St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR/SLQ)

Sounds like the line may be finally 286k capable after the work is done. Will traffic come back/increase? It remains to be seen.

Hello,
Train action on the SLR/SLQ has been slow the past week and a half, but MOW action has been busy. The heavy rains washed out the track between Island Pond and Norton in at least nine locations. MOW has been busy repairing the tracks, and trains ran both Tuesday night and tonight. Tonight's SLQ eastbound 394 arrived in Island Pond at 1915 after a slow run from the border (I'm guessing 10 MPH slow orders most of the way with a few 5 MPH thrown in for good measure. The train's consist:

SD70MAC 4024
GP40-2 3007
13 centerbeam flats
15 boxcars
2 hi-sided gondolas
6 covered hoppers
31 tank cars

That's 67 cars total, including 61 loads and 6 empties. With only two engines, it makes me wonder how many tons the SD70MACs are rated for?

Meanwhile, MOW has been laying out welded rail between the west siding switch in Island Pond (roughly MP 0.25) and just west of MP 3, and they have replaced at least one switch in the yard at Island Pond (the grant proposal stated that six are supposed to be replaced). There is also supposed to be one mile of welded rail installed between MP 15 and MP 16 in Norton, but I did not see any new rail laid there. At least part of an empty welded train was parked on one of the yard tracks in Island pond, and the QG GP40-2L 3014 and GP40 3004 were parked on the adjacent track today. Photos may follow ...
Best,
Fritz

Hello,
This morning's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0748 with the following:

GP40-2 3007
SD70MAC 4024
12 centerbeam flats
1 hi-sided gondola
18 boxcars
6 covered hoppers
15 tank cars
4 flat cars

That's 56 cars total, including 4 loads and 52 empties. Of interest were two QTTX 12-axle depressed center flat cars and 2 extended length CP flat cars:



Best,
Fritz

Those 4 cars are half of the set that hauled down 4 transformers as the entirety of June 29's 394.

Thanks, Casey!
I would have liked to have seen that!

Last night's SLQ eastbound 394 crossed the U.S. Canada border at 1815 with the following:

RM-1 805
GP40-3 3805
QG GP40-2L 3014
GP40 3004
24 centerbeam flats!
4 hi-sided gondolas
14 boxcars
6 covered hoppers
12 tank cars

That's 60 cars total, including 56 loads and 4 empties. The 24 centerbeams included 14 loads for Island Pond and 10 loads for Mechanic Falls!

Track speed still only 10 MPH from Norton to at least MP 5 due to the washouts two weeks ago.
Best,
Fritz

Does anyone here happen to know if the SLR has ran at all this week?
I know there have been multiple washouts since Tuesday, but I am curious to know if they are still impacting operations.

393 is passing thru South Paris at 2130- believe this is the first time they've run this week. I don't live in sight
of the track but less than half a mile away on the opposite side of the river, so I can usually hear the train
sound the horn for the eight railroad crossings in town.

Hello,
Yes, the SLQ/SLR in the Northeast Kingdom was again hammered by torrential rains and flash floods last Monday night. I haven't seen the numbers for Island Pond, but St. Johnsbury (roughly 30 miles south received 8 inches of rain in 6 hours!

The SLR suffered a major culvert failure at MP 147.5, about 2 miles east of Island Pond. It looks like they lost the culvert and about 120' of road bed, which all washed into Spectacle Pond. However, as of yesterday afternoon, the railroad is back in operation. Here are two photos of the repairs;





More to follow ...
Best,
Fritz

Hello,
The first train through was last night's SLQ eastbound 394, which finally reached Lake at 1930, with the following:

GP40-2 3047
SD70MAC 4022
19 centerbeam flats
7 boxcars
6 covered hoppers
35 tank cars
7 hi-sided gondolas

That's 74 cars total, including 71 loads and 3 empties. Those SD70s must be rated for a lot of tons with that many loads!

This morning's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0727 with the following:

QG GP40-2L 3014
GP40 3004
GP40-3 3805
RM-1 805
25 centerbeam flats
12 boxcars
13 covered hoppers
36 tank cars
5 hi-sided gondolas
1 12-axle depressed center flat

That's 92 cars total, including 15 loads and 77 empties. Here's this morning's 393 approaching Cargill Road in island Pond, which also washed out:



Track speed still appears to be 10 MPH all the way from Island Pond to at least the U.S. Canada border.
Have a great weekend,
Fritz

SLR 3007 and 3004 west through South Paris at 2125 with 68 cars. I'd guesstimate that the train
consist was roughly half boxcars, 7-8 covered hoppers, 5-6 LPG tanks, 5 spine lumber cars and
the remainder an eclectic mix of smaller tank cars.

Hello,
Sorry for the late posting. Thursday night's SLQ eastbound 394 arrived in Island Pond at 1813 with the following:

GP40 3004
GP40-2 3007
3 centerbeam flats
18 boxcars
4 covered hoppers
7 tank cars
5 hi-sided gondolas

That's 37 cars total, including 30 loads and 7 empties.

Yesterday's SLQ westbound 393 departed Island Pond at 0732 with the following:

RM-1 805
GP40-3 3805
GP40-2 3035
15 centerbeam flats
11 boxcars
15 tank cars
1 hi-sided gondolas

That's 42 cars total, including 2 loads and 40 empties.

The shorter trains make me wonder if they may have run three trains this week, but I don't know.
Have a great weekend,
Fritz

There's also the impending Canadian strike.

Per Facebook SLR 4023 has been painted by a mobile paint group at Lewiston Jct. I suspect the others will be done soon. Also there is a GP38-2 coming to the property (no further details)

Out and about this afternoon and got a few shots of 513 on the return trip from South Paris to Lewiston Jct
and an unexpected glimpse of the "new" 4023.

I'll be that guy-- they did a terrible job with those stripes...! Thanks for getting a shot