Bakken Crude By Rail? Under Review

In the wake of the Lac-Mégantic disaster, many people have many questions. People are asking what traffic rolls through their communities, agencies are reviewing emergency response plans, people are wondering whether rail or pipeline transport is safer, new regulations were rushed out, and even the Canadian Senate was involved.

Omnitrax
In August, Omnitrax Inc., owner of the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill, announced they were planning a test shipment of oil to Churchill for export. The plan was to ship 330,000 barrels* of oil to Churchill for loading on a tanker. About $2 million in upgrades to port facilities were required to increase the pumping capacity there.

Groups have come out in opposition to this plan, including the Wilderness Council and the province of Manitoba. This is natural, considering what happened in Lac-Mégantic. One has to consider a few points, though:

• the Hudson Bay Railway is already shipping light petroleum products (gasoline and diesel) to Churchill;
• the Hudson Bay Railway has had reportable accidents every year from 2003 to 2012;
• emergency response to a spill on the line could be very difficult as much of the line is in very remote areas.

I just don't know whether it is a good idea or not. The railway needs the traffic but I think they need to provide some convincing assurances that it will be transported safely.

Irving Oil
The CBC is reporting that Irving Oil is shifting "away from rail to transport crude" and will be doubling the amount of oil they will be receiving by barge from Albany, NY. Currently they are receiving a shipload of oil from Albany via the tanker Afrodite every 8 days, and the article says this will double shortly with another ship being added to the route.

The article is very misleading as it does not ask how the oil gets to Albany. Very likely it is being shipped by rail in the United States.

Quotation
Incidentally, I was quoted recently in the Portland Press Herald in regard to idle tank cars in Maine.

* there is some confusion about whether the plan was for 330,000 barrels or gallons. Personally I can't imagine it was gallons because that's about 10 tank cars and hardly worth mentioning.

More on Irving Oil Tank Cars

This is a follow-up to my post on Irving Oil tank cars.

SteveO found a couple of great photos of Irving Oil tank cars online and shared them with me.

First, Irving Oil tank cars in 1966. They are labeled as "new tankers". The Irving Oil refinery in Saint John was built in 1960, according to Wikipedia.


The closest car is NCTX 22514. It looks like the other three are also NCTX cars.

Here's one showing Irving Oil tank cars being unloaded at Edmundston in 1971.


The tank car in the foreground is CGTX 20578.

Irving Oil Tank Cars

Like many oil / chemical companies, Irving leases tank cars. They used to put their logo on the tank cars, but like most companies they don't do that any more.

Taylor asked me if I had ever seen any of the Irving Oil tank cars. I never saw them in Saint John, or at least I was unaware of them. However, I did see one.

I was traveling with my future wife between Regina and Winnipeg when we came across the above tank car on a train. We were overtaking the train and fortunately I was not driving, so I was able to take some shots with my film camera. This is the only one I took of the Irving Oil tank car.

I did some searching and all I could come up with was this model tank car from the South Shore Model Railway Club. I honestly don't know if CGTX 68020 ever looked like this.


Anyone out there have any photos to share?

PS see also Taylor's post!

Deersdale Mill Closing

The CBC is reporting that J.D. Irving's Deersdale mill is closing indefinitely. JDI says they do not have enough wood to supply the mill. This is a real shame and bad news for the 73 people who will be laid off.

It's bad news for CN too, who lose another customer on the Napadogan subdivision. There are precious few customers left between Edmundston and Moncton.

I was at Deersdale once, back in August 2007 when I shot CN 306 there... back when there was a CN 306.

Fredericton Train Station Work To Resume in July

The Daily Gleaner reports that work should resume on the Fredericton train station in July of this year. They have been waiting for approval for their plans to restore the front part of the station, and build the liquor store annex on the rear where the freight shed currently stands. Approval has been given by the federal cabinet, but the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada must sign off on the final plans and that has not happened yet.

After the rush to replace the roof, nothing has happened in the summer to date. I'm glad to hear there is planning work going on behind the scenes.

Vertical Video

I was in Saint John on Thursday. On my way I saw CN 5746 and 2591 sitting in Island Yard at 10 AM. Later, while enjoying the lunch lasagna at Vito's, I saw CN 7010 and rare (to Saint John) CN 4138 shunting along Rothesay Avenue.

We finished our lunch and headed back to the plant. As we were about to turn, I saw NBSR 2610 and CN 7038 shunting the Irving Wallboard plant. The pair was half sticking out of the building itself! I had been wondering where the centerbeam flat empties were, and now I know - they are being loaded inside the building.

I raced to get my camera then hurried up the stairs to the roof of the building. 10 floors is a long way! When I got to the top, I saw the engines were backing onto a string of loaded cars. I noted they had a tank car right behind the engine, presumably from the nearby Irving Paper facility.


I shot some stills and then took video as they crossed Bayside Drive on their way out.




I'm glad I was able to be in the right place to get the shots. It's too bad the sun was against me but you work with what you have! :)

Wallboad Plant Ships!

Steven O'Brien reported that four centerbeam flatcars (probably the ones that Ron Grant saw on the 16th) have been loaded, and were pushed into Island Yard "shortly after five p.m. today [Feb 21] after their little journey from the new wall board plant." Thanks for the report, Steven!

Saint John Gypsum Plant Receives Empties

Ron Grant reports that there are three empty centerbeam flatcars at the Irving Wallboard plant in Saint John. The line into the plant was completed in late September 2007 but has not seen any traffic until now.

Ron confirmed that finished loads will be the only rail traffic for the plant. The incoming gypsum is stockpiled near Irving Paper and trucked to the plant. As I reported before, some of the gypsum is brought by rail from Belledune.

Thanks for the report and photos, Ron!