Intermodal to Saint John

CPKC 120 was into Greenville Jct. at 21:35 with KCS(long hood forward)/CP/CP (all marks obscured from low light), 79 wells/121 containers, 33 empty wells, 37 mixed freight (2 loaded autoracks)

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 11:16 with KCS 4832/CP 9802/CP 7028, 8 mixed freight, 45 wells/87 containers.

[Edited at 18:50]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 14:21 with CP 8668/KCSM 4073/CP 8906/CP 3037, 50 mixed freight, 18 wells/35 containers.

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 10:07 with CP 8906/KCSM 4073, 2 mixed freight, 91 wells/158 containers, CP 8668 (DPU), 76 wells/146 containers, 15 mixed freight.

[Edited at 17:37]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 15:15 with CP 8129/CP 9827/CP 2261, 67 wells/123 containers, 4 empty wells, 16 mixed freight (one loaded autorack).

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 08:34 with CP 8129/ CP 9827/CP 2280, 84 mixed freight (18 autoracks).

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 11:52 with CP 8100/CP 8000/KCSM ?, 19 mixed freight (2 loaded autoracks), 37 wells/68 containers, 23 empty wells.

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 08:37 with CP 8000, 60 wells/130 containers, KCSM 4071 (DPU), 52 wells/104 containers, 7 empty wells, 3 empty autoracks. I believe this CSXT container may be the one that recently went east to Saint John.
[Edited at 16:15]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 14:55 with CP 8766/KCS 4832, 68 wells/143 containers, 34 mixed freight (5 loaded autoracks).

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 08:26 with CP 8766/CP 8100, 51 mixed freight, KCS 4832 (DPU), 5 mixed freight, 47 wells/70 containers.

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 14:59 with CP 8912/CP 8100, 26 mixed freight (2 loaded autoracks), 67 wells/125 containers, CP 8523 (DPU), 65 wells/77 containers.

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 09:03 with CP 8912/CP 8100, 7 mixed freight, 67 wells/119 containers, CP 8523 (DPU), 76 wells/139 containers.

[Edited at 18:57]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 13:31 with CP 8897/CP 9726/CP 2280, 8 mixed freight (5 loaded autoracks), 34 wells/51 containers, 33 empty wells.

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 08:59 with CP 8897/CP 2280, 61 mixed freight, CP 9728 (DPU), 19 mixed freight, 25 wells/49 containers, 10 empty autoracks.

[Edited at 13:04]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 12:44 with CP 8169/CP 9802, 35 mixed freight (4 loaded autoracks), 17 wells/32 containers, 34 empty wells.

121 was into Greenville Jct at 08:53 with CP 8169/CP 9802, 16 mixed freight, 2 empty wells, 89 wells/180 containers, 4 empty autoracks.

[Edited at 18:22]

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 16:26 with CP 8071/KCS 4117/CP 3048/CP 2280, 26 mixed freight, 42 wells/77 containers, 9 empty wells, CP 9756 (DPU), 12 wells/15 containers, 51 empty wells.

A bit off topic Mr. NHV, but it appears you reside in Berlin NH. Returning from "the larger" Berlin, this past Tuesday, according to the inflight map, I flew right over "your Berlin" enroute to EWR.

So much for that, but I further recall that Berlin was last stop for both the Day and Night White Mountains, a joint NH-B&M operation. The "Night" set out Pullmans at Bretton Woods, which I guess were in high demand for the '44 Conference where the postwar era monetary policy was set (or some might say "dictated" by the US).

Mr. Norman,

Close, but I'm about 35+ miles south, and a ways off the former B&M Berlin Branch in Bethlehem, a stone's throw from the long abandoned BC&M to downtown.

It's too bad the IM lane to Montreal through Berlin on the SLR (Former CN/GT) dried up and disappeared, especially now that CP is running it over the Moosehead again, and they have a connection in Sherbrooke.

CPKC intermodal service to/from Saint John got a two shout outs from CPKC Chief Marketing Officer John Brooks in its Q3 Earnings call with analysts on 10/23/24:

International intermodal, frankly, since COVID, it's been tough to really tell how those international intermodal volumes will move up and down, but the lineup right now to close out the year with our customers continues to look strong. In fact, we're seeing some really good growth out at Port of Saint John with our services out there.

and

Maybe the last piece on Gemini, and I think this is worth mentioning, is with the investments that DP World has made at the Port of St. John, it's really beginning to unlock that next step function of capacity at that terminal, from the 300,000 TEUs a year potential to 800,000 TEUs a year, with the development and addition of cranes at that port. So, again, I think just another example of how we potentially believe the partnership and the expanded service callings into that port could generate growth in 2025.

Mr. Barlow, it's good to note that CPKC considers Saint John an important traffic source to develop. After all, I don't think CN is about to offer them trackage into Halifax. The maritime companies calling there had best accept that there is no competitive road to make rates; it seems as if Halifax is a "gotcha".

But hopefully at Saint John that as Chessie becomes a competitive force, which I would define as having FRA Class 3 trackage and addressing the clearance issues that Timmy chose to ignore, this will bring more callings so that "Beaver and Chessie" need not get into a ruinous rate war.

It seems to me that calling at Montreal is simply counterproductive. Going "up the Saint Lawrence and down to Gaspe'" would be an additional day of sailing, and lest we note, Montreal certainly appears to be a "labor hotbed" appearing to have "the strike of the day".

From the flight on Tuesday, I observed at least five vessels sailing to or from Montreal (from FL330, hard to tell the direction they were sailing). Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the aircraft to have observed any activity at Saint John (if even visible). United Airlines is in business to provide transportation from BER to EWR, and not aerial sightseeing of Eastern Canadian ports for my convenience .

Finally, dig out your April 1952 New Haven Form 200 and look at Table 35. Mr. NHV had "two a day" - Day and Night White Mountains to and from New York plus a B&M (I'd guess) Doodlebug to White River Jct. While the "Day" tied up in Berlin, I was mistaken to have reported that the "Night" did same. It tied up at Bretton Woods.

121 was into Greenville Jct. at 09:09 with CP 8071/CP 3048, 14 mixed freight, 44 wells/91 containers, CP 9756 (DPU), 34 wells/68 containers, 31 mixed freight.

120 was into Greenville Jct. at 13:11 with CP 8823/KCS 5003, 18 mixed freight (9 loaded autoracks), 3 empty wells, 15 wells/28 containers.

Since we are discussing counting ships on the way to/from Montreal, they might be slightly lower on the next flight both in numbers, and in their ground clearance. Maersk has just added another 150/300 USD low water surcharge on 20/40 foot containers, to match MSC's offering from Oct. 2nd. Maersk's offering starts on Nov.1 and lasts "until further notice".