https://youtu.be/fik2U-MVttc
In this video, which I made a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the STB announcement, I explain some of my thoughts on the Pan Am acquisition.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Don't miss this one folks, it's superb!
There was a lot of info to take in, and I kept getting distracted inevitably to looking at the videos of the trains. Is there any chance you could post the script? It would be handy as I keep needing to refer to maps from the narrative.
MidlandMike There was a lot of info to take in, and I kept getting distracted inevitably to looking at the videos of the trains. Is there any chance you could post the script? It would be handy as I keep needing to refer to maps from the narrative.
I will be writing a slightly more detailed report for a newsletter I'm a columnist in. I'll post it here when I finish.
Appreciate it, Thanks.
The Albany Main Lives Again! And Other Consequences of the Pan Am Acquisition
By Harrison Smith
On March 14th, 2022, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Announced that they were approving CSX’s acquisition of Pan Am Railways, which is the collective name of 6 smaller railroads in New England and New York. Rather than provide a formal report of exactly what will happen, I’d like to talk about a few conditions that caught my interest, as well as my predictions for the future.
Upstate New York Connections
Let’s face it, the Hoosac Tunnel Route from Mechanicville to East Deerfield, MA is a dying route. Norfolk Southern bridge traffic will continue to use this route, supposebly. In mid-April I witnessed 16R working East Deerfield with the sole block being for the Providence & Worcester at Gardiner, MA.
Canadian Pacific demanded that the STB require pre-merger traffic levels to use the “northern route”, something that the STB declined. This means that traffic from Q426/Q427, Selkirk-Ayer interchange traffic, will not be re-routed via the northern route to replace lost traffic. Instead, CSX through traffic from Rotterdam to Maine, which currently travels via Pan Am’s RJED and EDPO, will probably be routed via the southern route. CSX will, however, seek to provide single-line service to Vermont Railway at Hoosick Junction, via new G&W railroad Berkshire & Eastern.
NS “premier” intermodal trains 22K and 23K will be using the southern (B&A) route as a shorter, double-stacked route to Ayer. This shift will involve our favorite railroad- the former D&H Albany Main between Delanson and Voorheesville will be upgraded, with a new connection installed in Voorheesville. While there won’t be a diamond, CP-VO will once again become a junction.
The re-routing of 22K/23K will mean one of two things. First, NS could go to an alternating Mechanicville/Ayer schedule, like they attempted to last winter. This idea quickly failed, and service was reverted to 7-days-a-week. The other possibility is that NS will reinstate trains 205/206 between Buffalo (and Chicago) and Mechanicville. These trains ran prior to early 2020 as an “express” service to Mechanicville. A 3rd option could be that NS sets off Mechanicville blocks in Selkirk, which are then run up the Colonie Main to Mechanicville, but this seems unlikely to me.
It’s unclear, to me at least, if SMS Rail Lines will continue operation between Delanson and Voorheesville. It’s also unclear if NS or CSX crews will take 22K/23K between Voorheesville and Worcester. We’ll just have to wait and see…
District 3
As I noted previously, Genesee & Wyoming-owned Berkshire & Eastern will be taking over PAS operations, and will be jointly owned by NS and CSX. This includes all of District 3 between Mechanicville and Ayer, as well as the Rotterdam Branch and trackage rights north and south of East Deerfield. Vermont Railway, under concerns regarding CSX delivery service, has been granted conditional trackage rights from Bellows Falls to East Deerfield, but only if CSX/B&E fails to deliver freight in a “timely manner”.
The Real Prize: Maine
East (timetable) of Ayer is where CSX has the potential to do the most good. While District 2 from Ayer to Portland is in great condition thanks for state funding and Amtrak Downeaster, freight traffic currently warrants only 1-2 trains a day in each direction. While driving along the waterfront in Portland, I couldn’t help but notice the small port there. If CSX were to expand this facility, which is currently not rail-served, to include domestic containers, this could be a new niche market for the railroad. Expand the existing intermodal facility in Waterville, and you have single-line domestic (and possibly foreign) intermodal service between Maine, New Brunswick (eventually) and the rest of the CSX system.
Maine Potatoes on the rails, auto service to Maine markets, the possibilities are endless. But first, CSX must upgrade the hopelessly degraded mainline between Portland and Mattawamkeag. The line isn’t cleared for doublestack containers. CSX claims they will invest 100M into the railroad, but will this be enough? We’ll see, but for now, get your photos before June 1st…
Where will CSX interchange with Berkshire & Eastern? It seems that the Rotterdam branch would be useful for that.
Presumably CP would interchange with Berkshire & Eastern at Mechanicville, but where would it interchange with CSX for New England traffic? Does CP interchange with NS for New Englang traffic there?
Am I correct that CSX is now handling CP traffic to and from New York and Atlantic (LIRR-freight) to and from Fresh Pomd Junction/yard (Queens)? If so. where does CP delivere and recieve to and from CSX? That would br the logical interchange for New England freight. It's possible that CP may now run to and from Selkirk?
After checking, it appears Kentworth Yard in Albany, which was used by the D&H as well as the Central, would be logical, both for New England traffic and CP haulage by CSX to Oak Point (The Bronx) and Freah Pond.
I don't doubt that CSX would like Albany or Selkirk as ith CP interchange, however, Mechanicville is already the existing exchange point for PAS traffic and CSX still owns half the PAS. It does not appear that a RR can unilaterally change an interchange, and if there is a disagreement RRs have gone to the STB.
daveklepper Am I correct that CSX is now handling CP traffic to and from New York and Atlantic (LIRR-freight) to and from Fresh Pomd Junction/yard (Queens)? If so. where does CP delivere and recieve to and from CSX? That would br the logical interchange for New England freight. It's possible that CP may now run to and from Selkirk?
There isn't much but what there is goes (southbound) 228-G45-CSX Port Job-Q701.
Otherwise, Montreal-Saratoga-Albany (Kenwood/Port)-Selkirk-Oak Point.
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