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Branchline Geep Productions
United States
Registrace 2. 12. 2018
I am Logan Tourtillotte, and I welcome you to Branchline Geep Productions. Here, you will find videos centered around the railroads of Maine, primarily Pan Am Railways District 1 (North [railroad East] of Portland, ME), as well as Canadian Pacific (Formerly Central Maine & Quebec Railroad) and New Brunswick Southern/Maine Northern/Eastern Maine Railway around Brownville Junction, ME. Scenic railroads of Maine will also be featured from time to time, such as the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad and the Downeast Scenic. Additionally, there will be visits to railroads in neighboring states to photograph their unique scenic locations and trains. Striving to search out the most rare and unique operations in the area, as well as catching fleeting scenes of rare equipment and locations, is an important part of the content published on Branchline Geep Productions. Please sit back and enjoy the railroads of Maine through the lens of Branchline Geep Productions!
7 Engines Lead a 96 Car Combined L071 West w/Two SD40-2's Leading -6/19/24
On June 19, 2024, I got word that the westbound L071 was departing Hermon with 7 engines and 96 cars. Being the largest lashup that has occurred east of Waterville in recent memory, I decided to head out and chase them. I would catch up to them in East Newport, chasing them the last 25 miles of the journey into Waterville. This large lashup is due to a delayed Monday night L072 Keag Turn, which did not make it back to Hermon in time to meet the Tuesday L071 turn job from Waterville. With the Tuesday trains still operating as normal, both the Tuesday and the Wednesday westbounds ended up in Hermon at the same time, from which they were combined into one large train, as can be seen here. Further adding to the allure was the fact that two SD40-2's were leading the train, something that has been elusive in my area since CSX took over. All in all, it was a good day to be out after L071.
zhlédnutí: 408
Video
A Final Farewell to Maine's Midcoast Railservice -6/11/24
zhlédnutí 8KPřed měsícem
On June 11, 2024, Dragon Cement shipped it's last cars out of Rockland, putting a final nail in the coffin for Midcoast Railservice. After announcing last September that they would only be utilizing the Rockland facility as a local distribution hub, it was a matter of time before the shipping of cement out of state by rail would cease. In step with the final shipments of cement, Finger Lakes an...
New Hampshire Northcoast- Heavy Sand Trains and Steep Grades -5/13/24, 5/14/24, 5/15/24
zhlédnutí 1,3KPřed měsícem
For three days in mid May, we took a trip out to the New Hampshire Northcoast to photograph some heavy sand trains. Operated by Boston Sand and Gravel, NHN serves to connect the Ossipee Aggregates pit in central New Hampshire to it's large distribution facility in Boston, as well as a satellite distribution facility in Rochester. Operating on the Conway Branch between Ossipee and Rollinsford, t...
The Last of the Guilford Geeps- Waterville, ME -4/28/24
zhlédnutí 582Před 2 měsíci
On April 28, 2024, I headed down to Waterville with info that 305 and 383 were paired up on Sappi-3 (L068). Knowing that the old 300 series GP40's were on their last legs, I decided to head down and chase. Having been under the assumption that 305 was the last running Guilford GP40 upon beginning my chase, I was pleasantly surprised to find 315 switching in the yard. Apparently it had been reac...
Live Meet at Mattawamkeag! CSX L091 and EMRY 909 Swap Trains -4/22/24
zhlédnutí 1KPřed 2 měsíci
On April 22, 2024, I got out of work just in time to see CSX L091 departing Northern Maine Junction eastbound. Operating only on Mondays, L091 operates out of Waterville in the morning hours typically with the same consist as the previous night's Portland turn job, travelling direct from Waterville to Mattawamkeag without a recrew. This puts their eastbound leg, including the switching at Matta...
