing at the end of each month.

Yes
But he keeps changing his name on youtube

Currently it is retired in northern maine

Very interesting (and not at all surprising, I suppose) to see CSX clearing land for additional / longer sidings in Keag.

But - do I recall that there is a limitation to the length of trains that CSX is allowed to send through Hill Yard in Ayer every day? i seem to recall a limit of like 6,000 or 7,000 feet of train. It seems that 426/427 aren't so far from hitting that limit; I love the idea of CSX adding a second train pair but I'd suppose they'd have to negotiate something with NS to make that possible? (I may be mis-remembering on this point though.)

Also - the land being cleared for new sidings in Keag, is described above as being "south of the Route 2 crossing." I assume this does not refer to the Route 2 crossing that is right at the interchange. Looking at Google Maps, the next Rte 2 crossing is a couple of miles south of the interchange point itself - and therefore that CSX would have to give the EMRY crews authority to operate down that way?

Pretty sure the agreement was for 2 train pairs across PAS before they would need to come up with another agreement so they can get another pair through there.

I don't think they would be clearing south of Military Road (Route 2) south of Winn. That's way down by MP 4 in DCS, seems pretty far south.

I recall 2 train pairs as well as the initial deal, subject to future change

Matching maps to the video, the clearing work is just nortb of the main st crossing where main st meets rt 2

And there is yet another way to move me traffic. Csx in theory at least could move sone cars via rotterdam instead of barbers

If they moved cars that way NS would get a cut, they won't do that. If they need to extend beyond the two train pairs they'll renegotiate with NS to run more over PAS. PAS is always going to need something that CSX could pay for.

They are clearing about 5000 feat east of the last crossing in Winn. I am wondering if the land clearing has more to do with the old pipeline which runs down to Searsport from Loring AFB, more so than the railroad. I know its runs along the ROW in a few places around Mattawamkeag, Winn. Versant Power uses part of the abandoned pipeline to house a distribution line. There is a new solar farm on the Route 2 side of the river being built and I think they still need to build a substation for it. So the land clearing might be related to that.

It just seems like it would have taken more time for CSX to start cutting trees, if they just started talking to landowners in the last few weeks. Also there is another distribution line that follows the EMR main line, its just a hunch but where they are land clearing on that side of the river, that would be a pretty good spot to reroute that line across the river, onto the CSX side, and then to a new substation. But I could be entirely wrong on this. There is also a huge swath of land up by MP-4 in Winn which is being clear cut as well, it runs just about from MP4 to a little past MP5.

That big swath up on the hill on the right on that guy's video as he walks also made me suspect it wasn't railroad (or all RR) related. That land is likely not even owned by the RR and would not benefit a couple of extended tracks in any way.

I think that land being cleared to the right with the two buildings on it is the piece of property that was sold to CSX. The clearing does look excessive to extend a couple of sidings doesn't it?

This is the area I was talking about. What are they going to put way up there? https://youtu.be/pFu3KjEBF34?t=388

'This is the area I was talking about. What are they going to put way up there? https://youtu.be/pFu3KjEBF34?t=388'

I had the same thought when I first viewed the video. That is a big grade up to those building. Unless they use some of the hill as fill for the siding extensions. Is there any need for a transload facility in that area or an LPG facility?

The hill is puzzling I agree
But the rest looks like exactly what would be needed to add more tracks
And csx didn’t change out the rail in that area, suggesting to me a bigger plan
I’m betting this is mostly rr related, especially since the interchange appears to be near capacity already

newpylong wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 9:55 am That big swath up on the hill on the right on that guy's video as he walks also made me suspect it wasn't railroad (or all RR) related. That land is likely not even owned by the RR and would not benefit a couple of extended tracks in any way.

I probably should have reworded my statement better, I meant to add that they are doing a big clear cut down between MP4-5 which isn't railroad related. Although I suspect it may become a new vegetable field for Jordan Farms, which is owned by an EMR engineer.