"Up North" Gawking (District 1 sightings)

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2024 10:38 am I don't understand your comment. Pan Am had lots of same destinations:
. . .
I guess if you mean Springfield, MA vs. Springfield, IL, they could use a three letter code like SPM vs. SPI

I think that was exactly his point. Two-letter station codes are feasible when you have, say, a 4,000-route-mile system (i.e. when Guilford was at its largest in 1984), but CSX operates 22,000 route miles and it would be difficult to assign two-letter codes to that many stations. Three-letter codes, like those used by BNSF, would give them much more breathing room, and would certainly make things more easily decipherable for railfans; unfortunately for us, CSX probably wouldn't see any benefit from their perspective relative to the time and cost of making the change.

I should have added more detail-- L072 is OD 0800 at NMJ now and typically departs east to Keag about 10-11. My guess is this was to optimize the interchange as they are supposed to meet NBSR live now for the swap.

Today's L072e is light power, same set as yesterday.

MEC407 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2024 10:55 am

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2024 10:38 am I don't understand your comment. Pan Am had lots of same destinations:
. . .
I guess if you mean Springfield, MA vs. Springfield, IL, they could use a three letter code like SPM vs. SPI

I think that was exactly his point. Two-letter station codes are feasible when you have, say, a 4,000-route-mile system (i.e. when Guilford was at its largest in 1984), but CSX operates 22,000 route miles and it would be difficult to assign two-letter codes to that many stations. Three-letter codes, like those used by BNSF, would give them much more breathing room, and would certainly make things more easily decipherable for railfans; unfortunately for us, CSX probably wouldn't see any benefit from their perspective relative to the time and cost of making the change.

Yes this is exactly my point.

CN9634 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 10, 2024 12:05 pm I should have added more detail-- L072 is OD 0800 at NMJ now and typically departs east to Keag about 10-11. My guess is this was to optimize the interchange as they are supposed to meet NBSR live now for the swap.

Likely has more to do with MOW work at Waterville since Corman is replacing yard crossings and switches ahead of the rail gang. AFAIK 909 is still on at 0700 and is back to the Jct about 2 PM.

Saw a post that L072 had the same power trio as it did yesterday on the turn to Keag so I'm thinking they're leaving a set at NMJ now rather than running power sets to Rigby then all the way to Keag the next day?

They have been swapping power sets at Rigby, not running them through to Waterville. I am guessing they are keeping a set in rotation east of NMJ and now running a set to Rigby and back.

I chatted with a RJ Corman person today in Auburn. Rail crew is just out of town and switch crew is at Leeds Jct. They are a bit out of order as there are new switch ties at Fairgrounds

The line to Mattawamkeag washed out last night in Lincoln in possibly two spots as well as in Winn. Jacob Whitten sent me a few photos of one of them, its pretty good sized and looks like it also undermined a private crossing which was paved last year.
With the rain we have been having, it would have been smart to redo the drainage before the rebuild. Western Maine got hit hard so the Rumford Branch likely has some. CPKC, EMR, and MNR likely have washouts somewhere as well.

BM6569 wrote:I chatted with a RJ Corman person today in Auburn. Rail crew is just out of town and switch crew is at Leeds Jct. They are a bit out of order as there are new switch ties at Fairgrounds

They are short on switches right now. Some of the switches they dropped over the last year weren't the correct ones, so they have robbed a bunch of Waterville-NMJ to get them by.

Sappi-3 with the MEC 307 and CSX 2514 had engine issues at the mill yesterday. The 2514 died on them and mechanics couldn't get it going again, so MEC 316 and 305 were sent to rescue the train.

MaineRailfan wrote:...CSX 2514 had engine issues at the mill yesterday. The 2514 died on them and mechanics couldn't get it going again...

CSX ain't exactly sending their best and their brightest [motive power], are they?

On the other hand, this again disproves the fearmongering of a couple years ago when someone said "All you railfans who cheered for the CSX buyout are gonna be sorry because you'll never see any classic EMDs ever again." Clearly that's not the case; CSX has sent many classics to the ex-PAR system such as MP15ACs, MP15Ts, GP38-2s, GP40-2s, SD40-2s, SD50s... there's actually been a greater variety and quantity of classic EMD power than before the buyout.

RJ Corman rail crew yesterday and today are changing out the old 115lb rail for 136 in Auburn from the Spring St crossing east and over the Androscoggin River bridge. They did one rail yesterday and the other today.

MEC407 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:46 am On the other hand, this again disproves the fearmongering of a couple years ago when someone said "All you railfans who cheered for the CSX buyout are gonna be sorry because you'll never see any classic EMDs ever again." Clearly that's not the case; CSX has sent many classics to the ex-PAR system such as MP15ACs, MP15Ts, GP38-2s, GP40-2s, SD40-2s, SD50s... there's actually been a greater variety and quantity of classic EMD power than before the buyout.

As many have pointed out, typically when a class 1 stores power, they don't store the stuff which runs well. The units they have been sending up here have been stored for several years and have been junk so far. The MP15's aside from 1-2 I think were sold off, which most of the power at Waterville gets sent elsewhere immediately after they are reactivated. Right now, CSX fields 2-3 GP38-2's, a similar amount of GP40-2's, 1-2 SD40-2's, and a C40-9W. But there are still healthy amounts of Pan Am and Guilford stuff to go around. Once PTC is implemented and expanded, you will see the generic, fleet of sterile CSX GEVO's take over the road jobs.

Management has sent the EMDs up here to leverage Watervilles capabilities and skill sets. With actual new/refurbished parts and resources they are getting things back together in good order. Crews I have talked to have so far praised the CSX power online (although the SD23s don't quite fall in that group yet). The C40-9W was actually power for the rail train for Portsmouth but they threw on some Geeps instead.