EMD's in Snow on the CPKC Moosehead Sub -3/12/24
zhlédnutí 398Před 4 měsíci
On March 12, 2024, we took a ride up to the Canadian Pacific Kansas City's Moosehead Subdivision to photograph both the westbound Job 121 and the eastbound Job 120. Despite beating us to Greenville, we were able to catch up with the 121 at Long Pond as they approached Jackman, with a pair of six axle EMD's up front. They would park at the west end of the siding in Jackman, and after a few hours...
Screaming Geeps! Awesome EMD Action on L071 West + 9280 Leads East -2/13/24
zhlédnutí 1,6KPřed 4 měsíci
On February 13, 2024, I headed out to find L071 as it came east out of Waterville. As we prepared to track down the L071, we got some alternate info that changed our plans the night turn job L072 had not made it back to Hermon, and that it was still east of Old Town somewhere waiting for the local crew NM-1 to finish it's trip to Hermon. Better yet, the westbound had three geeps in their train ...
MEC 383 Leads L071 West into Golden Hour -1/30/24
zhlédnutí 653Před 5 měsíci
On January 30, 2024, I was passing by Northern Maine Junction in Hermon when I noticed that L071 was at the Carhouse Crossover getting ready to head west with MEC 383 on point. After 7542 suffered a compressor failure upon returning from Mattawamkeag the previous night, L071 was forced to cap their train with the NM-1 power to make it the rest of the way to Waterville. In this day and age, it i...
Snow Day East of Waterville- L072, L071, Sappi-3- 1/16/24
zhlédnutí 719Před 5 měsíci
On January 16, 2024, I was in Bangor when I heard over the scanner that NM-1 was recrewing an outlawed L072 at Veazie. Having run later in the evening to Mattawamkeag, the night crew was not able to make it back to Hermon before their shift ended, so NM-1 was tasked with bringing the train the last 10 miles into the yard. I shot them at Bangor before heading west to look for the eastbound, whic...
EMD Thunder in Northern Maine- MNR 901 South w/ Heavy Wood Train -1/6/24 and 1/7/24
zhlédnutí 1KPřed 5 měsíci
On January 6th, 2024, we would take a trip to Aroostook County in search of some Maine Northern action. Just at the break of dawn, we would hear a 901 southbound calling for paper between Squapan and Oakfield with one of the new green GP40-2's on point. Setting up at Masardis, they would roll through just after dawn with three four axle EMD's of both turbocharged and non-turbo variety, and a he...
Two Blue C40-8's Lead L071 East! -1/2/24
zhlédnutí 508Před 6 měsíci
On January 2, 2024, I headed to Waterville to catch an early morning departure of L071. This job operates as a turn between Waterville and NMJ, usually utilizing the power off the previous L070 as a runthrough power set. Since the previous night's L070 had a pair of blue C40-8's, I took my chances on a morning eastbound with the same power. Particularly intriguing is the fact that these are the...
Two CSX GP38-2's Lead Sappi into Waterville! -1/1/24
zhlédnutí 704Před 6 měsíci
On January 1, 2024, I headed down to Waterville with info that two CSX GP38-2's were at Skowhegan getting ready to lead Sappi-3 west to Waterville. I would find them waiting outside the mill when I arrived, from which I would chase the pair down the branch to Waterville yard. The crew would swap motive power before returning to the mill, and I would shoot the contrasting "normal" power on the w...
Daylight Road Freight Heads for Mattawamkeag -12/23/23
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed 6 měsíci
On December 23, 2023, I got word that the Northern Maine Junction local crew NM-1 would be taking a daylight road job to Mattawamkeag. The previous night, the normal night crew L072 operated east as light power in order to pick up a cut of westbounds from Mattawamkeag, leaving their eastbound train behind at Northern Maine Junction. There are only two useable tracks at Mattwamkeag currently, Tr...
300's at Speed- NM-1 Returns from Mattawamkeag -12/16/23
zhlédnutí 790Před 6 měsíci
On December 16, 2023, I got word that NM-1 was heading to Mattawamkeag with a pair of 300's as power. I headed up to find them, catching up just as they were about to leave the yard westbound with two loaded gondolas of jointed rail that had been removed during the CWR installation. The entirety of the line between Keag and Bangor is 25 mph now, which means that it was a fast paced chase west. ...
