Rockland Branch Discussion

Six months of no postings about the Rockland branch. Anything to report there?

Nothing noteworthy, they're still running only every so often. Still recieving loads of perlite every couple of weeks or so, assuming Pan Am makes the connection in time.

Very consistent interchange loads for dicaperl. Other than that ... its pretty much dead.

If the CMQ had retained the contract for the summer passenger train, would it have contributed much income to the railroad?
It seemed to me at the time that it was a dumb move for the railroad to have made, but I'm just a train geek.

Maine Eastern was supposedly using freight profits to support the passenger operation. They did well at times during tour bus season but the exact operating financials are unclear.

And it would be an apples-to-oranges comparison because Maine Eastern's parent company already had an existing fleet of extremely well-maintained passenger equipment at its disposal — ergo, Maine Eastern had no up-front costs in that regard. CMQ doesn't have that advantage.

Having said that, I still think there's a very strong case to be made for a seasonal Downeaster extension to Rockland, e.g., Memorial Day through Labor Day, one round trip per day, Friday-Saturday-Sunday + Independence Day and special events (blues festival, lobster festival). Run express from Brunswick to Rockland or make a very brief stop in Wiscasset. I truly believe that would be successful, perhaps moreso than Maine Eastern's trains ever were.

I found myself wondering much the same after reading this discussion. Interesting to note that supposedly the Rockland Branch does not have predictive motion sensor circuits installed on grade crossings. This apparently causes problems with passenger speeds being less than what the track is rated for. Is that true?

This is the first I've heard of it.

It was news to me as well. I thought there when the rehabilitation work was done (and multiple follow on projects thereafter) that predictive motion sensors (and circuits) had been installed.

Yeah, it's pretty unusual (as far as I know) to spend tens of millions on brand new 115LB CWR and not have predictors for the crossings. Do we know for certain that this is the case?

It's not as if it's some kind of luxury. It serves a very real safety purpose.

I've always assumed that the speed restrictions imposed on passenger trains are due to: 1) the curviness of the line; 2) it's dark territory; 3) some of the crossings have minimal or no protection. I figured the curviness alone was the biggest factor.

I'm nearly certain that a passenger train restricted to 40 MPH and running express from Brunswick to Rockland (or making a very quick stop in Wiscasset) would still be significantly faster than Route 1 on summer weekends. I guess it depends on just how much they have to slow down for grade crossings...? I rode Maine Eastern once but I was too captivated by the scenery to notice the speed variations.

MEC407 wrote: I'm nearly certain that a passenger train restricted to 40 MPH and running express from Brunswick to Rockland (or making a very quick stop in Wiscasset) would still be significantly faster than Route 1 on summer weekends. I guess it depends on just how much they have to slow down for grade crossings...?

There are some days when it would simply be movement as opposed to total standstill. (A bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Ever driven through Wiscasset on a summer weekend?

I sure have! That's one of the main reasons why I think a seasonal extension of the Downeaster on a limited basis would be a winner.

If you're going to Rockland or Wiscasset. Not much use if you're going to Boothbay.

The traffic backups on Rt 1 through there are longer than the line at Red's Eats.

I spent ten days in Sheepscot (Newcastle) a few weeks back when there was significant snow cover. The MEC Rockland branch was buried the whole time, no activity at all. A shame.

Does BIW receive any carloads at the Brunswick facility in winter?