Discussion relating to the past and present operations of CPR. Official web site can be found here: CPKCR.com. Includes Kansas City Southern. There is also a KCS sub-forum for prior operations: kansas-city-southern-and-affiliates-f153.html

Moderators: Komachi, Ken V

  by CN9634
 
The FRA grant was denied but the grants which MaineDOT had seperately applied for were reworked and reapplied for to incorporate work up to Millinocket. You can see this on the MaineDOT website since they have some remnants of the old grant before they reapplied.

The CRISI grant I posted is current and we will know in September
  by NHV 669
 
120 was into Greenville Jct. at 18:07 with CP 8703/KCSM 4504, 78 wells/132 containers, 67 mixed freight (4 autoracks) 5 empty wells.
  by NHV 669
 
121 was into Greenville Jct. at 09:14 with CP 8703, 21 mixed freight, 10 wells/20 containers, KCSM 4504 (DPU), 44 wells/83 containers.

[Edited at 15:42]

DIM-027/120 was into Greenville Jct. at 15:28 with 8795/8121/8828, 60 flatcars of wind parts, 32 wells/36 containers, 30 empty wells.
  by NHV 669
 
121 was into Greenville Jct. at 09:01 with CP 8828/CP 8121, 34 mixed freight, 53 wells/95 containers, CP 8795 (DPU), 78 wells/141 containers, 9 empty autoracks.
  by CN9634
 
Saint John came up on the CPKC Q2 Earnings call a few times yesterday afternoon.

First, it was mentioned that some international intermodal contracts have switched hands. COSCO shipping has moved back to CN from CPKC, which was mostly traffic on the west coast. However, with that loss CPKC has picked up some ONE business, and cited it a better fit for their entire network of not just Vancouver and possibly Saint John. Right now ONE calls Halifax on a few trades, so curious to see if they will flip to SJ. Noteworthy on this too is the EC5 service, which features massive 14000 TEU vessels which DP World claims can call on Saint John.

Saint John also came up when talking about Gemini with Hapag and Maersk, where CPKC believes theres a lot of opportunity for Hapag and Maersk at both Vancouver and Saint John. This one we've already covered a few posts back.

Lastly, the port of Saint John was mentioned as a potential stop-gap to USEC port strikes that could occur in September with the ILA at an impasse on negotiations.

On that front, I'm told that NBSR is looking at adding capacity in sidings in McAdam and some pictures posted today on Facebook show them hot to trott on getting the Knight's siding project completed. They've also hired 4 conductor positions in Maine so staffing up a bit too.
  by MaineRailfan
 
CN9634 wrote:Saint John came up on the CPKC Q2 Earnings call a few times yesterday afternoon.

First, it was mentioned that some international intermodal contracts have switched hands. COSCO shipping has moved back to CN from CPKC, which was mostly traffic on the west coast. However, with that loss CPKC has picked up some ONE business, and cited it a better fit for their entire network of not just Vancouver and possibly Saint John. Right now ONE calls Halifax on a few trades, so curious to see if they will flip to SJ. Noteworthy on this too is the EC5 service, which features massive 14000 TEU vessels which DP World claims can call on Saint John.

Saint John also came up when talking about Gemini with Hapag and Maersk, where CPKC believes theres a lot of opportunity for Hapag and Maersk at both Vancouver and Saint John. This one we've already covered a few posts back.

Lastly, the port of Saint John was mentioned as a potential stop-gap to USEC port strikes that could occur in September with the ILA at an impasse on negotiations.

On that front, I'm told that NBSR is looking at adding capacity in sidings in McAdam and some pictures posted today on Facebook show them hot to trott on getting the Knight's siding project completed. They've also hired 4 conductor positions in Maine so staffing up a bit too.
Knights is still a month if not more out. NEP is having to redo more roadbed which failed compaction testing as well as replacing several fills they did over the winter which were unstable and at risk of becoming a landslide. This is the third time they have had to back track and the project is overbudget and behind schedule. As for McAdam there hasn't been any progress there in 2 years, so I am not sure why that is even being mentioned. Really all they did was trim some brush which has all grown back in and put out some marking flags. With the amount of work going on up north and at Woodland/Saint Stephen next year, its probably not happening in 2024/2025.

The 4 conductors spots were to replace two guys who will be moved up to engineers when Al Jordan and Robbie McCormick retire this year/next. The other two are to replace David Bernier and Brett Tarr who passed away last year. The 4 new conductors were most likely to beef the spare board back up, as some guys were having to work 5+ days a week instead of 4, to cover 910 or recrew 909.
Last edited by MaineRailfan on Thu Aug 01, 2024 2:42 pm, edited 6 times in total.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Honest....could Saint John even think about handling this 24000 TEU m/v One Innovation ?
  by MaineRailfan
 
I double checked with some sources last night, and Knights is a ways out. The siding was supposed to be done in December, but Northeast Paving dragged their feet getting the project started. Once it did start they only had a small bulldozer, loader, and two 25 ton excavators up here to do the work, which is no where close to what they needed. Eventually they got more equipment from other companies Vinci (recent rebrand of Eurovia) owned from the southern states. Then the project got further behind over the winter due to the rain storms we had and on the cold days they had a hard time getting equipment running, since some of the machines weren't equipped with block heaters or glow plugs, and things just spiraled from there. Plus you also had the sprigntime weight restrictions on the roads, which closed work down for 2+ months and now they are fighting issues with soil stability.