Quick Catch: OT-1 Rail Salvage Train Rolls through Hampden -11/30/23
zhlédnutí 294Před 7 měsíci
On November 30, 2023, I got out of work and got word that OT-1 was fast approaching on their way west between Old Town and Northern Maine Junction. Having cleared the 55 a few minutes prior, I decided to head over to Route 202 in Hampden to wait for them. As golden light quickly faded, a veteran 315 rounded the bend at 25 mph with 12 loads of jointed rail in tow. It was a quick catch, but it wa...
First Road Freight to Mattawamkeag in 4+ Years! -12/4/23
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 7 měsíci
First Road Freight to Mattawamkeag in 4 Years! -12/4/23
BNSF 4148 Trails Third on CP G16 Extra -12/2/23
zhlédnutí 175Před 7 měsíci
BNSF 4148 Trails Third on CP G16 Extra -12/2/23
Old Power Action around Waterville- Detroit Local, Sappi-3, L072 -11/13/23
zhlédnutí 629Před 7 měsíci
Old Power Action around Waterville- Detroit Local, Sappi-3, L072 -11/13/23
25 MPH East of Waterville! Chasing L072 Westbound out of Hermon -10/27/23
zhlédnutí 1,4KPřed 8 měsíci
25 MPH East of Waterville! Chasing L072 Westbound out of Hermon -10/27/23
Chasing Twin Dash 7's on Midcoast Railservice -10/9/23
zhlédnutí 546Před 8 měsíci
Chasing Twin Dash 7's on Midcoast Railservice -10/9/23
A Blue B40-8 on the old Bucksport Branch! -10/17/23
zhlédnutí 702Před 8 měsíci
A Blue B40-8 on the old Bucksport Branch! -10/17/23
Loaded Herzog Train Eastbound through Bangor, Maine -10/12/23
zhlédnutí 588Před 9 měsíci
Loaded Herzog Train Eastbound through Bangor, Maine -10/12/23
OT-1 Heads West w/Loads from ND Paper -9/29/23
zhlédnutí 488Před 9 měsíci
OT-1 Heads West w/Loads from ND Paper -9/29/23
KCS Power, Fall Foliage, and DPU's on the CP Moosehead Sub -10/1/23
zhlédnutí 302Před 9 měsíci
KCS Power, Fall Foliage, and DPU's on the CP Moosehead Sub -10/1/23
L054 w/ 5 Engines on the Rumford Branch + L053 -9/12/23
zhlédnutí 478Před 10 měsíci
L054 w/ 5 Engines on the Rumford Branch L053 -9/12/23
Empty Herzog Train Returns West on OT-1 -9/1/23
zhlédnutí 342Před 10 měsíci
Empty Herzog Train Returns West on OT-1 -9/1/23
Branchline Railroading in Orrington, Maine -8/15/23
zhlédnutí 427Před 10 měsíci
Branchline Railroading in Orrington, Maine -8/15/23
A Smoky 503 Leads West Out of Northern Maine Junction -7/31/23
zhlédnutí 427Před 11 měsíci
A Smoky 503 Leads West Out of Northern Maine Junction -7/31/23
Fourth CWR Train for 'Keag! Chasing OT-1 From Greenbush to Enfield -7/18/23
zhlédnutí 466Před 11 měsíci
Fourth CWR Train for 'Keag! Chasing OT-1 From Greenbush to Enfield -7/18/23
Sunday L052 Heads Up the Rumford Branch -7/9/23
zhlédnutí 352Před 11 měsíci
Sunday L052 Heads Up the Rumford Branch -7/9/23
Budd rdc as a caboose?
So sad.😢
Thanks for sharing this Great action!!!Huge train from ‘Keag!!!
I went on a trip to Maine on what i assume was the day after this, when my train passed one of the yards, I’m pretty sure I saw that RDC in the yard. Also when I was leaving, I saw one of the locomotives in this video making its way passed Brunswick back up the line.
