CMQ Infrastructure Upgrade Plans for 2016

Found this on the Progressive Railroading web site:

Central Maine & Quebec Railway

2016 MOW budget: $5.8 million (plus $6 million TIGER grant)
2015 MOW budget: $6 million
Reason for budget decrease: Basically, the same program scope as in 2015.
Rail: Install or replace 4 miles with 115-pound, 80-foot bolted rail.
Grinding/surfacing: Surface 110 miles.
Ties: Install or replace 19,000 wood ties.
Ballast: Install 14,000 tons.
Bridge work: Program budgeted at $550,000 to address various maintenance items; no major rehabs planned.
Unusual MOW project: Obtained a $6 million TIGER VII grant from the state of Maine in addition to regular capital for $10 million trackwork project. Work includes the installation of 55,000 ties, 28,000 feet of rail and 23,000 tons of ballast, replacement of 32 turnouts and 120 miles of surfacing work.

any idea where this work is going to take place?

Moosehead & Quebec. TIGER work is Nocket to Searsport. All in all a big year for CMQ for trackwork

I am not a RR professional, just an armchair observer,
but 115 lb rail sound light for a modern installation. Is that still common to install on branches w/o a lot of traffic?

johnpbarlow wrote:Found this on the Progressive Railroading web site:

Central Maine & Quebec Railway
Rail: Install or replace 4 miles with 115-pound, 80-foot bolted rail.

Regarding the $6M TIGER grant, it says "in addition to the regular $10M budget" Does that mean $16M to be spent at CMQ on MOW/Trackwork this year on top of the $5.8M? Will be busy indeed.
JS

pumpers wrote:I am not a RR professional, just an armchair observer,
but 115 lb rail sound light for a modern installation. Is that still common to install on branches w/o a lot of traffic?

To put it on context, the PAR mainline from Plaistow to Portland has 115 LB rail and that line sees far more trains (and higher speeds) than any other line in ME, NH, or VT.

MEC407 wrote:

pumpers wrote:I am not a RR professional, just an armchair observer,
but 115 lb rail sound light for a modern installation. Is that still common to install on branches w/o a lot of traffic?

To put it on context, the PAR mainline from Plaistow to Portland has 115 LB rail and that line sees far more trains (and higher speeds) than any other line in ME, NH, or VT.

The CMQ still has lots of 100lb rail, mixed with 112 and 115lb rail, and they do 25 over that too. In fact, one of the only notable mainline restrictions off the top of my head is the bridge at Onawa, for cars shorter than 44', and weighing more than 263,000 lbs.

CN9634 wrote:Moosehead & Quebec. TIGER work is Nocket to Searsport. All in all a big year for CMQ for trackwork

Any monies earmarked specifically for upgrades at Brownville Jct?

16-18 turns out and basic yard work. I'd say yes

CN9634 wrote:16-18 turns out and basic yard work. I'd say yes

Curious if this is routine maintenance or an attempt to ease congestion in the yard itself. Both the cutoff and Log yard have taken care of some of the congestion issues, but there is still enough real estate to relay some yard tracks near the old CP roundhouse area.

Replacing that many switches is not routine. Each switch starts at around $60K and upwards to do so the grant money is definitely part of this. The CMQ money separate from the TIGER grant is going into Quebec mostly

CN9634 wrote:Replacing that many switches is not routine. Each switch starts at around $60K and upwards to do so the grant money is definitely part of this. The CMQ money separate from the TIGER grant is going into Quebec mostly

Thanks for the insight CN. I'd imagine a green invasion of NBM Rail Service equipment and material will be arriving at Brownville Jct soon.

fogg1703 wrote:

CN9634 wrote:16-18 turns out and basic yard work. I'd say yes

Curious if this is routine maintenance or an attempt to ease congestion in the yard itself. Both the cutoff and Log yard have taken care of some of the congestion issues, but there is still enough real estate to relay some yard tracks near the old CP roundhouse area.

This project is directed at major improvements to interchanges in Northern Maine that will streamline operations and drastically reduce transit times.