CSX Track Upgrades & Infrastructure of Pan Am

Confirmed: the switch and turnout have been removed.

That leaves Blue Linx as the only active customer on that track, correct?

Yes, BlueLinx is the only customer left on the branch, but they seem to be receiving more by rail lately.

One rail train arrived in Rigby yesterday and I think made it to Waterville while a 2nd one was in MA on the way. Will be interesting to see where this rail goes

For every inch of track between Keag and Waterville. Then there will be plenty south of Waterville to do as well. That rail is trash too and was bandaided to 25 but much is down to 10 now.

The Loram Rail Grinder ran Sunday over the Stony Brook---Video on You Tube by High Horses Productions starting at 35:00 minutes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u16iJaL ... =1&t=2252s

The first of the 2 rail trains dropped rail on the main in Waterville. The 2nd is in Rigby

atholrail wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 6:47 pm Don't know what the plans are for Manchester but seems interesting. Also tie job starting soon on the Hillsboro.

https://www.manchesterinformation.com/p ... manchester

That old Manchester yard area has plenty of room for a transload of customer, if they can find one.

Of note with this clean up is the fact that an old MEC boxcar (#29220) was scrapped. The article shows it knocked over on its side. I was in the area a few days later and there was no trace of it. For whatever reason the old yard tower still stands, though maybe not for long.

There's another old B&M box on a dead siding up the Hillsboro—wonder if that one will meet its maker soon too.

From what I've been told they are simply cleaning up however many years of crap (ie the RR dumping ground) and also reducing liability. Nashua and possibly what's left of Concord will get the same treatment.

neman2 wrote: ↑Wed May 31, 2023 7:46 am The Loram Rail Grinder ran Sunday over the Stony Brook---Video on You Tube by High Horses Productions starting at 35:00 minutes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u16iJaL ... =1&t=2252s

I’m suspicious that speeds may have been raised on the stony brook after the rail grind
Stony brook rail videos on YouTube has a video of a very long 426 moving on May 30 at what looks to me to be above 25 mph, perhaps 30 or 35. Could be wrong, but the train is barreling along

On the topic of former pan am area you tube videos, birch hill Subaru guy’s videos have all suddenly been purged from YouTube- says account terminated
Bummer because I liked to see all the current rail activity

His commentary was kinda obnoxious but I liked the videos themselves... Like still calling Pan Am out continuously even though the railroad doesn't exist. I commented several times that what you see for better or worse is all CSX.

I never heard anything worthy of getting the account suspendsd though. This is the second time isnt it?

Where is the video that you think they are going 30+ on the Stony?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW0yzhxim0M
Supposedly taken 5/30. I think he says around mp 304.

This is from Stoney Brook Railroad Videos. This guy usually posts from NC area, sometimes a little west to Ayer. Has good videos, usually without commentary. He posts a couple times a week. As for speed, hard to tell 25 from 30. But in this video the Stoney actually looks like a piece of a competent, professional railroad. The very big train is not rocking and rolling in classic Pan Am style.

In the absence of the prolific Birch Hill Subaru Guy (who did appear to me to likely trespass regularly on RR property - perhaps that was his offense??), I found another video channel that often has 426/427 in Maine called Chux's. He usually takes his shots between Rigby and Waterville.

Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Zx-3MxuRs

Easy to tell when you've sat in them long enough. That is 25 MPH, you've been watching too much 10 lol.

Trespassing isn't going to get a YouTube account suspended. YouTube is all about trespassing.

I like the CHUX videos. They will be more interesting when it's not 10 everywhere he shoots.

indeed i've been ruined by too much 10. So painful to watch the videos in the clinton-ayer stretch as the trains bounce and rock along so so slowly.

Does anyone have any firm info as to how far along the rail installation is in Maine on the waterville to keag section? I have not seen any reports or videos about this apparently ongoing track work other than the reports of rail trains and ballast cars moving up through Worcester.

Went for a joyride yesterday as I was curious about progress east of Bangor. Welded rail has been installed
through Lincoln and Enfield to around Greenbush. The rail at Greenbush didn't appear as heavy as that at
Lincoln and not all of it has been surfaced. Saw a surfacing crew working at Enfield. Below Greenbush and
at Costigan the old jointed 85lb is still in place. Also observed untamped ballast on the shoulders at
Burnham Jct. East Newport, Carmel and Northern Maine Jct. There is rail on the ground west of New
Gloucester and two prefab switches on the ground at Leeds Jct to replace the crossover ripped up in
a derailment a while back. Haven't seen a lot of manpower anywhere but track machinery has been seen
at scattered locations.