Yes one locomotive is still on the branch for a week or two more, the RDC was likely in Rigby on the way out of state.
Heard about this one, cool to see video. An equal amount of EMDs and GEs and then the ET23, pretty neat lashup
Great video! Good news, 307 is back! Saw her in Waterville with 305 a few days ago while driving my way to Hermon.
Muy buen video Excelente estimado amigo Like 👍🏻 merecido un saludo 👋🏻
Awesome catches
Very Nice.
Great video. Thanks for showing the whole train a couple of tines.
Don't ever announce that the tracks are abandoned. Rails to trails will be there before that the ink dries ripping up track
What possibility of turning into a tourist route with freight service as needed
That is basically what Midcoast wanted to do, but the tourist income would not be enough to maintain the line with so few freight customers.
@@BranchlineGeepProductionsunfortunate, did the passenger excursion 10+ years ago when they still had it, it's a great ride.
It's likely doomed to become another rail trail
nicely done! Great chase...hustling ahead of train! Thanks! Steve D
No!! 💀 I always see this railroad everytime I go to Maine for vacation, and now they're going out of business?!?! I'm extremely disappointed.
Nice Job. According to the website Midcoast started leasing the rails in August 2022. I guess it had hopes of running excursions too. At least they tried
Thank you for catching and posting this. I grew up in the Alna and Wiscasset area, and have family in Nobleboro, additionally I work in Bath. This is my “home branch”. Sad to see Dragon pull out. I hope other customers can be found to make the line profitable again, though unlikely.
Sad to see the Rockland branch turn inactive. That Budd RDC sure stood in very nicely for a caboose though!
I read some where NBSR/MN was acquiring the line..
No one is.
Sad indeed .
Don't expect anything from CSX where "It starts with the customer." He's the first one to get screwed. CSXT: Can Someone Xplain This
I wonder how much longer the state will want to spend money on that lift bridge in Bath if it goes unused.
As a Rockland resident this was truly a sad day. Hopefully the State of Maine / NNEPRA will step up and extend "The Downeaster" to Rockland. I mean, if Cape Air can get a $3.3 million dollar "Essential Air Service" grant to run a prop job 3x / day to Boston Logan - at fares of $129 - $219 one way - I'd think that we could get passenger rail service to help relieve some of the traffic on US 1. Ridiculous how backwards we are on transportation policy.
Nothing like the clickety clack sound of a train
CSX Would probably be better served to let potential customers know there is an actual class one provider back online. Why is nobody doing that in PR? Ridiculous. 57 miles in New Hampshire is a travesty. In Maine, it’s a “maybe later. Still not a good development.
The customers are well aware. As were the potential customers, since the rates csx gave them weren’t so high that it wasn’t worth switching to rail…
Great catches awesome chase and nice video
Another win for Trucking.
Another win for foreign manufacturing
@@mattydred72 Here in the USA Trucking rules in Freight.
@@csxnsunderstood, but if all freight service by rail in the country stopped, the economy would come crashing down.
But if trucks stops America stops.
CSX could absorb the line, service the remaining customers and not blink financially. I'm sure CSX has wasted far more money with less return. From the video the track and branch line seem to be in pretty good condition and the possibility for expansion as well, freight and passenger.
Midcoast would be operating at a loss, so CSX would also be operating at a loss. It would be a tough swallow for any railroad.
A class 1 taking over almost 60 miles of track for 3 cars a week, yeah right…
Well, unless a new business springs up on the line, it will most likely be railbanked or become a trail
They had two customers who wanted rail but the high rates csx gave them drove them away.
Bidenomics..High fuel and parts probably made the cement plant say enough!
It seems Precision Scheduled Railroading is continuing to cut away at railroad lines. Who here agree that PSR should come to an end?
ThisRR is a shortline, and does not follow PSR. If there is no business--- there's no freight to move
Stop blaming something you don’t even know about. There’s no manufacturing up here. End of story.
