While it is not the sign of the end, the steady flow of oil trains through Maine is now going to be more difficult since the Lac Megantic disaster in early July. Oversight has already increased on Pan Am as seen in these photos from July 19th. These are FRA cars returning to Maine to look over the Pan Am oil train routes even though they only recently completed their annual visit. As I write a Sperry vehicle is traversing District 1 hunting for rail and tie defects as well. All this on the heels of the MM&A event just over the border. Maine policy makers are looking at this event pretty seriously because Maine was involved. As they are prone to do, politicians will do something even if all it does is make them look good.
Those of us who regularly watch trains in the area are not surprised by any of this scrutiny. The history of Guilford, now Pan Am is one of decay. The line has seen better days. And now, with oil trains passing through with near regularity, someone was bound to question their safety over this less than pristine route. We've seen track maintenance increased and small pockets of improvement, knowing that this will never be a serious main line again without a huge program like District 4's a few years back. Of course it is all economics. Why put all that money into something that might subside? Nimbys of all kinds could influence change either at the Bakken fields themselves or restrict the routes they can take. They've already influenced the pipelines that could move that oil through here. Oil markets could shift very easily too giving Irving a cheaper source. Check out this article about pipeline activity in Canada. Regardless, District 1 could be rebuilt in time for the last oil shipment rather a long enduring service. That won't help keep the line in business.
The FRA train itself is seen here as it is passing the Waterville yard office building on Friday 7/19. It pulled ahead then backed into the near siding for the night. I guess visibility was a good thing in this case. 507 was handed over to the P&W (Gardner) on Tuesday and then the train as you see it passed Barbers (Worcester) on Thursday according to info on the web.
Here is a recent article in the Bangor Daily News about this very train.
BC
