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CN Aquatrain service discontinued?

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 11:13 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH
That kind of arrangement with the carfloat and the float bridge would suggest that maintaining an even keel during loading might be problematic.

Does the barge have some means of shifting ballast water side to side?

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 10:10 AM

That kind of arrangement with the carfloat and the float bridge would suggest that maintaining an even keel during loading might be problematic.

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Posted by chutton01 on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 7:39 AM

Looks like the service was discountinued this past April.
Looking at the barge and the 3-track float bridge, I suppose they had to load/unload up one set of tracks, unmoor and shift the barge, and then load/unload up the remaining set of tracks (or something along those lines).

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Posted by kgbw49 on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 10:55 PM

Lyndon Transport operates Alaska Marine Lines under contract to Alaska Railroad between Seattle and Alaska.

They have a fleet of four 420' x 100' barges that have 8 tracks on the deck with a capacity of 48 rail cars and can stack 264 TEUs above the rail cars.

Anchorage Provider, Fairbanks Provider and Whittier Provider were built in 2001. Arctic Provider was built in 2007.

http://www.lynden.com/aml/tools/equipment/marine-equipment/whittier.html

With that level of efficiency it might have been hard for Aquatrain to compete as those barges handle only rail cars on the deck.

Also, the Port of Prince Rupert is booming and expanding, and it would not be surprising if the Aquatrain real estate and waterfront might end up being repurposed with a slip and loading facilities for other commodities.

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CN Aquatrain service discontinued?
Posted by Leo_Ames on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 9:02 PM

Heard that Canadian National is going to shutter their train barge service between Prince Rupert and Whittier. Anyone have any details on if that's accurate? 

Last I knew, carloadings were holding up reasonably well. Sad to see it go if true. 

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