PSR is bad, but has nothing to do with the closure of Dragon.
What a shame. The branch looks in pretty good shape and with no operator and no new business in sight, it will quickly deteriorate. Another branch that could not find new business; seems to be the story of Maine railroading these days. Does that RDC belong to Finger Lakes ? Great coverage, never got to see this line in action.
The RDC is from a leasing company, and I think said leasing company is selling them to Gaspe in Quebec.
Seems like CSX would be the only alternative to keep the line open. Financially may not be viable with just 3 small customers.
Csx doesn’t want it. 3 cars a month isn’t worth maintaining 60 miles of track.
So the Buddliner railcar excursions are no more as well? And I guess this puts a stop to the notion of any extension of Amtrak beyond Brunswick.
We were hoping for that extension to go through. Would be nice to travel from Philly to Bangor, without having to stop at Boston and take a bus.
I’m surprised that they have 2 of the Fingerlakes railroad engines
If I remember correctly, this RR was controlled by Finger Lakes RR.
Yes, this railroad is operated by Finger Lakes Railroad in New York, however due to the issues with Dragon, they have decided to pull out of this expansion venture.
@@BranchlineGeepProductionsoh damn I did not know that
@@user-mr3ct1dm9p I did not know that they control this railroad
Awesome capture my friends Like 👍🏻 and Greeting 🙋
Just as a possible resurgence of Maine 🥔 shipping is occurring?
No potato shipping currently, all by truck.
The engine's sad sounding horn at the very end, as the cars trail off into the distance for the last time... Historical videography at its best.
So long to these 23 pieces of equipment!!!❤ With the plethora of Railfans recording places on its Journey west, others will share their views but few will be as Phenomenal as this Thanks!!M
While I didn’t travel the 50+ miles often, I’m deeply saddened to think another railroad operation has lost their biggest customer and is soon if not already stopping services. Unfortunately Railroads need customers that needs Trains, gone now with closure or re-organization of Dragon Cement in Rockland! ASA and the other business don’t require enough Rail services to keep the line from Brunswick to Rockland route. 😢😢😢😢 Wonderful glimpses of the now closing operations, Thank You for an awesome video sharing!!!
Are they officially done??
I believe they have to still get approved by the STB, but they are on skeleton operations for now.
Will CSX take that over maybe
unknown...
No. The only business left on the line is the 2-3 loads of perlite per month. The steel is being translated in Saco starting in the near future.
Sad that there is no new planned business for that 57 mile branch. Thank you for another quality video.
Nice work. Sad to see the service dry up
One of the engines and the RDC came west through Springfield on CSX M-427 this morning.
that sucks! i was gonna head up there soon!!
Certainly an interesting consist. Sad to see them go.
cool video I read somewhere that another GP-18 is going to the NHN 904?
Indeed, ex MBTA as far as I know.
@@BranchlineGeepProductionsYep, that is the one. I wonder if it will replace anything?
@@RTS4018 Time will tell I guess.
The FRA doesn't visit them much. Watching them pull out of the pit at 25 MPH in notch 8 (with the conductor riding the tail end) is insane. That Runner is restricted speed. I'm surprised they've not been in the paper.
Thats all yard limits, which I believe they are able to do 20 mph max. Which they might have been doing just over that in the video, but once they hit the uphill grade that would slow them back down. If its that big of an issue to you, be a rat and submit a complaint to the FRA.
@@TBone-McGlaughlin If the track is good for it, yes Restricted Speed is 20 MPH max. But there is no way you can stop a loaded cut of cars in one half your range of vision leaving that pit going that fast. Especially without the engineer on the leading end. I'm good, my days of hanging off cars are long over with. It's just interesting to see how some smaller hack railroads ignore operating rules without recourse.
Another fantastic video! Great work! PBS had a documentary series about the NHN maybe 25 years ago. It was interesting then, but your skills and quality captures eclipsed that!