Knights will probably be used to handle MNR traffic. Hardy Pond is 5,900 feet and they have been dropping traffic at Bancroft which can handle the longer cuts for MNR. But running to either siding adds several hours onto a crews day. Knights is the better choice, since switching at Hardy isn't ideal. The cautionary limits will be bumped east from the bypass to Mile 99-97 soon. This will allow EMR to set the train off at the siding when CPKC can't take the traffic.

On a somewhat related note, MNR has been shut down since last weekend. MNR 901 derailed on the grade at Summit north of Grindstone. I was told 6 Herzog ballast cars spread the gauge and derailed. The tie gang had just completed work in this area and they were going to drop a unit and the ballast train off at Sherman or Oakfield for a work train, so the surfacing gang could get working once they were done fixing mud spots around Lake View, as well as the work on the Millinocket Sub.
Last edited by MaineRailfan on Thu Aug 01, 2024 2:45 pm, edited 3 times in total.
  by CN9634
 
Always such drama and "detail" in your posts-- on any account you use.
  by MaineRailfan
 
You are entitled to your own opinion.
If you disagree with any of what I posted, I would like to see the information you have which contradicts what I said. If you have information which is credible and contradicts what I said, I will walk back my statement.
What I posted about Knights, came from someone who works for NEP. That information corresponds with photos others and myself have taken of the project since outset of construction such as the fact that there was little to no progress made from sometime in March to the start if May, as well as several updates from the company.
Information about McAdam and EMR came directly from railroad sources. A friend who worked at NBSR was told the same thing.
The information about the recent new hires is a combination of information from railroad sources, and deductive reasoning. I/E the railroad lost 2 people last year and will be loosing two more to lateral promotions soon. So obviously they are going to hire 4 people to replace the two spots which have been open and the two which will be soon.
Otherwise, ad hominem mud slinging doesn't contribute anything.
  by KuBand12
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 6:21 pm Honest....could Saint John even think about handling this 24000 TEU m/v One Innovation ?

The scantling draught of the ONE Innovation is 16.5 meters. It's length is 400 meters and it's width is 61.4 meters.
The scantling draft is the absolute deepest draft the ship is designed for.

Current capacities for the 2 Rodney berths:
South berth: 400m, draft 12.2m
North berth: 345m, draft 17.1m.

The current max TEU capacity of ships is 14000. So it goes without saying that it isn't in the current spec. More cranes are to be added to get to 800K TEU capacity, but I don't know if they are planning to upgrade the spec from the current cranes.

The current max width the cranes can reach is 21 rows. I believe the ONE Innovation is 24 rows wide, so an upgraded crane capacity would be required.

So, not today, or this year, but it looks possible in the future. Disclaimer - I am not connected to those who make those decisions.

The ship could be turned in the harbour with approx. 100 meters to spare on each end. I am not sure about how deep the harbour actually is today, but they turn 300 meter ships regularly in the harbour these days, and the berth is dredged for 17.1 meters so maybe the harbour is dredged to that also.

On top of this, there was a comment made by Doug Smith (CEO, DP World Canada) that leads me to believe they are already planning to dredge deeper in the harbour.
https://youtu.be/8iEyYV9Dgcg?si=DDXs64c1ZWQgDl-8&t=824

His statement was ""It's not well known how deep it really can be here". I think they know exactly how deep they can and need to dredge for the future, and he was throwing hints out how they are going to proceed.

One thing I know for sure - Montreal will never see a ship anywhere close to that size.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Thank you, Mr. Kuband for your report.

I think that video I located of this vessel calling at Southampton tells it all. I must wonder what if that vessel dropped 12000 Containers (24K TEU) on the docks over there. How long would it take using all available transport - rail AND highway - to get them to a final destination anywhere in Great Britain?

Lest we forget, there is no such a thing anywhere in Western Europe as a Double Stack. It's "Ugly American" on my part when I've been overseas to laugh at their maybe twenty five car train handling a like number of 2TEU Containers.

For that matter, even if Saint John upgrades the Port, as Mr. Kuband notes is their intent, how long would it take to clear by whatever transportation mode those 12000 containers. Sure, CPKC (CP-M) can operate Double Stacks, and Chessie appears willing to give up her Fancy Feast for whatever's on sale at Dollar General so that she can handle them as well. But I still think if Saint John upgraded the poet and invited a vessel the size of m/v One Innovation to call, is the rest of the logistics infrastructure - rail and highway - up to the task?
  by NHV 669
 
No 121 this morning.

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 17:58 with CP 8814/CP 8121, 73 mixed freight (8 loaded autoracks), 2 wells/3 containers, CP 8126 (DPU), 16 wells/25 containers, 57 empty wells.
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