Branchline Railroading in Orrington, Maine -8/15/23

On August 15, 2023, at about 3 p.m, I found CSX train OT-1 moseying down the Bucksport Industrial Track bound for Orrington, Maine. Up front were the usual pair of GP40 variants: MEC 305 as a straight GP40, and MEC 503 as a GP40-2LW. After passing through the city of Brewer, the last approximately 2 miles of trackage between South Main street and the Sobin switch near milepost 6 are generally rural, tracing high up on the riverbank of the Penobscot River. One such rural crossing is at Arctic Station Road in Orrington, otherwise known as Ice House due to the large ice houses that used to reside here. The tracks have a decrepit feel in this location especially, and the approaching EMD's serve as a surprising reminder that the track remains in service. The old standard cab GP40, with it's fouled Leslie horn, is also in minority as CSX sidelines more and more Guilford standard cabs off the roster. Once clearing the crossing, it is a steady uphill grade for much of the way to the switch, where the train will veer off onto the spur down to the old Holtrachem cleanup site. There, they will swap their empty dirt cars for cars loaded with mercury contaminated dirt, to head back for Bangor. About two hours after the train passes the depicted location, I shoot them in the same exact place, but turned 180 degrees. With the heavy train coming down the grade, you can hear the brakes squealing as the engineer coaxes it into the corner. The cars rock on the uneven rails of the crossing. Despite only shooting video at one spot with this train, it is the little details both visually and auditorily that make this rural Orrington scene, one that surely has an expiration date in the not too distant future.

[@conceyullena]

Like 3 beautiful video, greetings 🚂👍👋

[@BOATNIAGARA]

Good catch , the train in the wood is beautiful !

[@jackseamon7064]

A nice catch. Thank you for this video of contamination leaving the Superfund site.

[@steventurner820]

Love the horns on both of those, and at a nice small rural crossing

[@paulwinslow2974]

Nice catch I'm surprised csx has kept the old worn out pan am power around this long there's a few gp40's on the deadline in waterville i wonder if they will send them to ltex or scrap them in waterville